RESEARCH General Health

AGING
Researchers examining how Tai Chi may benefit older people

Melissa Mitchell, News Editor
(217) 333-5491; melissa@uiuc.edu

8/1/03

Photo by Bill Wiegand Karl Rosengren, a professor of kinesiology and of psychology, has been studying the physiological benefits of Tai Chi.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — As they age, people tend to become more prone to slipping, tripping and falling. And the results of such missteps and tumbles sometimes can be catastrophic.

That’s why movement researchers are increasingly focusing on the physiological effects and potential health benefits associated with Taiji – or Tai Chi, as it is more commonly known in the United States. An ancient Chinese martial art, Tai Chi combines aspects of movement and meditation; those who practice it claim to derive a variety of beneficial effects – physical as well as mental and spiritual.

"There are a whole host of benefits associated with Tai Chi – only some of them related to physical health," said Karl Rosengren, a professor of kinesiology and of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. One oft-cited "side effect," he noted, is increased self-confidence. "It’s been suggested that this increased confidence leads to greater activity, which may lend itself to better functional achievement." But, the Illinois researcher said, "It’s not enough to say we think Tai Chi helps older adults have improved physical function," Rosengren said. "We have to have ways of evaluating what is happening. We’re trying to understand, in the larger picture … is it participation or skills that make a difference, and what are the benefits exactly?"

Recent and ongoing studies at Illinois focus on "exploring and understanding how Tai Chi can serve as an intervention"; on developing methods for measuring physical changes among older adults practicing Tai Chi regularly; and on determining appropriate strategies for intervention.
Rosengren said results of a recent study, referenced in a report scheduled to appear in the August issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, "suggest that intervention programs that use Tai Chi should be at least four months long for individuals to achieve a moderate level of Tai Chi skill."

Another study, which sought to examine the effects of Tai Chi training on knee-extensor strength and force control in older individuals, will be published in the October issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Science. "Results of this study found that older individuals can become stronger and have a better force control with the knee extensors following Tai Chi training." In other words, Rosengren said, Tai Chi appears to build lower-body strength and result in better, more targeted control of a person’s movements.

"One way to think about it is, when we move through the world, muscles function to get us from Point A to Point B," he said. "We go up stairs and usually don’t trip, for instance. But one thing that happens as we get older is that our ability to produce the correct level of force to achieve our desired movement declines. Tai Chi seems to improve the ability to control force."

Contributing researchers include current and former graduate students Evangelos Christou, Yang Yang, Dennis Kass and Angela Boule.