title: The effects of Tai Chi training on physical fitness, perceived health, and blood pressure in elderly Vietnamese.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluating the effects of Tai Chi exercise on physical fitness, blood pressure, and perceived health in community-dwelling elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-dwelling elderly in Vinh city, Vietnam.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-six community-dwelling participants aged 60 to 79 years (68.9 ± 5.1 years) were recruited.
  
  
  METHODS
  SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED RANDOMLY INTO TWO GROUPS: Tai Chi and Control groups. Participants in the Tai Chi group (aged 69.02 ± 5.16 years) attended a 60-minute Tai Chi practice session twice a week for 6 months. The session consisted of a 15-minute warm-up and a 15-minute cool-down period. The Control group (aged 68.72 ± 4.94 years) maintained routine daily activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Senior Fitness Test and Short-Form 36® (SF-36®) are primary outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 24 weeks of the Tai Chi training program, the intervention group showed significant decrease in systole of 12 mmHg and heart rate 6.46 bpm. Body mass index and waist-hip ratio were also reduced by 1.23 and 0.04, respectively. The Senior Fitness Test and SF-36 showed significant improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this randomized controlled trial study, Tai Chi is beneficial to improve systole blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, perceived health, and physical fitness. Assessment of the effects of Tai Chi may be focused more on chronic disease with a long-term training program in the future.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gerontology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Manh Hung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kruse
keywords: Tai Chi; health; physical fitness