Tai Chi -- Moving for Better Balance
An Evidence-Based Practice
Description
Tai Chi--Moving for Better Balance is a 12-week falls prevention program targeted at residents aged 60 and over. It was implemented in five cities in Lane County, Oregon: Eugene, Springfield, Santa Clara, Junction City, and Cottage Grove between April 2006 and April 2007. Participants attended one-hour classes, twice a week, for 12 weeks. The program focused on 8-form tai chi. Each class began with 5-10 minutes of warm-up exercises, moved on to 40-45 minutes of tai chi instruction and practice, and ended with 5 minutes of cool-down exercises. The program also distributed recordings of tai chi lessons to participants and encouraged them to continue practicing at home.
This program was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This program was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Goal / Mission
To use tai chi exercise to improve balance and decrease incidence of falls among older adults.
Impact
The program shows that ta chi can significantly improve health-related outcome measures in older adults and such a program can be practically and effectively implemented and maintained in community settings.
Results / Accomplishments
Building on previous research to develop a falls-prevention community program, the Oregon Research Institute implemented this program to test the efficacy of tai chi exercise to prevent falls among the elderly (aged 60 and over). Comparing pre-intervention and post-intervention assessments, researchers found that participants had demonstrated significant (p<0.001) improvements in a range of physical tests, including functional reach, the up and go test, chair stands, and the 50-foot speed walk. Participants' physical and mental health summary scores had also significantly (p<0.001) improved. While seven of the 135 participants who provided data reported one or more falls in the first six weeks of the class, no falls were reported in weeks seven to 12 of the 12-week program. Only two participants of 105 participants contacted in a 12-week post-intervention follow-up call reported experiencing a single fall each in the post-intervention period.
About this Promising Practice
Organization(s)
Oregon Research Institute
Primary Contact
Dr. Fuzhong Li
Oregon Research Institute
1776 Millrace Dr.
Eugene, OR 97403
(541) 484-2123
fuzhongl@ori.org
http://www.ori.org/research/detail/preventing_fall...
Oregon Research Institute
1776 Millrace Dr.
Eugene, OR 97403
(541) 484-2123
fuzhongl@ori.org
http://www.ori.org/research/detail/preventing_fall...
Topics
Health / Older Adults
Health / Prevention & Safety
Health / Wellness & Lifestyle
Health / Prevention & Safety
Health / Wellness & Lifestyle
Organization(s)
Oregon Research Institute
Date of publication
Jul 2008
Date of implementation
Apr 2006
For more details
Target Audience
Older Adults