Effects of Tai Chi Exercise-Induced Improved Balance on the Enhancement of Gait Performance in Female Elderly

PURPOSE Elderly individuals with sarcopenia often experience reduced muscle strength and impaired motor, leading to deficits in balance and abnormal gait performance. While Tai Chi is known to enhance balance and gait performance in healthy older adults, its impact on the elderly with sarcopenia rem...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shengnan Li, Ying-Ying Xiang, Dong Kyun Woo, Ji-Seok Kim
Format: Article
Language:Korean
Published: The Korean Society of Exercise Physiology 2025-05-01
Series:운동과학
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ksep-es.org/upload/pdf/ksep-2025-00031.pdf
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849336433639161856
author Shengnan Li
Ying-Ying Xiang
Dong Kyun Woo
Ji-Seok Kim
author_facet Shengnan Li
Ying-Ying Xiang
Dong Kyun Woo
Ji-Seok Kim
author_sort Shengnan Li
collection DOAJ
description PURPOSE Elderly individuals with sarcopenia often experience reduced muscle strength and impaired motor, leading to deficits in balance and abnormal gait performance. While Tai Chi is known to enhance balance and gait performance in healthy older adults, its impact on the elderly with sarcopenia remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Tai Chi intervention on balance and gait performance in elderly adults with sarcopenia. METHODS Based on the diagnostic criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia, participants were categorized into three groups: normal (T, n=10), sarcopenia (T·S, n=10), and severe sarcopenia (T·SS, n=10). All participants completed a 12-week Tai Chi exercise program. Outcomes assessed pre- and post-intervention included bone mineral density, lower limb muscle strength, balance ability, and gait performance. RESULTS Following the Tai Chi intervention, significant improvements in bone health and knee extensor strength were observed in the T and T·S groups. Additionally, static and dynamic balance abilities, as well as gait performance, improved across all three groups. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that a 12-week Tai Chi program significantly improved balance ability and gait performance in elderly women, regardless of degree of sarcopenia, even in the absence of substantial gains in lower limb strength.
format Article
id doaj-art-522e9e4d81e5425a8cfde26decef7682
institution Kabale University
issn 1226-1726
2384-0544
language Korean
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher The Korean Society of Exercise Physiology
record_format Article
series 운동과학
spelling doaj-art-522e9e4d81e5425a8cfde26decef76822025-08-20T03:44:58ZkorThe Korean Society of Exercise Physiology운동과학1226-17262384-05442025-05-0134210811610.15857/ksep.2025.000311135Effects of Tai Chi Exercise-Induced Improved Balance on the Enhancement of Gait Performance in Female ElderlyShengnan Li0Ying-Ying Xiang1Dong Kyun Woo2Ji-Seok Kim3School of Physical Education, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, ChinaDepartment of Physical Education, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, KoreaResearch Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, KoreaDepartment of Physical Education, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, KoreaPURPOSE Elderly individuals with sarcopenia often experience reduced muscle strength and impaired motor, leading to deficits in balance and abnormal gait performance. While Tai Chi is known to enhance balance and gait performance in healthy older adults, its impact on the elderly with sarcopenia remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Tai Chi intervention on balance and gait performance in elderly adults with sarcopenia. METHODS Based on the diagnostic criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia, participants were categorized into three groups: normal (T, n=10), sarcopenia (T·S, n=10), and severe sarcopenia (T·SS, n=10). All participants completed a 12-week Tai Chi exercise program. Outcomes assessed pre- and post-intervention included bone mineral density, lower limb muscle strength, balance ability, and gait performance. RESULTS Following the Tai Chi intervention, significant improvements in bone health and knee extensor strength were observed in the T and T·S groups. Additionally, static and dynamic balance abilities, as well as gait performance, improved across all three groups. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that a 12-week Tai Chi program significantly improved balance ability and gait performance in elderly women, regardless of degree of sarcopenia, even in the absence of substantial gains in lower limb strength.http://ksep-es.org/upload/pdf/ksep-2025-00031.pdfsarcopeniatai chibalance abilitygait performance
spellingShingle Shengnan Li
Ying-Ying Xiang
Dong Kyun Woo
Ji-Seok Kim
Effects of Tai Chi Exercise-Induced Improved Balance on the Enhancement of Gait Performance in Female Elderly
운동과학
sarcopenia
tai chi
balance ability
gait performance
title Effects of Tai Chi Exercise-Induced Improved Balance on the Enhancement of Gait Performance in Female Elderly
title_full Effects of Tai Chi Exercise-Induced Improved Balance on the Enhancement of Gait Performance in Female Elderly
title_fullStr Effects of Tai Chi Exercise-Induced Improved Balance on the Enhancement of Gait Performance in Female Elderly
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Tai Chi Exercise-Induced Improved Balance on the Enhancement of Gait Performance in Female Elderly
title_short Effects of Tai Chi Exercise-Induced Improved Balance on the Enhancement of Gait Performance in Female Elderly
title_sort effects of tai chi exercise induced improved balance on the enhancement of gait performance in female elderly
topic sarcopenia
tai chi
balance ability
gait performance
url http://ksep-es.org/upload/pdf/ksep-2025-00031.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT shengnanli effectsoftaichiexerciseinducedimprovedbalanceontheenhancementofgaitperformanceinfemaleelderly
AT yingyingxiang effectsoftaichiexerciseinducedimprovedbalanceontheenhancementofgaitperformanceinfemaleelderly
AT dongkyunwoo effectsoftaichiexerciseinducedimprovedbalanceontheenhancementofgaitperformanceinfemaleelderly
AT jiseokkim effectsoftaichiexerciseinducedimprovedbalanceontheenhancementofgaitperformanceinfemaleelderly