Health benefits of regular Tai Chi Chuan practice for the elderly

Research shows that within one year of practising Tai Chi Chuan on a regular basis, elderly people show improvements in strength and flexibility. Researchers at the National Taiwan University Hospital carried out a study on the health and fitness of elderly people who practice Tai Chi Chuan. The study compared 20 men and women between the ages of 58 and 70 who had been practising Tai Chi Chuan about 4 times per week for an average of 11 months. Each session would last just under an hour on average, with a 20 minute warm-up, 24 minutes of Tai Chi Chuan practice (e.g. form) and a 10 minute cool down. The exercise intensity was 52.63% of the heart rate range. Cardiorespiratory function, strength, flexibility, and percent of body fat were evaluated before and at the end of this study. The Tai chi practitioners were compared to a control group of 18 men and women of similar age, who did not practice Tai Chi Chuan.

The male Tai chi group showed improved strength and flexibility in the chest and lower back. Also knee joint strength and flexibility improved. The female group showed greater improvements in strength and flexibility than the males. The control group showed no change during the study. The study proved that regular Tai Chi Chuan training improved muscular strength and flexibility in the elderly, with improvements to general physical health. With increasing life expectancies, it is becoming more important for people to take up some form of exercise to ensure that they can remain
active in their retirement. Tai Chi Chuan is a gentle but energetic form of exercise, which not only improves physical health and fitness, as proved in this research, but has also been shown to improve mental health and well-being.

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