Eight forms of moving meditation for preventing falls in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults.

BACKGROUND: In numerous countries worldwide, fall prevention among older adults is a major public health issue. For older adults, regular participation in moderate physical activity or exercise lowers the risks of falls. However, scant information is available regarding the prevention strategies that the most at-risk groups may undertake. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a fall prevention strategy, eight forms of moving meditation (EFMM), on community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study; 84 participants were recruited from Taipei in Taiwan. For 12 weeks, participants in the experimental group performed 30-min EFMM 3 times per week. The measurements included a Functional Reach Test (FRT), Timed Get-up-and-Go Test (TGUG), and a One-Leg Stance Test (OLST) with eyes both opened and closed. All were conducted at the baseline and 12 weeks after intervention. RESULTS: The participants who performed EFMM showed a significant and positive performance on FRT, TGUG, and OLST with eyes opened and eyes closed compared to those in the control group. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that EFMM is an effective strategy for enhancing balance and functional mobility and preventing falls among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults.

Associations between Tai Chi Chung program, anxiety, and cardiovascular risk factors.

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of a Tai Chi Chung (TCC) program, an efficiency approach, on anxiety and cardiovascular risk factors. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study. SETTING: A community in Taipei City, Taiwan. Subjects. One hundred thirty-three adults aged 55 years and older. Intervention. Sixty-four participants (experimental group) attended a 60-minute Tai Chi exercise three times per week for 12 weeks, whereas 69 participants (control group) maintained their usual daily activities. MEASURES: Anxiety states, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC) were assessed at baseline, 6 weeks into the experiment, and 12 weeks into the experiment. ANALYSIS: Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the changes. RESULTS: Participants showed a greater drop in anxiety levels (ß = -2.57, p = .001) and DBP (ß = -7.02, p < .001) at the 12-week follow-up than did the controls. SBP significantly decreased in the 6-week follow-up and 12-week follow-up tests. The participants in the intervention achieved a greater drop in BMI at the 6-week and 12-week follow-up visits than the controls. The interventions demonstrated decreased average WC at the 6-week and 12-week follow-up visits as compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the long-term benefits of a TCC program in facilitating health promotion by reducing anxiety and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.