Effects of wheelchair Tai Chi on physical and mental health among elderly with disability.

Author: Wang YT1, Li Z2, Yang Y3, Zhong Y3, Lee SY4, Chen S5, Chen YP6
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>a The School of Nursing , The University of Texas at Tyler , Tyler , TX , USA. <sup>2</sup>b Orthopaedics , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China. <sup>3</sup>c Health Sciences , Wuhan Sport University , Wuhan , China. <sup>4</sup>d Nursing , Hungkaung University , Taichung , Taiwan. <sup>5</sup>e Physical Education Center , WPEO BNU-HKBU United International College (UIC) , Zhuhai , China. <sup>6</sup>f Physical Therapy , Georgia State University , Atlanta , GA , USA.
Conference/Journal: Res Sports Med.
Date published: 2016 Jun 1
Other: Volume ID: 1-14 , Word Count: 150


A 12-week Wheelchair Tai Chi 10 Form (WTC10) intervention was conducted among elderly with disability to examine the effect of this WTC10 intervention on selected physical and mental health variables. Thirteen (age 87.23 ± 6.71) in the WTC10 intervention group and 15 (age 89.73 ± 6.31) in the control group completed the study. Independent t-tests and paired t-tests were employed to examine the differences between groups and within groups, respectively, at pretest and post-test. The WTC10 intervention group showed significant improvements in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, shoulder external rotation, left trunk rotation and total trunk rotation after the intervention. A 12-week WTC10 intervention had positive effects on blood pressure, range of motion at the shoulder and trunk, physical activity, and mental health among the elderly with disability. WTC10 is a feasible and safe exercise for the elderly with disability.

KEYWORDS: Wheelchair Tai Chi; mental health; mind–body exercise; physical health

PMID: 27248716 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]