Effects Of 12-week Tai Chi Chuan Class On Dynamic Balance And Flexibility In Female University Students.

Tai Chi Chuan may improve upper and lower-body flexibility. PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effects of a 12-week Tai Chi Chuan intervention on female university students' flexibility and dynamic balance. METHODS: A one-group pretest-posttest design was employed. Seventy-six females (20.4 ± 1.7 years; 1.64 ± 0.18 m; 56.2 ± 8.64 kg; BMI 21.9 ± 3.4 kg·m-2) attended Tai Chi Chuan class for a total of 12 weeks, consisting of one 90-min session per week. All participants have no previous experience with the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and Tai Chi Chuan practice. We employ the sit-and-reach test and SEBT to assess the lumbar and hamstring flexibility and dynamic balance before and after the 12-week intervention. Participants performed the anterior (ANT), posterolateral (PL), and posteromedial (PM) reach directions of both legs in the SEBT. RESULTS: A statistically significant increase in post-intervention normalised reach distances from 4.8% to 9.7% was seen in all directions of both legs. The paired sample t-test results also displayed a significant normalised reach distance difference before and after the intervention. Left leg: (ANT: 76.8 ± 9.5% versus 67.0 ± 13.1%; t(75) = 5.78, P < 0.01; PL: 88.0 ± 11.8% versus 81.4 ± 17.3%; t(75) = 3.29, P < 0.05; PM: 91.2 ± 10.9% versus 86.7 ± 17.0% t(75) = 2.23, P < 0.01); Right leg: (ANT: 75.2 ± 10.8% versus 68.0 ± 16.6%; t(75) = 3.25, P < 0.01; PL: 88.6 ± 10.5% versus 83.7 ± 17.4%; t(75) = 3.17, P < 0.01; PM: 92.3 ± 11.1% versus 85.9 ± 17.2%; t(75) = 2.54, P < 0.05;). The increase in flexibility was observed after the intervention (38.4 ± 5.4 cm versus 36.4 ± 5.5 cm; t(75) = 4.64, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The 12-week Tai Chi Chuan intervention significantly enhanced the female university students' dynamic balance ability and flexibility.