Research Article - Biomedical Research (2017) Volume 28, Issue 21

Effect of practicing Health Qigong-Yijinjing on cardiac function and respiratory function in the elderly population

Objective: To investigate the effect of practicing Health Qigong-Yijinjing on cardiac function and respiratory function in the elderly population.

Methods: 80 cases were selected as the research subjects and were randomly divided into exercise group and control group, with 40 subjects in each group. The exercise group practiced an hour of Health Qigong-Yijinjing every morning, the control group carried out the fast walking exercise. The cardiac function and the respiratory function were compared before and 6 months after exercise in two groups.

Results: Before exercise, there was no significant difference in the indexes of cardiac function between the exercise group and the control group (P>0.05); 6 months after exercise, the values of stroke volume (SV) and mitral valve early diastolic velocity peak value (VE) in the exercise group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), and were significantly higher than those before the exercise (P<0.05). The VE- late diastolic velocity peak value (VA) value was significantly higher than that before the exercise (P<0.05). However, in the control group, there was no significant difference in all indexes of cardiac function before and 6 months after exercise (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the VE-VA value before and 6 months after exercise in 2 groups (P>0.05). In comparison of immediate cardiac function before and 6 months after exercise, the values of VE and VA decreased significantly (P<0.05), while no significant changes were found in the values of SV and VE-VA in the exercise group (P>0.05). Before exercise, there was no significant difference in the indexes of respiratory function between the exercise group and the control group (P>0.05). 6 months after exercise, the values of vital capacity (VC), maximum ventilation per minute (MVV) and time vital capacity (FVC) in the exercise group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), and were significantly higher than those before the exercise (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Compared with the fast walking exercise, Health Qigong-Yijinjing could improve cardiac function and respiratory function in the elderly population, and was worthy of application and promotion.

Author(s): Yanhong Wang, Feifei Su

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