Abstract
Age‐related alterations in physiology lead to declines in physical function that are associated with numerous adverse outcomes among older adults. Utilizing a hybrid design, we aimed to understand whether both long‐term and short‐term Tai Chi (TC) training are associated with age‐related decline in physical function in healthy older adults. We first conducted cross‐sectional comparisons among TC‐naïve older adults (There were significant differences among the three groups on all the six tests. For most functional tests, Tai Chi‐experts performed better than age‐matched Tai Chi‐naïve controls and were statistically indistinguishable from young healthy adult controls. Long‐term Tai Chi training was associated with higher levels of physical function in older adults, suggesting a potential preventative healthy aging effect.
