Baduanjin Exercise for Adults Aged 65 Years and Older: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies

Abstract

This study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the health effects of Baduanjin exercise on adults aged 65 years and older. Chinese and English databases were electronically searched using search terms related to the PICO model from inception through June 2021. The study quality assessment and meta-analysis were conducted using the PEDro scale and RevMan 5.4 software. Eleven included Chinese studies, published between 2015 and 2021, recruited participants from the mainland of China. The aggregated results showed significant benefits of Baduanjin on physical function, walking ability, balance, and anxiety. A long-term Baduanjin intervention could also improve quality of life and reduce falls and pain. Baduanjin appears to have the potential to improve the health of older adults, but conclusions are limited due to the lack of rigorous and robust studies within and outside of mainland China. Larger, well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm these findings.

The effects of Baduanjin exercise vs. brisk walking on physical fitness and cognition in middle-aged patients with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial

“…The improvements in lower extremity strength in the Baduanjin group in our study might have contributed to the significantly increased walking distance. Our study results were in line with a meta-analytic review that reported evidence for the effects of Baduanjin on walking distance and physical function in older adults ( 55 ).…”

Effects of Ba-Duan-Jin Based Deep Breathing on Multimorbidity: A Case Study

“…At the end of 6 th month, her comments on herself included "I can walk in the hallway by just occasionally holding the handrail", "I can lay on my back with just one pillow under my head", and "I even went to watch a concert last Saturday". As of these 7 assessments, after 3 months of the training, the patient had improvement in all assessed areas in which the Pittsburg index of sleep quality, 4-stage balance, 2-minute walk, and Barthel index in mobility, toilet use, and [8,[20][21][22]. Also, the present study demonstrated progressive improvements in all assessments.…”

A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of Baduanjin exercise on older adults with sarcopenia in China

“…Since previous studies have demonstrated a link between sarcopenia and several adverse health outcomes like falls and fractures [1,3], and Baduanjin exercise has advantages in improving balance, gait and physical function and reducing falls [14,15,[25][26][27][28]. In order to provide another effective and safe exercise intervention for elderly people, who lack access or motivation to participate in a rigorous exercise program, to combat sarcopenia and minimize such adverse events, we really hope regular Baduanjin exercise can be a promising choice for them.…”

“…For elderly individuals, a series of simple movements may give them enjoyment and build their confidence to make efforts during exercise. Since emerging studies demonstrate that Baduanjin show positive effects on physical function, balance, gait, falls, pain, quality of life, and frailty status among elderly individuals and neurodegenerative patients [13][14][15]. Studies performed among elderly patients with sarcopenia are relatively limited.…”