T'ai chi and its benefits on the elderly

Abstract

Senior citizens are living for longer years. Living longer may not necessarily mean enjoying life for longer years. Physical exercise may seem an activity of the past for the elderly. The aim of this dissertation was to introduce T'ai Chi to a group of elderly, study it's benefits on these elderly, and examine the difficulties that they encountered and mentioned during the course. Twenty three people originally applied for the research but ten finished the course. The age range of the participants varied from sixty to seventy four. The literature review provides knowledge and research on both T'ai Chi and it's benefits on the elderly. The methodology incorporates the techniques used for this research and the various tools used for the data collection. It also discusses the limitations of this research. The results chapter depicts the findings gathered before and after the ten week course. The discussion chapter includes an interpretation of the data in light of the research mentioned in the literature review and other research. This chapter also offers conclusions, amongst them: T'ai Chi benefits the elderly on the physical, psychological and social level. It helps to boost memory, maintain good health and increase interest in life. T'ai Chi may also be used both as a means of health exercise and method for relaxation and may help to strengthen the lower extremities. Another conclusion derived from this study is that T'ai Chi may need to be practiced for a longer period of time than ten weeks to offer all of its health benefits mentioned in other research. The conclusion offers the conclusions derived from the findings of this study. It also offers suggestions for further research and recommendations.