Acknowledgements
The authors appreciate the invaluable help of Tarmo Hakkarainen in the design and implementation of the Taiji protocol. We also thank the physiotherapists Sirpa Mattsson-Taskinen and Marjatta Mäkinen for their professional management of the gym exercise protocol, research nurses Pirkko Kanerva and Saara Lappalainen for their untiring efforts to efficiently carry out the clinical measurements, secretary Seija Oinonen for managing all the patient data in various phases of the study and Janne Hentunen from the City of Kuopio well-being services for collaboration.