Effects of 10 Weeks Classical Chinese Dance Training on Flexibility, Balance and Muscle Strength of the Elderly

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of Classical Chinese Dance as a sports intervention for enhancing the physical capabilities of older adults. Methods: Twenty-four participants were divided into experimental group (N = 12, age 69.0 ± 1.5 years, body mass index [BMI] 22.2 ± 0.6 kg/m2) and control group (N = 12, age 69.1 ± 1.8 years, BMI 23.5 ± 0.8 kg/m2). The Classical Chinese Dance intervention lasted for 10 weeks, with 90 min per class twice a week. Two-way analysis of variance was used to assess the effect of the training intervention on flexibility, balance, and muscle strength in the experimental and control groups. Results: The experimental group (EG) significantly outperformed the control group (CG) in the Biceps Curl Test at both time points (EG Pre-test: 26.8 ± 4.8(t), Post-test: 30.5 ± 5.0(t); CG Pre-test: 20.8 ± 4.3(t), Post-test: 22.8 ± 6.4(t), p