Benefits of Chinese Qigong (ba duan jin) gymnastics for senior women’s life quality

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Dr.Med. T.A. Shilko1
Postgraduate student Yatsun Zhang1
Zhaoqi Yang2
Qianyu Ye2
1National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk
2Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, China

The economic growth in China is naturally associated with improvements in the life quality, popularity of the healthy lifestyle, extended life expectancy and, hence, growing share of the senior (60+) population group – which is reported at 243 million by the national statistics. The growing numbers of senior people, however, are increasingly burdensome for the national socio-economic progress and social security system. With aging of the population, the Chinese communities are increasingly concerned by the health standards and life quality of the seniors and take efforts to encourage physical activity of this age group. Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of Chinese Qigong (Ba Duan Jin) gymnastics for the senior women’s life quality. Sampled for the study were the 60-65 years old women (n=60) split up into EG and RG of 30 people each. EG trainings were dominated by the trainer-assisted Chinese Qigong gymnastics 3 times a week for 10 months, with a special role played by the specific physical and breathing exercises that are known to mitigate mental stresses, relax muscles, condition the mind and mood and improve health. The life quality of the sample was tested by the standard SF-36 questionnaire. .

Keywords: Chinese qigong gymnastics, life quality, SF-36, senior women, China.

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