Introduction
thoracic kyphosis, hip flexion, cognitive and social aspects
LORDOSIS
Older adults often develop so-called flexed posture, also referred to as slumped posture. The principal features are forward head position, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis and hip flexion [SSG was first mentioned in the book of Dharma Yi Jin Jing more than a thousand years ago and is a branch of traditional Chinese Qi Gong which aims to support the maintenance of physical well-being [Qi Gong exercises such as SSG are additionally considered to be a type of meditation providing benefits for psychological health and well-being [SSG exercise is gentle and may be readily taken up and practiced by interested groups of older adults within a community. For this reason SSG has frequently been used by researchers interested in studying the benefits of exercise for promoting health in older populations. For example, several studies have been performed to investigate the effect of SSG exercise on the physiology of older adults in community settings [Taken together the combined physical, cognitive and social aspects of SSG make it a particularly potent form of exercise. The primary objective of the present study was to investigate in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) whether a community based two month training program of SSG, performed exactly according to the long-established prescription of TCM, would produce predicted improvements in posture, flexibility, gait and cognition in a group of older women compared to a control group.