銀髮太極健身操運動對都市老年人健康促進成效之探討

Effects of the Simplified Tai-Chi Exercise Program in Promoting the Health of the Urban Elderly

洪瑄曼(Hsuan-Man Hung) ； 陳桂敏(Kuei-Min Chen)

《實證護理》 3卷3期 (2007/09) Pp. 225-235

https://doi.org/10.6225/JEBN.3.3.225

摘要

For the elderly, exercise can help to restore physical and mental calm, delay premature-aging and accelerate interpersonal interaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the simplified Tai-Chi exercise program (STEP) in promoting the physical and mental health of the urban elderly. Seventy-five older adults volunteered to participate in this study and were divided into a Tai-Chi group (n=39), and a control group (n=36). Data were collected four times: at baseline, fourth week, eighth week, and 12th-week after intervention started. The results revealed that Tai-Chi participants reported greater improvements in self-actualization of physical (p＜.001) and mental health (p=.040) than the control group. The effects of physical performance included enhancing cardio-respiratory function, body flexibility, muscular strength, and balance. The research outcomes support the value of STEP exercise in health promotion for the urban elderly. For seniors who are accustomed to an inactive lifestyle, we recommend STEP as an easy-to-perform exercise, from which a maximum level of physical benefits can be derived through a minimal level of physical movements, which can in turn serve as a motivator for regular exercise.

關鍵字

太極 ； 健康促進 ； 都市老年人

並列摘要

For the elderly, exercise can help to restore physical and mental calm, delay premature-aging and accelerate interpersonal interaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the simplified Tai-Chi exercise program (STEP) in promoting the physical and mental health of the urban elderly. Seventy-five older adults volunteered to participate in this study and were divided into a Tai-Chi group (n=39), and a control group (n=36). Data were collected four times: at baseline, fourth week, eighth week, and 12th-week after intervention started. The results revealed that Tai-Chi participants reported greater improvements in self-actualization of physical (p＜.001) and mental health (p=.040) than the control group. The effects of physical performance included enhancing cardio-respiratory function, body flexibility, muscular strength, and balance. The research outcomes support the value of STEP exercise in health promotion for the urban elderly. For seniors who are accustomed to an inactive lifestyle, we recommend STEP as an easy-to-perform exercise, from which a maximum level of physical benefits can be derived through a minimal level of physical movements, which can in turn serve as a motivator for regular exercise.

並列關鍵字

Tai-Chi ； health promotion ； urban elderly