Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T08:20:33.816Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Tai Chi’s Effects on Health-Related Fitness of Low-Income Older Adults*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2013

James Manson ,
Paul Ritvo ,
Chris Ardern ,
Patricia Weir ,
Joseph Baker ,
Veronica Jamnik  and
Hala Tamim
James Manson*
Affiliation:
York University
Paul Ritvo
Affiliation:
York University
Chris Ardern
Affiliation:
York University
Patricia Weir
Affiliation:
University of Windsor
Joseph Baker
Affiliation:
York University
Veronica Jamnik
Affiliation:
York University
Hala Tamim
Affiliation:
York University
*
†Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to / La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: James Manson, M.Sc. York University 341 Bethune College 4700 Keele Street North York, ON M3J 1P3 ([email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Tai chi (TC) has been shown to positively influence health-related fitness (HRF) of elderly participants by affording them a means to increase musculoskeletal strength. The objective of this study was to examine TC intervention effects on HRF and whether ethnic groups not culturally related to TC experienced a barrier to participation in a community-based program for low-income older adults. Seventy-eight older mixed-ethnicity adults (age 55 and older) who were not culturally affiliated with TC were recruited for this study. HRF measures were taken before and after a 16-week TC program that offered seven sessions per week. Significant improvements were found in upper and lower musculoskeletal fitness and partial curl-ups, with TC being embraced by the participants. These results suggest that TC can be effective for improving HRF and that non-TC culturally related ethnic groups did not experience a barrier to participation in an older low-socioeconomic population sample.

Résumé

On a démontré que le Tai Chi peut influer positivement sur la condition physique liée à la santé (CLPS) des participants âgés, en leur offrant un moyen d’accoître la force musculo-squelettique. L’objectif de cette étude était d’examiner les effets de l’intervention de Tai Chi sur la forme physique, et de découvrir si ethnies culturellement étrangères au Tai Chi constituaient un obstacle à la participation à un programme communautaire pour les aînés à faible revenu. Soixante-dix-huit aînés d’origine mixte (55 ans et plus), qui n’étaient pas culturellement affiliés au Tai Chi, ont été recrutés pour cette étude. Les mesures de la condition liée à la santé ont été prises avant et après un programme de Tai Chi d’une durée de 16 semaines, avec sept séances par semaine. Des améliorations significatives en résultaient dans l’aptitude supérieur et inférieur musculo-squelettique ainsi que dans la flexion partielle parmi ceux qui pratiquaient le Tai Chi. Ces résultats suggèrent que le Tai Chi peut être efficace pour améliorer la CLPS, et que les ethnies non pas liées culturellement au Tai Chi n’éprouviaent pas un obstacle à la participation d’un échantillon de population âgée à un niveau socio-économique faible.

Keywords

vieillissmentagingcommunity dwellingethnicityfitnesslow incometai chi
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 32 , Issue 3 , September 2013 , pp. 270 - 277
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

Funding was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Sport Canada Research Initiative.

