Patricia Bethke Bing, a retired community organizer in Knoxville, Tenn., has practiced tai chi for approximately 20 years, including practicing three days a week, for 40 minutes, with a group of people around her age.
“I decided to do tai chi for the health benefits, both mental and physical. I have no specific health issues, but I was looking to keep my good health and improve my leg strength,” said Bing. “Tai chi practice helps me to maintain my good balance, strength, and flexibility.”
Tai chi, also known as Tai Chi Chuan, is a Chinese martial art performed with slow, controlled postures and movements. Enthusiasts practice it for defense or health, or both.
Tai Chi Is Helpful for Balance
Several studies have addressed the benefits of tai chi for seniors. A 2014 analysis of research on tai chi and balance, “Improvement of balance control and flexibility in the elderly Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) practitioners” in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics concluded that “TCC practice was beneficial to improve the balance control ability and flexibility of older adults, which may be the reason for preventing falls.”
Peter M. Wayne, associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, and director at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, has been studying the health effects of tai chi for years and practicing it for more than 40.
“Across multiple studies, tai chi appears to reduce risk of falling by 20 to 45 percent and is considered one of the best exercises available for ambulatory older adults with balance concerns,” Wayne explained.
Falling: A Serious Risk for Older Adults
Falls are the leading cause of accidental death among people age 65 and older. “In an effort to find ways to prevent falls among older adults, researchers have been investigating specific exercises, like tai chi, that target both the physical and cognitive fundamentals of mobility,” said Brad Manor, director of Mobility and Brain Function Lab at the Institute for Aging Research and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
“We and others have shown that regular tai chi practice aids the muscular system, movement coordination, balance, and even higher-level cognitive skills such as complex reaction time and problem solving,” Manor said. “When used together, these enable us to move throughout our environment and complete our daily activities safely without falling.”
Many factors work together to prevent falling, including balance and stability. “Unfortunately, even falls that don’t result in injury or death often have a very real and significant negative impact on quality of life,” Manor said. The result? A cycle of fear and risk of future falls. “These falls often lead to fear of falling, reduced physical activity, depression and lack of social engagement — all of which, in turn, increase the risk of suffering another fall.”
Biomechanics (how we measure and control our movement, how it changes with age and how movement relates to balance) is an important factor in the balance/fall equation.
“Our balance control system is incredibly complex and, with aging, there is a decline in sensory and muscle function,” Manor said. tai chi helps with the ability to maintain balance, especially when we’re doing more than one thing at the same time (dual tasking), a skill which also decreases as we age.
Research Confirms the Benefits of Tai Chi for Seniors
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the government’s National Institutes of Health, summarized the benefits of tai chi for seniors and concluded that “Practicing tai chi may help to improve balance and stability in older people.”
Yet tai chi’s benefits go beyond the physical. Several studies have shown tai chi to be helpful for those suffering from depression, hypertension, arthritis and fibromyalgia.
“Tai chi helps me mentally, as one must concentrate on the moves and the sequence in order to get the full benefit,” Bing explained. “I find the practice calming and centering, and it helps me emotionally. Tai chi is a pause from daily stresses and a safe comfortable place to be quiet.”
Other low-impact exercises, such as yoga and water aerobics, can be extremely beneficial for the overall health of seniors. Bethesda Barclay House holds both of these classes for residents of the independent living community.
Staying Active and Healthy at Bethesda
Our communities at Bethesda are committed to providing St. Louis seniors with opportunities to exercise their mind, body and spirit. Every Bethesda independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing community offers some form of fitness amenities– either fitness centers, scheduled exercise and wellness classes or both. Schedule a tour at a community near you, or contact us for more information about our wide range of activities to keep seniors healthy and active.
Originally published on July 9, 2018 by Debbie L. Miller for Next Avenue.
