Abstract
PURPOSE: Tai Chi is a moderate-intensity exercise, which consists of slow fluid movements, appropriate for older adults. The five primary styles of Tai Chi include, Chen, Yang, Hao, Wu and Sun, where each style focuses on certain movements and functions. The purpose of this scoping review is to evaluate the impact of Tai Chi on the health and well-being of older adults. METHODS: Google Scholar and an university library’s OneSearch feature were used to locate relevant articles on Tai Chi for older adults. The OneSearch indexed several databases relevant to exercise science including PubMed, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science were the primary article databases used. RESULTS: Tai Chi provides physiological and psychological health benefits such as improved physical function and reduced mood disturbances. Tai Chi is versatile as it is used for fall prevention, rehabilitation, socialization and improving self-efficacy. These cited improvements are reported across all the five primary styles of Tai Chi. There are some known barriers to Tai Chi participation, such as unfamiliarity with Tai Chi’s history and benefits. There is limited evidence on whether the style of Tai Chi that is practiced can mitigate these barriers. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, we still need to know the preferred Tai Chi style among older adults. There is need for qualitative study that will determine why older adults are interested or disinterred in Tai Chi and which style is most appealing to them.
Recommended Citation
Godinez, Carolina; Auslander, Alexandra T.; Killick, Lara; Rocha-Rangel, Jose; and Lewis, Zakkoyya H.
(2022)
"Tai Chi for Older Adult Wellness: A Scoping Review and Proposed Study,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 14:
Iss.
2, Article 124.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol14/iss2/124
Included in
Health and Physical Education Commons, Medical Education Commons, Sports Sciences Commons