The effect of Tai Chi exercise on postural time-to-contact in manual fitting task among older adults
Author: Jiahao Pan1, Cuixian Liu2, Li Li3, Shuqi Zhang4
Affiliation:
1 Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China; Center for Orthopaedic & Biomechanics Research, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725, USA.
2 Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China.
3 Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China; School of Health & Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, 30460, USA.
4 Center for Orthopaedic & Biomechanics Research, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725, USA. Electronic address: ShuqiZhang@boisestate.edu.
Conference/Journal: Gait Posture
Date published: 2020 Aug 25
Other:
Volume ID: 82 , Pages: 61-67 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.08.124. , Word Count: 279
Background:
A fall would impact elderly population's quality of life, which associate with diminished physical and psychological function, and can even be life-threatening. Tai Chi has been used to improve age-related postural instability in locomotion. However, it does not fully explain the mechanism of a lower risk of falling among the Tai Chi population compared to other healthy older adults.
Research question:
The maintenance of postural stability is more complicated than minimizing postural movements. Postural time to contact is an important temporal measure of postural stability under fitting tasks, which might further clarify the benefits of long term Tai Chi exercise.
Methods:
Participants were required to fit a block (90 × 90 mm) through two different openings (130 × 130 mm and 100 × 100 mm) at two different distances (arm's length or 130 % of arm's length). Kistler forceplate and Vicon system were used to collect center of pressure and kinematic data, respectively. Postural time to contact was used to assess instantaneous perturbation for postural system.
Results:
Tai Chi group exhibited significant longer postural time to contact in quiet standing and shorter postural time to contact in fitting tasks, expecting for close-small condition, compared to the brisk walking and sedentary groups (p < .05). In addition, both large and small opening condition, Tai Chi group showed a shorter postural time to contact than brisk walking and sedentary groups (p < .0001).
Significance:
Long term Tai Chi exercise would promote the regulation of posture and decrease the postural constrain to increase the overall stability when performing fitting tasks. Therefore, Tai Chi exercise can be considered as a feasible method to enhance postural control and stability in older adult.
Keywords: Fitting task; Postural stability; Tai Chi; Time to contact.
PMID: 32896796 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.08.124
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