• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.195-202
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• 2022

This study explored the effects of Tai Chi on cardiovascular disease(CVD) risk factors among the Korean elderly. 68 elderly were selected and divided into two groups: an experiment group(34 patients) and a control group(34 patients). The experimental group practiced Tai Chi for 60 minutes a day, five times per week for 6 weeks total. The control group continued their routine levels of activity. CVD risk factors evaluated in both groups including body mass index, fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C). Each factor was measured before and after the 6-week intervention. Results showed that the experimental group had a significant decrease in measurements of body mass index, fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, and LDL-C levels. The experimental group also had an increase HDL-C level. Based on such findings, we believe that Tai Chi exercise program would function as an effective intervention strategy for preventing CVD in the elderly. Therefore, it is recommended that health and medical service personnel should seek to apply Tai Chi intervention as a daily component of elderly care.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.252-263
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• 2023

Purpose: To assess the feasibility, safety, and preliminary estimates of effectiveness of Tai Chi on the functional outcomes of older adults in the community. Methods: This was a mixed-method study that employed a single-group repeated measure design and in-depth interviews. Nine older adults were recruited from the community were recruited to participate in a Tai Chi program, conducted twice weekly for 6 months. Research outcomes included physical function, cognitive function, and quality of life, measured at intervals of 3 and 6 months. Findings: Tai Chi exercises were gradually conducted based on the health status of the older adults. All participants actively participated in the program with an average attendance of 90%. Consequently, the participants showed significant improvements in mobility and their memory recall ability at both 3 and 6 months. Additionally, the results of the Stroop test exhibited improvement 3 months after the commencement of the study program. Quality of life of the participants improved according to the mild cognitive impairment questionnaire, but it did not show significant improvement in health-related quality of life. Conclusion: The Tai Chi exercise program was a safe and, feasible program to improve the physical function, cognitive function, quality of life among the older adults in the community.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.152-160
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the effects of the Tai Chi exercise on metabolic syndrome and health-related quality of life in middle-aged women. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used. Subjects were sixty middle-aged women with metabolic syndrome. All of the subjects were met the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III). The subjects were divided into the experiment group (n=33) trained the Tai Chi for 12 weeks and the control group (n=27). Metabolic syndrome risk factors including blood pressure, waist circumference, glucose, triglyceride (TG), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured before and after the 12-week period. Euro Quality of Life Questionnaire 5-Dimensional Classification (EQ-5D) was used to evaluate the health-related quality of life. Results: The experiment group showed significant decreases in diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, glucose, and TG; and increase in HDL-C compared to the control group. For the health-related quality of life evaluation, the experiment group showed significant improvement more than the control group. Conclusion: The Tai Chi exercise may be effective intervention in preventing cardiovascular disease caused by metabolic syndrome in middle-aged women.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.278-285
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• 2006

Purpose: This study was performed to verify the effect of Tai Chi exercise on patients with rheumatoid arthritis particularly their level of pain, fatigue, sense of balance and daily lift performance(ADL). Method: It employed a non-equivalent control group pre- and post-test design. The research instruments used in this study were pain, fatigue, sense of balance and ADL. Thirty-two patients in the experimental group carried out 50 minutes of Tai Chi exercise for 12 weeks, and 29 patients in the control group did not. Before and after the experiment, both groups were tested for pain, fatigue, sense of balance and ADL. Collected data were processed using the SPSS/WIN 10.0 program analyzed by the frequency, percentage, $x^2-test$, and t-test. Results: Pain and fatigue significantly decreased in the experimental group. However the improvement in ADL of the rheumatoid arthritis patients was not statistically significant but their sense of balance was enhanced significantly. Conclusion: Tai Chi exercise is an effective nursing intervention that can be used for rheumatoid arthritis patients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.1127-1133
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• 2011

