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Drawn from ancient documents of Chinese and Tibetan medicine, and including explanatory commentaries and over 700 drawings from the original texts, this book presents authentic ancient Qigong forms in an easy-to-follow format. Focusing on health practices, the selected forms also include Qigong for more esoteric purposes.

Background The aging process results in a number of functional (e.g., deficits in balance and strength/power performance), neural (e.g., loss of sensory/motor neurons), muscular (e.g., atrophy of type-II muscle fibers in particular), and bone-related (e.g., osteoporosis) deteriorations. Traditionally, balance and/or lower extremity resistance training were used to mitigate these age-related deficits. However, the effects of resistance training are limited and poorly translate into improvements in balance, functional tasks, activities of daily living, and fall rates. Thus, it is necessary to develop and design new intervention programs that are specifically tailored to counteract age-related weaknesses. Recent studies indicate that measures of trunk muscle strength (TMS) are associated with variables of static/dynamic balance, functional performance, and falls (i.e., occurrence, fear, rate, and/or risk of falls). Further, there is preliminary evidence in the literature that core strength training (CST) and Pilates exercise training (PET) have a positive influence on measures of strength, balance, functional performance, and falls in older adults. Objective The objectives of this systematic literature review are: (a) to report potential associations between TMS/trunk muscle composition and balance, functional performance, and falls in old adults, and (b) to describe and discuss the effects of CST/PET on measures of TMS, balance, functional performance, and falls in seniors. Data Sources A systematic approach was employed to capture all articles related to TMS/trunk muscle composition, balance, functional performance, and falls in seniors that were identified using the electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science (1972 to February 2013). Study Selection A systematic approach was used to evaluate the 582 articles identified for initial review. Cross-sectional (i.e., relationship) or longitudinal (i.e., intervention) studies were included if they investigated TMS and an outcome-related measure of balance, functional performance, and/or falls. In total, 20 studies met the inclusionary criteria for review. Study Appraisal and Synthesis Methods Longitudinal studies were evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated whenever possible. For ease of discussion, the 20 articles were separated into three groups [i.e., cross-sectional ( n  = 6), CST ( n  = 9), PET ( n  = 5)]. Results The cross-sectional studies reported small-to-medium correlations between TMS/trunk muscle composition and balance, functional performance, and falls in older adults. Further, CST and/or PET proved to be feasible exercise programs for seniors with high-adherence rates. Age-related deficits in measures of TMS, balance, functional performance, and falls can be mitigated by CST (mean strength gain = 30 %, mean effect size = 0.99; mean balance/functional performance gain = 23 %, mean ES = 0.88) and by PET (mean strength gain = 12 %, mean ES = 0.52; mean balance/functional performance gain = 18 %, mean ES = 0.71). Limitations Given that the mean PEDro quality score did not reach the predetermined cut-off of ≥6 for the intervention studies, there is a need for more high-quality studies to explicitly identify the relevance of CST and PET to the elderly population. Conclusions Core strength training and/or PET can be used as an adjunct or even alternative to traditional balance and/or resistance training programs for old adults. Further, CST and PET are easy to administer in a group setting or in individual fall preventive or rehabilitative intervention programs because little equipment and space is needed to perform such exercises.

ObjectiveTo verify the effects of Pilates exercises on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in postmenopausal women.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, SportDiscus, Scielo, and PEDro. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that intervened with Pilates and had HRQoL as an outcome were eligible. The methodological quality of each RCT was assessed using the PEDro scale and the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE system. Meta-analyses were conducted by standardized mean difference (SMD).ResultsInitially, 760 records were located. After screening, 11 RCTs were included in the systematic review. Five studies presented low risk of bias (PEDro score ≥ 6). Evidence of very low to moderate certainty demonstrated significant effects in favor of Pilates exercises vs control groups for five of the nine HRQoL domains analyzed: bodily pain (SMD = 0.96), physical functioning (SMD = 0.85), social functioning (SMD = 0.45), role physical (SMD = 0.79), and role emotional (SMD = 0.61). Subgroup analyzes demonstrated that Pilates had a positive impact on more domains whens administered for ≥ 48 sessions (eight domains) vs < 48 sessions (three domains); and when administered on equipment (seven domains) vs mat (three domains).ConclusionPilates exercises, in general, allowed significant effects to improve HRQoL in postmenopausal women, especially when performed on equipment and when administered for at least 48 sessions. However, no analysis showed high certainty of evidence, and more RCTs of high methodological quality are needed to confirm these findings.

