Effect of “Tai Chi” on happiness in elderly men

The several studies have shown the influence of physical activity in improving elderly people’s mental and physical functioning .The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Tai Chi Chuan exercises on happiness in elderly men. The present study was a randomized clinical trial that was carried out among 132 elderly people membered in Pakdasht retirement center, Tehran in 2017. Subjects were selected using purposeful sampling method. Subjects were chosen through purposive sampling and assigned randomly to experimental (n=66) and control groups (n=66). Tai Chi Chuan exercises was performed to the experimental group for 8 weeks (3 times a week). Data were collected using the oxford happiness’s questionnaire before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, T-test, Chi-square tests, and Fisher's Exact Test in SPSS21. The mean of anxiety in the experimental group was 41.31 ± 41.31 before the intervention, whereas it was 55.89 ± 7.21 after the intervention. The mean scores of stress among the participants showed significant difference pre and post-intervention in the experimental group (P<0.05). However, this difference was not significant in the control group (P=0.86). The findings indicated that Tai Chi exercise increased happiness in the elderly men. Therefore, it is suggested that Tai Chi as one form of physical activities should be used more commonly for promoting happiness and mental health profile of the elders.