T’ai Chi or Otago for Falls Prevention?
A personal statement
Let me stress I am not a medical person but have used and taught T’ai Chi for Health
for many years. I am now in the over-
The Otago Program is a reputable and proven health and falls prevention program which
is used world-
The views expressed below are therefore my own based on a) my passion for T’ai Chi
and it's proven benefits, b) my own medical conditions, c) my experience with exercise
among elderly and physically/mentally less able, d) discussions with like-
Many may disagree with me -
Across the country GP referrals and local community classes are being set up to provide
help in falls prevention for the "semi-
Personally the more I look at Otago and compare its goals with
its rigid practicality, I have become more and more disillusioned by its content,
specifically when it is used outside of a hospital/physio environment in rural community
groups.
Even when ignoring the internal aspects of T’ai Chi, as a non-
1. Otago uses singular physio type movements, based on repetitions and weights.
It treats each group of muscles individually. TC to me provides a holistic approach
using the whole body, such that weakened parts are supported and supplemented by
the parts of the body that still work. This is particularly noticeable for my own
condition, where I can move smoothly with no pain using TC, yet basic Otago moves
have caused great stress on my back. Otago type movements may be theoretically good
when used to strengthen weakness in younger, more athletic bodies, but for a 60+
year old who has had arthritis for years, the benefits to balance and mobility given
by TC are a much more achievable aim for most, especially those who would probably
give up with routine exercise programs such as Otago.
To me TC will get a person
who already has a damaged body twisted with arthritis, joint replacements, etc. to
use 95% of their existing ability to balance and move more comfortably .This is
preferable to trying to recreate the movement and strength of an undamaged body,
younger in years.
2. Otago is back and lower body exercise. It has no movement for hands, arms & shoulders, yet to me these are essential for support and assisting whole body balance.
3. Otago use the classic TC terms and posture for the non-
4. All the papers, studies, etc. on Otago appear use similar information that is equally applicable to TC.
5. During my Otago training, when I described the range of people doing TC that
I have, and asked about how some of them would fit into an Otago FP scheme I was
told that they would be considered unsuitable for that program. I'm never selective
about those who join in TC or Qi Gong.
Age, severely limited movement and other impairment
is no obstacle to some form of achievement.
6. Finally, TC IS FUN, not boring exercise routines, and provides a sociable form
of gentle exercise and balance improvement. (I'm told that I shouldn’t play music
during an Otago sessions -