Interactive cognitive-motor training (ICMT) requires individuals to perform both gross motor movements and complex information processing. This study investigated the effectiveness of ICMT on cognitive functions associated with falls in older adults. A single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted in community-dwelling older adults (N = 90, mean age 81.5±7) without major cognitive impairment. Participants in the intervention group (IG) played four stepping games that required them to divide attention, inhibit irrelevant stimuli, switch between tasks, rotate objects and make rapid decisions. The recommended minimum dose was three 20-minute sessions per week over a period of 16 weeks unsupervised at home. Participants in the control group (CG) received an evidence-based brochure on fall prevention. Measures of processing speed, attention/executive function (EF), visuo-spatial ability, concerns about falling and depression were assessed before and after the intervention. Eighty-one participants (90%) attended re-assessment. There were no improvements with respect to the Stroop Stepping Test (primary outcome) in the intervention group. Compared to the CG, the IG improved significantly in measures of processing speed, visuo-spatial ability and concern about falling. Significant interactions were observed for measures of EF and divided attention, indicating group differences varied for different levels of the covariate with larger improvements in IG participants with poorer baseline performance. The interaction for depression showed no change for the IG but an increase in the CG for those with low depressive symptoms at baseline. Additionally, low and high-adherer groups differed in their baseline performance and responded differently to the intervention. Compared to high adherers, low adherers improved more in processing speed and visual scanning while high-adherers improved more in tasks related to EF. This study shows that unsupervised stepping ICMT led to improvements in specific cognitive functions associated with falls in older people. Low adherers improved in less complex functions while high-adherers improved in EF. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000671763.

Moving to music is intuitive and spontaneous, and music is widely used to support movement, most commonly during exercise. Auditory cues are increasingly also used in the rehabilitation of disordered movement, by aligning actions to sounds such as a metronome or music. Here, the effect of rhythmic auditory cueing on movement is discussed and representative findings of cued movement rehabilitation are considered for several movement disorders, specifically post-stroke motor impairment, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. There are multiple explanations for the efficacy of cued movement practice. Potentially relevant, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms include the acceleration of learning; qualitatively different motor learning owing to an auditory context; effects of increased temporal skills through rhythmic practices and motivational aspects of musical rhythm. Further considerations of rehabilitation paradigm efficacy focus on specific movement disorders, intervention methods and complexity of the auditory cues. Although clinical interventions using rhythmic auditory cueing do not show consistently positive results, it is argued that internal mechanisms of temporal prediction and tracking are crucial, and further research may inform rehabilitation practice to increase intervention efficacy.

Due to the appeal and recent technological advances of video games, the games have gained interest as an intervention tool for active aging. The aim of this systematic literature review and meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy of video games for active aging and to examine the influence of potential moderator variables. A systematic search was done using the following databases: Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. In addition, previous reviews and meta-analyses were used to identify randomized controlled trials (RCT) of video game-based interventions for active aging published through February 28, 2018. An evaluation of the methodological quality of the articles and a meta-analysis and moderator analysis was conducted. A total of 22 articles depicting 21 RCT with 1125 participants were included. The results indicated that video game-based interventions produced positive effects on objectively measured physical health, negative affect and social health, with small effect sizes (d = 0.41, d = 0.26 and d = 0.40, respectively). The magnitude of this effect was moderated by the presence of subclinical conditions of participants, the type of game (exergames), the presence of physical activity, the type of prevention (indicated), non-blinded assignation, and older age of participants. The methodological quality of the studies was acceptable, the weakest area being external validity. These finding indicate that video game-based interventions may assist adults in leading active aging processes and preventing secondary aging. Although more research is needed, video game-based interventions are a promising and accessible tool for active aging promotion.

