Interventions
T2D, musculoskeletal, sensory, and cognitive systems
COMPLICATIONS
All groups participated in education seminars related to T2D management, including proper diet, blood glucose level monitoring, and prevention of complications, given by clinical endocrinologists for 0.5 hours each time, once every 4 weeks for 24 weeks. Participants who were assigned to the control group did not receive exercise intervention and maintained their previous lifestyle. Participants in the fitness walking group participated in a supervised 24-week fitness walking program. Participants in the tai chi chuan group received supervised 24-week, 24-form tai chi chuan training. Tai chi chuan is a form of mind-body exercise aiming at integrating musculoskeletal, sensory, and cognitive systems. It focuses on controlled, self-initialed exercise with synchronized breathing, and the movement patterns include center of gravity displacement, weight bearing and shifting, trunk and pelvic rotation, and eye-hand coordinated movements. Both intervention groups participated in 1-hour training sessions 3 times per week. The participants were also encouraged to continue exercise after completing their 24 weeks of supervised training, until the 36-week follow-up evaluation. The fitness walking and tai chi chuan training were instructed by certified instructors with at least 5 years of experience directing their respective interventions.