Comparative study of Baduanjin and brisk walking on balance and stability in older adults

To investigate the impact of practicing the health Qigong-Baduanjin exercise on lower limb balance among elderly individuals. Two intervention methods, Baduanjin and brisk walking, were applied to study the effect of exercise on senior balancing. Sixty elderly individuals aged 65 to 79 were selected and randomly divided into the Baduanjin group, the brisk walking group, and the control group that did not engage in exercise. There were a total of 20 individuals in each group, 10 males and 10 females. The first two groups participated in a 16-week exercise regimen. The balance tests for members of all three groups were conducted. (1) For the eyes-open two-legged standing posture, the center of pressure (COP) was more centralized in the Baduanjin group; the swaying range of the body, forward and backward displacement, and left and right displacement among the elderly individuals in this group were significantly lower than those of the other two groups. (2) In the tests for two-legged standing, one-legged standing, and tandem feet stance, the elderly in the Baduanjin group had significantly lower swaying trajectory of the center of gravity, body swaying ellipse area, and maximum vibration parameters than those in the brisk walking and control groups. (3) The 2nd pose of Baduanjin, which involves a considerable amount of knee bending and semi-squatting exercises for the lower limbs, proved to be beneficial for the lower limb joints and body balance among the elderly. Long-term practice of health Qigong-Baduanjin can exert a beneficial impact on improving the muscle strength of the lower limb joints and ankle joint flexibility, improving the static balance ability of the elderly, and consequently reducing their risk of falling.