THE INFLUENCE OF TAI-CHI EXERCISE ON DYNAMICS OF LOWER EXTREMITY FOR THE ELDERLY DURING SIT-TO-STAND

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of Tai Chi exercise on sit-tostand in the elderly. Ten healthy female elders (normal group) and nine healthy Tai-Chi female practitioner (Tai-Chi group) participated in this study. The results indicated: (1) During the forward flexion phase, normal group showed significantly greater hip flexion angle and moment than Tai-Chi group (p<.05); (2) During the extension phase, normal group showed significantly greater hip and ankle extension moments than Tai-Chi group (p<.05). Results indicated that the normal group tended to use excessive hip flexion strategy in shorter time to stand, while the Tai-Chi group used smooth strategy instead. Therefore, we suggested that the regular Tai-Chi training could reduce the fatigue and instability of sit to stand for the elderly.