Tai chi boosts balance
 
Derek Debono;   Windsor Star

 
A simple fall for an elderly person can be disastrous.

The fitness industry has recognized the importance of balance training for the elderly and has developed many programs and training tools designed to prevent falls and improve the quality of life for our aging population.

These initiatives work to improve balance and are effective in preventing falls, but raise the question: which exercises are most practical and have the longest-lasting benefit?

A recent study headed by Dr. Fuzhong Li, an exercise scientist with the Oregon Research Institute, found the most effective and longest-lasting tool for improving balance in the elderly may also be one of the oldest -- Yang-style Tai Chi.

Yang-style Tai Chi was first established early in the 19th century as a complex form of martial arts in China. Since then, it evolved into a simpler version. This modern version consists of 24 body movements done in a continuous fluid motion involving pushing, pulling, stepping, twisting and turning. Body weight and balance is continuously shifted from one to both legs resembling a slow, rhythmic ballet.

Dr. Li and his researchers studied 175 healthy individuals between 70 and 92, physically inactive for three months before the study. The subjects were required to participate in three

50-minute tai chi sessions per week for six months.

The Yang style emphasizes shifting one's body weight in multiple directions, and the co-ordination of movement involving all the major segments of the body, such as the trunk, legs and arms. The sessions also emphasized proper postural alignment and breathing techniques during the movements.

A control group of similar aged subjects performed stretching exercises targeting the same muscle groups as the tai chi group, and also focused on postural alignment and proper breathing technique. Stretching was also chosen for its low intensity and social interaction similar to tai chi.

At the conclusion of the six-month period, the subjects were given a gait test. This assessed their ability to alter their gait or step in response to the challenges presented in stepping over and around obstacles, changing speed and walking on uneven ground. They were also required to undergo 14 balance-related movements that simulated tasks found in daily living.

In the a followup assessment six months after the study, researchers found tai chi subjects performed better on all the assessments including lower rates of deterioration of balance compared to the control group. The control group also had more than twice the number of falls than those who participated in tai chi.

We don't fully understand the mechanisms that take place to improve balance and co-ordination with tai chi, but believe the answer lies in the brain's ability to adapt muscle control through low-intensity movement that requires the constant shifting of weight from one leg to another.

Dr. Li's study establishes that tai chi is an exceptional alternative to other exercise programs to improve balance and prevent falls in the elderly.

Derek DeBono is a certified personal training instructor and a service provider to Canada's national team athletes.

© The Windsor Star 2008  From Canada.com health