| Purposes. To describe the health effects of Tai Chi (TC) and resistance training exercise (RTE) in elderly Chinese men and women by conducting a randomized controlled clinical trial, to compare the effects of TC and RTE with a control group not receiving interventions on the (i) musculoskeletal system (including the effects on bone mineral density (BMD), muscle strength, co-ordination and balance); (ii) anthropometric measures (including height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, lean mass, fat mass and percentage body fat); (iii) markers of the metabolic system (including cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides and fasting glucose by insulin intolerance test); (iv) cardiovascular system parameters (including resting blood pressure and heart rate) and (v) Quality of life (QOL) (as measured by the World Health Organization (WHO) Quality of Life Assessment instrument, Hong Kong Chinese version, Hong Kong Hospital Authority, 1997).;Conclusion. The present study indicated that the 1-year exercise program, both TC and RTE with theraband produced some favorable changes to different physical and psychological variables. It included bone mineral density, anthropometric measures, blood pressure, balance, insulin sensitivity and quality of life although the magnitude of these changes was small, in contrast to previous studies. The small effect may be attributed to the low exercise intensity compared with other studies. However, one may conclude that in the design of an exercise program for the elderly in the community, modification of exercise behaviour should be emphasized and they should be encouraged to have an active lifestyle. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