This study aimed to explore the effects of Pilates combined with breathing exercise on lung function, body posture, and postural stability among female university students. A total of 66 females (mean age 19 years) with poor body posture were recruited from a local university and randomly divided into three groups, Pilates combined with breathing exercise group (PRT), Pilates only group (PLT), and control group (CON). Exercise interventions were conducted three times per week, 60 min per session, and lasted 16 weeks (8 weeks of group training + 8 weeks of self-training). Lung function and respiratory muscle performance, as the primary outcomes were measured using the Lung Function Tester. Secondary outcomes were standing posture and static postural stability. Significant group differences were found at post-test in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) (F(2, 50) = 3.63, p = 0.034, pη2 = 0.13) and Minute Ventilation (MV) (F(2, 50) = 3.52, p = 0.04, pη2 = 0.123), where the PRT group showed more improvements than the PLT group especially in FVC (mean difference = 0.43, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the PRT group showed significant improvements at post-test in Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second as a percentage of Forced Vital Capacity (FEV1%) (F(2, 42) = 10.2, p < 0.01, pη2 = 0.327), Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) (F(2, 42) = 5.62, p = 0.01, pη2 = 0.211) and Tidal Volume (TV) (F(2, 42) = 8.38, p < 0.001, pη2 = 0.285). Additionally, it improved body posture and static postural stability, with notable gains in certain stability measures under both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions (p < 0.05). Combining breathing exercises with Pilates can improve lung function, body posture, and postural stability in female college students, and a longer training duration (> 16 weeks) appears beneficial for achieving optimal outcomes. These findings suggest a potential association between lung function and postural stability mediated by respiratory muscle function, which warrants further investigation.

Purpose Adding external focus of attention (EF, focus on the movement effect) may optimize current anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevention programmes. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of an EF, by a visual stimulus and an internal focus, by a verbal stimulus during unexpected sidestep cutting in female and male athletes and how these effects remained over time. Methods Ninety experienced basketball athletes performed sidestep cutting manoeuvres in three sessions (S1, S2 and S3). In this randomized controlled trial, athletes were allocated to three groups: visual (VIS), verbal (VER) and control (CTRL). Kinematics and kinetics were collected at the time of peak knee frontal plane moment. Results Males in the VIS group showed a larger vertical ground reaction force (S1: 25.4 ± 3.1 N/kg, S2: 25.8 ± 2.9 N/kg, S3: 25.2 ± 3.2 N/kg) and knee flexion moments (S1: −3.8 ± 0.9 Nm/kg, S2: −4.0 ± 1.2 Nm/kg, S3: −3.9 ± 1.3 Nm/kg) compared to the males in the VER and CTRL groups and to the females in the VIS group ( p  < 0.05). Additionally, the males in the VIS group reduced knee valgus moment and the females in the VER group reduced knee varus moment over time (n.s.). Conclusion Male subjects clearly benefit from visual feedback. Females may need different feedback modes to learn a correct movement pattern. Sex-specific learning preferences may have to be acknowledged in day by day practice. Adding video instruction or feedback to regular training regimens when teaching athletes safe movement patterns and providing individual feedback might target suboptimal long-term results and optimize ACL injury prevention programmes. Level of evidence I.

This study was conducted to determine and compare the effects of reformer pilates (RP) and mat pilates (MP) exercises on soccer players’ physical parameters and technical skills. Thirty voluntary participants were randomly assigned to either RP group (n = 10; age = 20.60 ± 1.65), MP group (n = 10; age = 19.40 ± 1.35) and control group (CG) (n = 10; age = 20.10 ± 1.15). Technical and physical performance tests were performed. In the RP group counter movement jump (CMJ), standing broad jump (SBJ), single leg triple hop right-left, balance right-left leg, flexibility, 10-20m sprint, german agility (GA), speed dribbling (SPD), loughborough soccer passing (LSPT), lobbed passing right food, lobbed passing total measurement results showed a statistically significant difference between pre-test and post-test mean values (p < 0.05). In the MP group, balance right-left leg, single leg triple hop right-left, 5 - 10m sprint, GA, SPD, LBP, lobbed passing right measurement results showed a statistically significant difference between pre-test and post-test mean values (p < 0.05). The control group had no significant difference in the pre-test and post-test mean values of technical and physical performance measurements (p > 0.05). Between-group comparisons revealed superior improvements in GA, LSPT, and single-leg triple hop right-left in the RP group compared to the MP group. Based on these findings, coaches and sports performance specialists may enhance athletes’ physical performance and technical skills by incorporating Pilates exercises (particularly RP) into training programs.