Research Study: Effects of Modified Miracle Tai Chi Training with an Emphasis on Breathing on Health-Related Physical Fitness in Elderly Women

 

Master Somsak Inpuek developed the 16-posture Miracle Tai Chi training set and served as the instructor for the participants in the research study entitled “Effects of Modified Miracle Tai Chi Training with an Emphasis on Breathing on Health-Related Physical Fitness in Elderly Women,” conducted in 2011.

EFFECTS OF MODIFIED MIRACLE TAI CHI TRAINING ON ANTIOXIDANT PROTECTION STATUS AND HEALTH-RELATED PHYSICAL FITNESS IN ELDERLY WOMEN

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Health Sciences Research Project

Research Title

Thai: Effects of Miracle Tai Chi Training on Antioxidant Status and Health-Related Physical Fitness in Elderly Women

English: EFFECTS OF MIRACLE TAI CHI TRAINING ON ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AND HEALTH-RELATED PHYSICAL FITNESS IN ELDERLY WOMEN

Researchers

Principal Investigator

Assistant Professor Attakorn Palasuwan
Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University

Co-Investigators

Assistant Professor Dr. Daroonwan Suksom
Applied Health Sciences Program, Faculty of Sports Science, Chulalongkorn University

Associate Professor Supan Suk-aroon
Clinical Microscopy Research Unit, Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University

Dr. Duangdao Nuntagomol
Clinical Microscopy Research Unit, Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University

Miss Chatdao Anukulpracha
Master’s Degree Student in Sports Physiology, Faculty of Sports Science, Chulalongkorn University

Research Objective

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Miracle Tai Chi training on antioxidant status in the blood and health-related physical fitness in elderly women.

Keywords

Tai Chi, antioxidant status, health-related physical fitness, lung function, elderly

Background and Significance of the Study

The global elderly population is increasing as a result of longer life expectancy and declining birth rates worldwide. The World Health Organization estimated that, by 2025, the world would have approximately 800 million people over the age of 60, two-thirds of whom would be living in developing countries (World Health Organization, 2002).

Older adults experience physical decline as part of the ageing process. The human body undergoes continuous changes from birth until death, with changes occurring in every aspect of the body during old age. These changes result from age-related deterioration and vary from one individual to another. Even within the same individual, different organs and physiological systems may deteriorate at different rates.

Such changes affect older adults’ ability to perform daily activities, depending on their individual levels of physical fitness, and may consequently reduce their quality of life (Thai Health Promotion Foundation, 2010).

Falls are among the most common health problems affecting older adults and are a leading cause of accidental injury in this population. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Public Health, falls accounted for 40.4% of injuries in older adults resulting from external causes (Foundation of Thai Gerontology Research and Development Institute, 2009). The incidence of fall-related injuries was also found to increase with age.

One of the risk factors contributing to falls among older adults is impaired balance caused by age-related deterioration in various bodily systems, including the muscular and nervous systems.

Another health problem affecting the quality of life of older adults is deterioration of respiratory function. This can result in rapid breathing, fatigue and reduced work capacity, reflecting a decline in the function of the organs and structures of the respiratory system.

The lungs are an essential component of the respiratory system. In older adults, the elasticity and expansion capacity of the lungs decrease, while the gas-exchange surface area of the alveoli is reduced. These changes ultimately result in reduced lung capacity (Somnuek Kulsatitporn, 2006).

In addition to declining physical fitness, older adults also experience cellular deterioration associated with an imbalance in the body’s ability to eliminate reactive free radicals. This may result in the accumulation of free radicals beyond the body’s capacity to neutralise them, leading to oxidative stress (Harman, 1956).

Age-induced oxidative stress can cause free radicals to interact with nucleic acids, proteins and lipids within cells, resulting in cellular damage and premature cell death (Finkel and Holbrook, 2000). When these processes occur extensively, they may contribute to the development of various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer (Jenner, 1994; Knight, 1995).

Physical exercise is one method of improving physical fitness in older adults and enabling them to carry out their daily activities more effectively. Exercise appropriate for older adults should provide a sufficient level of intensity and exertion, be performed for approximately 25–30 minutes three times per week, and present a low risk of injury.

Exercise should not be excessively strenuous or vigorous and should not emphasise competition. It should also involve weight-bearing activity and require the muscles to exert an appropriate level of force (Banlu Siripanich, 1998).

