EFFECTS OF KING’S WHIP AND BA DUAN JIN EXERCISES ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FUNCTIONS IN THE ELDERLY.

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effects of King’s Whip and Ba Duan Jin exercises on physical and mental functions in older adults. The research comprised two phases. Study 1 employed a crossover design with 28 community-dwelling older adults to investigate the acute effects of both exercises, measuring maximal and average heart rate (MHR and AHR), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), energy expenditure (EE), and cognitive function using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Statistical analyses included paired-sample t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, with the significance level set at p < 0.05. Study 2 evaluated the long-term effects over an 8-week intervention, conducted 3 days per week, using physical fitness tests including sit-to-stand (STS), sit-and-reach (SAR), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), timed up-and-go (TUG), body composition analysis, and mental health assessments using the SF-36 and MoCA. Assessments were conducted at baseline, week 4, and week 8, and data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests and the Mann-Whitney U test for non-parametric data, with the significance level set at p < 0.05. The results from the first study showed that King’s Whip exercise produced statistically greater MHR, AHR, EE, and RPE than Ba Duan Jin exercise (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was found in MoCA scores between the two exercises. In the second study, after 8 weeks of training, the King’s Whip group demonstrated significant improvements in all physical and mental functions compared to baseline. However, in the Ba Duan Jin group, no significant change was observed in body fat percentage. A direct comparison between the groups after 8 weeks revealed that King’s Whip exercise led to significantly greater improvements in STS, 6MWT, and TUG, while Ba Duan Jin exercise resulted in greater improvements in SAR. In conclusion, our results indicate that although both exercises are beneficial, King’s Whip exercise led to greater improvements in strength, cardiovascular endurance, body composition, and balance, while Ba Duan Jin exercise resulted in greater development of flexibility.

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