All these goals are for helping children develop life-long physic

All these goals are for helping children develop life-long physically active lifestyle

to enjoy their productive and healthy lives. Caloric expenditure that this study focused on is but one small aspect of the comprehensive educational experience in physical education. The findings shall not be understood as fulfilling all other important goals of physical education. “
“Falls are defined as an individual PFI-2 mw “inadvertently coming to rest on the ground, floor or other lower level, excluding intentional change in position to rest in furniture, wall or other objects”.1 The direct consequences of falls include devastating injuries and fractures that may lead to decreased mobility, functional decline, depressive symptoms, decreased social activity, and a decline in the quality of life.2 Decreases in balance function are intrinsic factors that can cause falls.3 Selleck SCH 900776 Many factors contribute to poor balance, including reduced strength, flexibility, and sensorimotor

coordination as well as delayed information processing. Oakley et al.4 collected information confirming that physical exercise reduces the risk of falls and may be a significant element in a more extensive program of preventive activities. One method of fall prevention consists of increasing muscular strength and improving body balance.5 Tai Chi, a Chinese martial art, has been used for centuries as a fitness exercise and is particularly popular among the elderly. It offers Tryptophan synthase substantial potential benefits by reducing the incidence of falls among the elderly population.6 A number of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have shown that Tai Chi practitioners exhibit better balance control

than matched older adults from the general population.7 and 8 In 2001, Wong et al.9 compared the postural stability of older Tai Chi practitioners whose experience ranged from 2 to 35 years with that of healthy non-practitioners of similar ages. They found that elderly Tai Chi practitioners had better postural stability than non-practitioners when faced with disturbed somatosensory and visual input. Li et al.10 found that the Tai Chi group performed significantly better than the non-practitioner group on all functional balance measures. Both groups exhibited deterioration in functional balance measures during post-intervention follow-up. However, the Tai Chi group showed a significantly slower decrease. The results of more recent studies suggest that Tai Chi training may improve strength and flexibility,11 and 12 balance,13 blood pressure,14 and cardiorespiratory function15 in older adults. These findings support the benefits of Tai Chi as an exercise form for elderly men and women. Studies have focused on balance tests, in spite of other physical changes, such as impairments to reaction time (RT) and flexibility due to aging, may affect balance.

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