Taiji(Taichi) can reduce the probability
of falling for old adults
The area of balance and fall prevention has been studied in older individuals, which is important because fall-related injuries are the leading cause of death from injury and disabilities among older adults. Hip fracture is the most serious fall injury; one-half of all older adults hospitalized for hip fracture never recover their former level of function. Because Taiji movements are slow and deliberate with shifts of body weight from one leg to the other in coordination with upper body movements (sometimes with one leg in the air), it challenges balance and one could speculate that it would help improve balance and reduce fall frequency. This has been shown in some research. One study involving 100 men and women aged 22 to 76 years with mild balance disorders, it was found that ten weeks of Taiji training significantly improved function on a standard balance test. In another study compared men age 65 and older who had more than 10 years of experience practicing Taiji and no involvement in any other regular sports and physical activity, with similar-aged men who had not practiced Taiji or any other physical activities (they were sedentary). It was found that the men who studied Taiji performed better than the others on tests of balance, flexibility, and cardiovascular function.