Does different exercise have the same effect of health promotion for the elderly? Comparison of training-specific effect of Tai Chi and swimming on motor control
Journal
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
Journal Volume
53
Journal Issue
2
Pages
e133-e137
Date Issued
2011-09-01
Author(s)
Wong, Alice M K
Chou, Shih Wei
Huang, Shu Chun
Chen, Hsieh Ching
Hong, Wei Hsien
Chen, Carl P C
Pei, Yu Cheng
Abstract
It remains unclear whether Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) instead of swimming yields a training-specific effect on dynamic balance. The objective of the present study is to test if the practice of TCC provides a distinctive benefit of balance in the elderly. The participants in TCC (n= 32) and swimming groups (n= 20) practiced regular swimming and TCC respectively for at least 3 years before the recruitment. Thirty-four healthy and active elderly volunteers were also recruited as the control group. To evaluate balance, we used SMART Balance Master that yields balance parameters including maximal stability, center-of-pressure velocity, and percentage ankle strategy obtained under six different balance conditions. We evaluated eye-hand coordination by measuring the movement time required to accurately point from one target to the next. In the most challenging balance conditions, the TCC group performed significantly better than the swimming and control groups. In eye-hand coordination tasks, both the TCC and swimming groups yielded significantly shorter movement time compared with the control group; however, no significant difference was observed between them. We concluded that both TCC and swimming improve eye-hand coordination in the elderly. However, TCC yields a better training effect on dynamic balance. © 2010 .
Subjects
Tai Chi Chuan (TCC); Swimming; Balance; Eye-hand coordination of elderly
Other Subjects
aged; ankle; article; body equilibrium; clinical article; controlled study; elderly care; eye hand coordination; female; health program; health promotion; human; male; motor control; muscle exercise; muscle function; priority journal; swimming; Tai Chi; task performance; velocity; volunteer; Aged; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Promotion; Humans; Male; Motor Activity; Postural Balance; Psychomotor Performance; Reference Values; Swimming; Tai Ji
Publisher
ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD