Special communication
Exploring the basis for Tai Chi Chuan as a therapeutic exercise approach,☆☆

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Abstract

For many centuries Tai Chi has been a martial art form, practiced primarily in Oriental cultures. For the past 300 years this movement approach has been used as an exercise form, practiced by millions of Chinese elderly people. To date, virtually no information exists about the therapeutic elements of this intriguing movement sequence. This article provides a historical review of existing documentation of reputed Tai Chi benefits. The 108 “forms” of Tai Chi Chuan are reduced to 10 composite forms for ease of application of these forms to older individuals within a reasonable time frame. An effort is set forth to identify the potential therapeutic elements within these forms.

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  • Cited by (0)

    Supported by grant AG09124 from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health, United States Public Health Service, as part of the FICSIT (Frailty and Injuries: Cooperative Studies on Intervention Techniques) Cooperative Study.

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    No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.

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