03/07/2019 / By Michelle Simmons
Everyone needs to exercise, even older people. Physical activity has been shown to improve the mental and physical health of people of all ages. However, older people need something milder. One of these mild exercises is tai chi. In a study published recently in the Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, researchers found tai chi to be a safe and effective way to improve the quality of life of the elderly, particularly older men.
Tai chi is a form of ancient Chinese martial arts that involves breathing, coordinated movement, and stretching. It does not require special equipment. Although anyone can practice tai chi, this form of exercise is especially beneficial to older people because it has no impact on joints and bones, making it one of the safest ways to get moving while preventing injury. Since limited mobility is not a problem when performing tai chi, seniors can also practice in a chair, bed, or wheelchair.
In the study, a team of researchers from Iran, Norway, and the U.K. carried out a randomized controlled clinical trial to look at the effect of tai chi exercise on the quality of life of older men. To do this, the research team recruited 132 older men from an urban area in Iran, who were then divided into a treatment group and a control group. Participants in the treatment group practiced tai chi exercises for eight weeks. All participants also completed a quality of life questionnaire before and after the intervention period for the researchers to assess their quality of life.
The results showed that the mean scores of quality of life in various areas showed a statistically significant difference between the tai chi and control groups, wherein the tai chi group had improved quality of life.
With these findings, the research suggests that tai chi exercises are a safe and effective way to improve the quality of life of older men.
Tai chi exercises aren’t only beneficial to healthy older people. Studies have shown that tai chi exercises can improve medical conditions that typically affect aging adults.
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Tagged Under:
alternative medicine, exercise, longevity, natural healing, natural remedies, Natural Treatments, older men, older people, prevention, quality of life, remedies, seniors, tai chi, tai chi exercise
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