Exercise has been shown to positively influence quality of life for elderly men with a wide variety of medical illnesses. Tai chi exercise, a slow and graceful form of exercise and meditation, has especially been offered as the ideal exercise for elderly men with diverse conditions, such as people suffering from chronic heart failure or breast cancer survivors. In one recent study, Tai Chi was found to improve exercise capacity, sleep stability, and quality of life in heart failure patients including elderly men. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of 16 weeks of Tai Chi exercise (3 times/week, 60 min/trial, 40-50% HRR) on physical and physiological changes. Sixty four healthy volunteers without any particular disease between the ages of 65 and 79 years participated in the study. The results were as follows; Significant changes of cardiac endurance, strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and balance were observed following 16 weeks of Tai Chi exercise (p<0.05). In addition, significant changes of diastolic blood pressure, body fat and fat-free mass were observed following 16 weeks of Tai Chi exercise (p<0.05). These findings suggest that a brief period of Tai Chi exercise is beneficial, particularly to elderly men. It is especially beneficial for body composition, and physical fitness factors such as cardiopulmonary endurance, muscle endurance, flexibility, and balance. Further study is needed in this area for specific disease patients.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.61-73
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 8- week Tai Chi exercise program on improving the risk factors for falls in the older adults with chronic arthritis pain. Method: Fifteen subjects were assigned for experimental group and thirteen were assigned for control group. The subjects of the experimental group participated in a 8 -week program of Tai Chi exercise. In order to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi program, pain intensity, postural stability, balance, gait, and flexibility of knees and ankles were measured before the first and after the 8th session Result: After a 8-week Tai Chi program, there were significant improvement in single-leg stance time with eyes open(left: p=.000, right: p=.003), total scores of balance(p=.004), total scores of gait(p=.005), and the angle of ankle dorsiflexion(p=.008) in the experimental group when compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in pain intensity between Tai Chi group and control group(p=.054). Conclusion: These results suggest that a 8-week Tai Chi exercise program can be utilized as a safe and effective nursing program to improve on improving the risk factors for falls in the older adults with osteoarthritis.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.101-113
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to systematically analyze the effect of Tai Chi as therapeutic exercise on depressing blood pressure. Methods : We reviewed articles published in the PubMed, Chinese Academic Journals(CAJ) and five Korean databases. The searching keywords were "Tai chi AND blood pressure" and "Tai chi AND hypertension". We evaluated the quality with Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results : In the 114 articles searched, 7 randomized controlled clinical trials were selected. Yang(楊) style Tai chi, exercising over 30 minutes a time and over three times a week, had an effect on decreasing blood pressure. However, Wu(吳) style Tai chi was not effective in decreasing blood pressure. Conclusions : Usual exercises for hypertension patients should be performed in the form of moderate exercises intensity for 10-26 weeks by 30-60 minute a time, over 3 times a week. The study of Tai Chi on blood pressure needs to follow this criteria in the future.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.20-30
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• 2006

Purpose: To determine the effect of Tai Chi exercise program on fatigue, stress, and quality of life in middle aged women. Method: The study was designed as a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study. Thirty subjects were assigned for experimental group and thirty four subjects were assigned for control group. The subjects in the experimental group were participated in Tai Chi exercise program for 60 minutes per session 3 times a week for 8weeks. Tai Chi exercise program consists of 10 minutes warm-up, 45 minutes main, and 5 minutes cooling down exercises. In order to evaluate the effect of Tai Chi exercise program, fatigue, stress, and qualify of life were assessed by measuring the condition of the participants in respect of fatigue, stress, and qualify of life with questionnaire. The data were analyzed by using $x^2-test$, Fisher's exact test, t-test by a SAS-pc+ 8.12 program. Result: After 8 weeks Tai Chi exercise program, there were significant improvement in fatigue, stress, and quality of life in middle aged women. Conclusion: Tai Chi exercise program can be an effective nursing intervention to improve fatigue, stress, and quality of life in middle aged women.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.147-157
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Tai Chi exercise program (Sun style 12 forms) on anxiety, powerlessness, self-esteem in community-dwelling elderly women. Methods: With a quasi-experimental design, a nonequivalent control group pretest-post test was used. Elderly women who agreed to participate in the study were assigned into an experimental group (n=23), or a control group (n=23). The experimental group participated in Tai Chi exercise program for 50 minutes per session, 2 times a week for 11 weeks. Tai Chi exercise program consisted of 10 minutes for warm-up, 35 minutes for main session, and 5 minutes for cooling down exercises. Anxiety, powerlessness, and self-esteem were measured with questionnaires to evaluate the effect of Tai Chi exercise program. The data were analyzed by using Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Mann-Whitney test by a SPSS WIN 12.0 program. Results: The experimental group showed significant improvement for self-esteem (z=-3.130, p=.002), powerlessness(z=-3.267, p=.001), and anxiety (z=-2.932, p=.003) when compared to control group, Conclusions: Tai chi exercise program may be an effective nursing intervention to improve self-esteem and to reduce powerlessness and anxiety in community-dwelling elderly women.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was attempted to verify the effects of Tai Chi exercise on the depression and self efficacy of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Method: It employed a non-equivalent control group pre- and post-test design. The research instruments used in this study were depression and self efficacy. Thirty-two patients in the experimental group carried out 50 minutes of Tai Chi exercise for 12 weeks, and 29 patients in the control group did not. Before and after the experiment, both groups were tested for depression and self efficacy. Collected data were processed using the SPSS/WIN 10.0 program analyzing by the frequency, percentage, $X^2$- test, and t-test. Results: Depression significantly decreased in the experimental group. However the improvement in self efficacy of the rheumatoid arthritis patients was not statistically significant but slight enhancement was. Conclusion: Tai Chi exercise is an effective nursing intervention that can be used for rheumatoid arthritis patients.