Effects of a Community-Based Tai Chi Program on Balance, Functional Outcomes, and Sensorimotor Function in Older Adults

Abstract

Aims: Examine effects of a community Tai Chi program on measures of balance and sensorimotor function.

Methods: In a pretest and post-test design, balance was measured in older adults (N = 344; 73.4 ± 7.4 years) with 30-s chair stand, timed-up-and-go, and 4-stage balance test following a 12-week community-based Tai Chi intervention. Balance and sensorimotor measures, including hip abductor electromechanical delay and hip proprioception, were measured in a smaller sample of older adults (n = 11; 67.3 ± 3.7 years).

Results: Balance improved (p < 0.0001) following intervention compared to pretest. Similarly, participants in the smaller sample showed improvements at post-test (p < 0.05) in electromechanical delay and lower extremity proprioception, but no bone density or muscle mass changes.

Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that a community-based Tai Chi program improves balance in older adults. In a smaller sample, Tai Chi resulted in additional sensorimotor changes, specifically faster hip abductor muscle contraction speed and improved hip proprioception.

Keywords:

• Tai Chi
• balance
• fall prevention
• proprioception
• electromechanical delay

Disclosure of interests

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

Availability of data and material

The dataset(s) supporting the conclusions of this article is(are) available in the Open Science Framework repository: https://osf.io/k6e5v/?view_only=04ef8c5b245241fe9ceefd7e50c65c43 DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/K6E5V