Tai Chi is a form of exercise that combines breathing practice with meditation. It is regarded as a form of mind–body therapy. Numerous studies have shown that Tai Chi can promote better posture, improve psychological well-being, reduce stress, slow age-related decline and enhance circulatory function (Wang et al., 2004).

Tai Chi is easy to practise, economical and requires no specialised equipment. Although its movements are performed at a low velocity, its energy expenditure is comparable to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (Lan et al., 2008).

Tai Chi may therefore stimulate various metabolic processes in the body in a manner similar to other forms of aerobic exercise. Furthermore, it is a gentle, low-impact and relatively safe form of exercise. It may therefore be particularly suitable for older adults and may help promote metabolism, improve blood circulation and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Miracle Tai Chi

Miracle Tai Chi, or Tai Chi training with an emphasis on breathing, was developed by Master Somsak Inpuek.

Traditional Tai Chi generally places greater emphasis on movement and posture than on controlled breathing. It also consists of numerous postures that may be difficult for older adults to remember.

Master Somsak therefore adapted traditional Tai Chi by reducing the number of movements to 16 postures and placing greater emphasis on slow, deep and clearly defined breathing.

The technique uses abdominal breathing, allowing the abdomen and chest to move in coordination. This involves the contraction of the diaphragm, which pushes the abdominal organs downward, together with the elevation of the rib cage, enabling the lungs to expand more fully.

Music is also used to regulate the breathing rate at an average of six breaths per minute.

This corresponds with research indicating that slow, deep breathing at an average rate of six breaths per minute can improve breathing efficiency, support cardiovascular function and reduce blood pressure by promoting coordinated movement among the lungs, diaphragm and heart (Bernardi et al., 2002).

However, at the time of the study, no research had specifically reported the effects of this form of Tai Chi training on antioxidant status and health-related physical fitness, particularly among older adults.

The researchers were therefore interested in investigating the effects of Miracle Tai Chi training on antioxidant status and related blood biochemical markers. They also sought to determine whether Miracle Tai Chi could improve lung function, oxygen uptake and balance in older adults, and to what extent.

The research team expected that Miracle Tai Chi training could effectively improve the health-related physical fitness and quality of life of older adults.

Research Methodology

The participants were 40 female volunteers aged between 60 and 69 years. They were randomly allocated to three groups:

• Control group: 12 participants

• Tai Chi training group: 15 participants

• Modified Miracle Tai Chi training group: 13 participants

All participants underwent health-related physical fitness assessments before and after the experimental period.

Mean values before and after the intervention were compared using a paired t-test. Percentage changes in the variables among the experimental groups were compared using one-way analysis of variance. Statistical significance was set at the .05 level.

The Tai Chi training group and the Modified Miracle Tai Chi training group participated in exercise training for 12 weeks, three sessions per week, with each session lasting one hour.

The training took place at the Sports and Exercise Science Centre, Bureau of Sports Science, Department of Physical Education. Participants in the control group continued their normal daily routines.

The Tai Chi training group practised two sets of an 18-posture breathing exercise from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. The sessions were taught by Ajarn Supannee Lertkiatmongkol, who had ten years of experience in teaching breathing exercises.

The Modified Miracle Tai Chi training group practised from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The sessions were taught by Master Somsak Inpuek, the developer of Miracle Tai Chi.

Research Findings

Following the 12-week intervention, the Tai Chi training group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in average lung capacity and static balance on a firm surface with the eyes open, compared with their pre-intervention measurements, at the .05 significance level.

The Modified Miracle Tai Chi training group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in average body-fat percentage. The group also demonstrated statistically significant increases in:

• Muscle mass

• Triceps strength

• Quadriceps strength

• Hamstring strength

• Balance on a compliant surface

• Forced expiratory volume in one second

• Maximal oxygen uptake

All changes were statistically significant at the .05 level.

In addition, the Modified Miracle Tai Chi training group demonstrated a significantly greater percentage improvement in maximal oxygen uptake than both the Tai Chi training group and the control group, at the .05 significance level.

Conclusion

Modified Miracle Tai Chi training was found to improve health-related physical fitness in older adults more effectively than conventional Tai Chi training.

It is therefore considered a suitable alternative form of exercise for older adults and may contribute to the promotion of better health and physical well-being among the elderly.