The traditional Chinese Baduanjin exercise for the enhancements in health of older adults: a narrative review

Abstract

Health debilitation negatively impacts the physical and psychiatric states of ageing persons, consequently increasing individual, familial, and social burdens. Physical exercise is an effective measure to cope with this problem, and Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese exercise, is one of the choices. This narrative review analyses 58 clinical studies, which indicate the efficacy of Baduanjin for the health of old adults, including in physiological refinement, bone diseases, cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary illnesses, metabolic disorders, digestive sicknesses, cognitive impairment, and mental disorders. The results not only reveal the rehabilitative and preventive functions of Baduanjin, but also suggest health promotion through this physical activity for the ageing population. It also proposes improvements in methodological design and practical implications for the well being of seniors and successful ageing.

Effect of 1 Year of Qigong Exercise on Cognitive Function Among Older Chinese Adults at Risk of Cognitive Decline: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Our MoCA score findings are in line with those of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which have shown decreased age-related cognitive decline in older adults practicing qigong than in those participating in other interventions (Guo et al, 2016(Guo et al, , 2018Cheng, 2018;Zou et al, 2018;Chan et al, 2019). We found that the RBANS total score correlated strongly with the MoCA score, meaning that the RBANS is effective and valid for the assessment of cognitive function.…”