Qi Gong and Tai Chi Project Update: Spring 2007

Since the National Expert Meeting on Qi Gong and Tai Chi was held in Nov. 2005, the project team has delivered symposia at several conferences related to aging, physical activity, and wellness, and has begun two community demonstration projects.

Symposia

Project Steering Committee members provided presentations to disseminate the outcomes of the National Expert Meeting on Qi Gong and Tai Chi at the following symposia:

  • Joint Conference of the National Council on the Aging and the American Society on Aging, March 2006
  • Complementary and Natural Healthcare Expo West, Nov. 2006
  • American College of Sports Medicine’s 11th Annual Health & Fitness Summit, March 2007

Upcoming symposia:

  • National Wellness Institute Conference, July 2007
  • International Council on Active Aging Annual Conference, Nov. 2007

Demonstration Projects

The Steering Committee decided to solicit proposals for demonstration projects from Clark-Lindsey Village in Urbana, IL and the National Institute of Qigong and Tai Chi in Santa Barbara, CA.

Clark-Lindsey Village currently has a traditional Qi Gong/Tai Chi program and a chair-based exercise program. This demonstration project will study the extent to which the existing chair-based exercise program can be modified to include the four health practices associated with Qi Gong/Tai Chi and to determine the extent to which the movements and practices associated with Qi Gong/Tai Chi can be merged with more traditional exercise in a manner that is enjoyed and accepted by older adults living in a retirement community.

In the study design we plan to compare Clark-Lindsey residents’ responses and attitudes towards two physical activity programs: (1) a traditional Qi Gong/Tai Chi 60-minute program, and (2) a 35-minute chair-based program that includes approximately 15 minutes of Qi Gong/Tai Chi movements and practices.

Both the Qi Gong/Tai Chi and chair-based exercise programs meet three times per week for 12 weeks. Participants include those who have been attending the traditional Tai Chi class and the chair-based exercise class and new participants who were recruited for the study. Each class included 15 to 45 participants. All involved in the program will be invited to participate in the pre-test and post-test surveys and the Senior Fitness Tests prior to and following the intervention. A subset will be asked to participate in focus groups.

In the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi demonstration project, the team is comparing residents’ reactions to two identical 12-week Qi Gong/Tai Chi programs. One program will be taught as a traditional Tai Chi program; the other will be identical, but the instructor will use language that is more easily understood by individuals who are less familiar with Asian terminology and practices; or in other words, using terms that are more frequently used in contemporary Western physical activity programs.

The participants for the study are residents of Valle Verde and the Vista del Monte Active Retirement Community. Valle Verde is a nonprofit continuing care retirement community in Santa Barbara, CA. Vista del Monte has approx. 210 residents, with a minimum age of 62.

The project team will compare residents’ responses and attitudes towards two identical physical activity programs: (1) a traditional 45-minute Tai Chi/Qi Gong program at Valle Verde, and (2) a 45-minute “Slow Movement Exercise” program at Vista del Monte that features the same activities as the traditional program, but is taught using conventional physical activity terminology. Each class will include 10 to 30 participants. All subjects will be invited to participate in the pre-test and post-test surveys and the Senior Fitness Tests prior to and following the intervention. A subset will be asked to participate in focus groups.

The demonstration projects will conclude in late spring 2007.