Virtual Tai ji Quan Exercise to Prevent Falls in Older Adults

A Remotely Delivered Tai Ji Quan Intervention to Reduce Incidence of Falls in High Risk Community-Dwelling Older Adults

To examine two different exercise programs in reducing incidence of falls among community-dwelling older adults

This is a randomized controlled trial aimed at determining the effectiveness of a virtual and home-based tai ji quan intervention vs. a virtual and home-based multimodal exercise intervention in reducing incidence of falls among community-dwelling older adults at high risk of falling

Inclusion Criteria:

• age between 65 and 90 years and
• having had 1 or more falls in the preceding 12 months or having a score ≥12 seconds on the Timed Up&Go (TUG) test.

Exclusion Criteria:

• showing a diagnosis of dementia or significant cognitive impairment, as indicated by a score of <24 on the Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE, range: 0-30);
• being unable to ambulate independently for household distances; (c) having no medical clearance;
• having participated in any regular and structured tai ji quan-based or multicomponent exercise programs (≥2 times weekly) in the preceding 6 months;
• having any physical condition that would preclude participation in moderate-intensity exercise; and
• being unwilling to commit to the duration of the intervention or accept group assignment.