Effect of Low-Intensity, Kinect™-Based Kaimai-Style Qigong Exercise in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of low-intensity, Kinect™-based Kaimai-style Qigong exercise among older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A non-randomized controlled trial was conducted in a community center in Changchun, China, from July to September 2017. Participants (N = 55) were assigned to the Qigong group or control group. Participants in the Qigong group received 30-minute Kinect-based Kaimai-style Qigong sessions three times per week for 12 weeks. Participants in the control group were waitlisted. Body mass index (BMI), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and lipid level, as well as Mini-Mental State Examination and Berg Balance Scale scores, were measured at baseline and postintervention. The Qigong group showed decreases in weight (p = 0.002), BMI (p = 0.004), HbA1c (p = 0.001), and FBG (p = 0.018) after the intervention. The Qigong group also showed improvements in cognitive (p ≤ 0.001) and balance (p ≤ 0.001) function. The Kinect-based Kaimai-style Qigong intervention was effective in reducing HbA1c and improving balance and cognitive function in older adults with T2DM. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 45(2), 42-52.].