References

Barbat-Artigas, S., Filion, M.-E., Dupontgand, S., Karelis, A., & Aubertin-Leheudre, M. (2011). Effects of tai chi training in dynapenic and nondynapenic postmenopausal women. Menopause, 18(9), 974–979.Google Scholar
Brawley, L. R., Rejeski, W. J., & King, A. C. (2003). Promoting physical activity for older adults: The challenges for changing behavior. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 25(3 Suppl 2), 172–183.Google Scholar
Canadian Physical Activity, Fitness, and Lifestyle Approach. (2004). Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Health and Fitness Program’s Health Related Appraisal and Counseling Strategy (3rd ed.). Ottawa, ON: Health Canada.Google Scholar
Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. (2002). Physical Activity Readiness Medical Examination (PAR MED-X). ON: Author.Google Scholar
Caspersen, C. J., Christenson, G. M., & Pollard, R. A. (1986). Status of 1990 physical fitness and exercise objectives-evidence from NHIS. Public Health Reports, 101(6), 587–592.Google Scholar
Crespo, C. J., Smit, E., Carter-Pokras, O., & Andersen, R. (2001). Acculturation and leisure-time physical inactivity in Mexican American adults: Results from NHANES III, 1988-1994. American Journal of Public Health, 91(8), 1254–1257.Google Scholar
Davis, D. (2008). Women’s Qigong for health and longevity: A practical guide for women forty and over. Boston: Shambala.Google Scholar
Docker, S. M. (2006). Tai Chi and older people in the community: A preliminary study. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 12, 111–118.Google Scholar
Fong, E., & Gulia, M. (1999). Differences in neighborhood qualities among racial and ethnic groups in Canada. Sociological Inquiry, 69(4), 575–598.Google Scholar
Gledhill, N. (1990). Discussion assessment of fitness. In Bouchard, C., Shephard, R. J., Stephens, T., Sutton, J. R., & McPherson, B. D. (Eds.), Exercise, fitness and health: A consensus of current knowledge (p. 121). IL: Human Kinetics Books.Google Scholar
Han, A., Judd, M., Welch, V., Wu, T., Tugwell, P., Wells, G., et al. (2009). Tai chi for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2, 1–24.Google Scholar
Hart, J., Kanner, H., Gilboa-Mayo, R., Haroeh-Peer, O., Rozenthul-sorokin, N., Eldar, R., et al. (2004). Tai Chi Chuan practice in community-dwelling persons after stroke. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 18, 303–304.Google Scholar
Hong, Y., & Xian, J. (2007). Biomechanics of Tai Chi: A review. Sport Biomechanics, 6(3), 453–464.Google Scholar
Jane Finch Neighbourhood Action Plan Report (2005). The GriffinCentre. The City of Toronto.Google Scholar
Jimenez, P. J., Melendez, A., & Albers, U. (2012). Physiological effects of Tai Chi Chuan. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 55, 460–467.Google Scholar
Jones, A. Y., Dean, E., & Scudds, R. J. (2005). Effectiveness of a community-based Tai Chi program and implications for public health initiatives. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 86, 619–625.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keysor, J. J., & Jette, A. M. (2001). Have we oversold the benefit of late life exercise? Journal of Gerontology, 56(7), M412–M423.Google ScholarPubMed
Kinsella, K., & Phillips, D. R. (2003). Global aging: The challenge of success. Population Bulletin, 60(1), 3–42.Google Scholar
Kriska, A. M., & Rexroad, A. R. (1998). The role of physical activity in minority populations. Women’s Health Issues, 8(2), 98–103.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kubota, Y., Sato, W., Toichi, M., Murai, T., Okada, T., Hayashi, A., et al. (2001). Frontal midline theta rhythm is correlated with cardiac autonomic activities during the performance of an attention demanding meditation procedure. Cognitive Brain Research, 11(2), 281–287.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lan, C., Chen, S. Y., & Lai, J. S. (2004). Relative exercise intensity of Tai Chi Chuan is similar in different ages and gender. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 32(1), 151–160.Google Scholar
Lan, C., Lai, J. S., Chen, S. Y., & Wong, M. (2000). Tai Chi Chuan to improve muscular strength and endurance in elderly individuals: A pilot study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 81, 604–607.Google Scholar
Lan, C., Lai, J. S., & Chen, S. Y. (2002). Tai Chi Chuan: An ancient wisdom on exercise and health promotion. Sports Medicine, 32(4), 217–224.Google Scholar
Li, F., Harmer, P., Glasgow, R. A. K., Mack, K. A., Sleet, D., Fisher, J., et al. (2008). Translation of an effective tai chi intervention into a community-based falls-prevention program. American Journal of Public Health, 98, 1195–1198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, J. X., Hong, Y., & Chan, K. M. (2001). Tai chi: Physiological characteristics and beneficial effects on health. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 35(3), 148–156.Google Scholar
Low, S., Wei, L., Sern, K., & Kai, S. (2009). A systematic review of the effectiveness of Tai Chi on fall reduction among the elderly. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 48, 325–331.Google Scholar
Marijke, J. M., Chin, A. P., Jannique, G. Z., van Uffelen, J. G. Z., Riphagen, I., & van Mechelen, W. (2008). The functional effects of physical exercise training in frail older people: A systematic review. Sports Medicine, 38(9), 781–793.Google Scholar
Moore, L. V., Diez Roux, A. V., Evenson, K. R., McGinn, A. P., & Brines, S. J. (2008). Availability of recreational resources in minority and low socioeconomic status areas. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 34(1), 16–22.Google Scholar
Pal, G. K., Velkumary, S., Madanmohan, . (2004). Effect of short-term practice of breathing exercises on autonomic functions in normal human volunteers. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 120, 115–121.Google Scholar
Qin, L., Choy, W., Leung, K., Chung, P., Szeki, L., Wingyin, A., et al. (2005). Beneficial effects of regular Tai Chi exercise on musculoskeletal system. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 23, 186–190.Google Scholar
Statistics Canada (2010). Population projections for Canada. Retrieved 31 July 2010 fromhttp://www5.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=91-520-XWE&lang=eng.Google Scholar
Sui, X., LaMonte, M. J., Laditka, J. N., Hardin, J. W., Chase, N., Hooker, S. P., et al. (2007). Cardiorespiratory fitness and adiposity as mortality predictors in older adults. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 298(21), 2507–2516.Google Scholar
Taylor-Piliae, R. E., & Froelicher, E. S. (2004). The effectiveness of Tai Chi exercise in improving aerobic capacity: A meta-analysis. The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 19(1), 48–57.Google Scholar
Upshur, R. E., & Tracy, S. (2008). Chronicity and complexity. Primary Care, 54, 1655–1658.Google Scholar
Wayne, P. M., & Kaptchuk, T. J. (2008a). Challenges inherent to t’ai chi research: Part I – t’ai chi as a complex multicomponent intervention. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 14(1), 95–102.Google Scholar
Wayne, P. M., & Kaptchuk, T. J. (2008b). Challenges inherent to t’ai chi research: Part II – defining the intervention and optimal study design. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 14(2), 191–197.Google Scholar
Yurgalevitch, S. M., Kriska, A. M., Welty, T. K., Go, O., Robbins, D. C., & Howard, B. V. (1998). Physical activity and lipids and lipoproteins in American Indians ages 45–74. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 30(4), 543–549.Google Scholar
Zhou, D., Shepard, R. J., Plyley, M. J., & David, G. M. (1984). Cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses during Tai Chi Chuan exercise. Canadian Journal of Applied Sports Sciences, 9, 7–10.Google Scholar