Fan Xu, Soh Kim Geok, Mun Chan Yoke, Soh Kim Lam
Department of Sport Studies, Faculty of Education Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia.
Department of Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia.
Aging Clin Exp Res. 2025 Jan 22;37(1):32. doi: 10.1007/s40520-024-02894-5.
Tai Chi (TC) is widely acknowledged for its positive impact on improving motor function in older adults. Nevertheless, limited research has directly compared the effects of different TC styles on older adults with functional impairments.
This study aimed to assess the impact of different TC styles on motor function in older adults with functional impairments.
We searched five databases-PubMed, Scopus, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, and Wiley Online Library-including studies published up to September 2024. The selection of literature adhered to PRISMA guidelines, with quality assessment independently carried out by two researchers.
Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. The analysis revealed that TC interventions for functionally impaired older adults primarily employed Yang-style, Sun-style, Chen-style, and simplified-style TC. The populations studied included individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), nonspecific low back pain (NS-LBP), preclinical disabilities, chronic diseases, poor balance, osteoarthritis (OA), Parkinson's disease (PD), sarcopenia, and those at risk of falls. The findings indicated that motor function in functionally impaired older adults were closely linked to balance, gait, mobility, strength, and fall rates. Among the various TC styles, Yang-style was the most frequently utilised intervention.
This review examined four types of TC interventions and found strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of Yang-style TC in improving motor function in older adults with functional impairments. Additionally, five assessment methods-Single-Leg Stance (SL), Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), Chair Stand Test (CST), and Fall Efficacy Scale (FES)-were identified as suitable for evaluating this population. Based on the findings, it is recommended that individuals with functional impairments engage in Yang-style 24-movement TC, with an intervention duration of 12 weeks, practicing two to five times a week for 60 min each session.
太极拳（TC）对改善老年人运动功能的积极影响已得到广泛认可。然而，直接比较不同太极拳风格对功能受损老年人影响的研究有限。
本研究旨在评估不同太极拳风格对功能受损老年人运动功能的影响。
我们检索了五个数据库——PubMed、Scopus、中国知网（CNKI）、科学网和威利在线图书馆——检索截至2024年9月发表的研究。文献的选择遵循PRISMA指南，由两名研究人员独立进行质量评估。
14项研究符合本综述的纳入标准。分析表明，针对功能受损老年人的太极拳干预主要采用杨式、孙式、陈式和简化式太极拳。研究人群包括轻度认知障碍（MCI）、非特异性下背痛（NS-LBP）、临床前残疾、慢性病、平衡能力差、骨关节炎（OA）、帕金森病（PD）、肌肉减少症以及有跌倒风险的人群。研究结果表明，功能受损老年人的运动功能与平衡、步态、活动能力、力量和跌倒率密切相关。在各种太极拳风格中，杨式是最常用的干预方式。
本综述研究了四种太极拳干预方式，发现有力证据支持杨式太极拳对改善功能受损老年人运动功能的有效性。此外，确定了五种评估方法——单腿站立（SL）、六分钟步行测试（6MWT）、计时起立行走测试（TUGT）、椅子站立测试（CST）和跌倒效能量表（FES）——适合评估该人群。基于研究结果，建议功能受损者进行24式杨式太极拳练习，干预持续时间为12周，每周练习两到五次，每次60分钟。
