Intervention based martial arts affect quality of life and cognitive ability among older adults : A systematic review

Background: Older people are faced with special physical and mental health challenges associated with ageing. Over 20% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental or neurological disorder. It is known, and has been shown in previous studies, that physical activity can enhance physical and mental health. Meditative martial arts such as Tai Chi are, in most cases, low-intensity mind-body exercises that involve very graceful movements, which are performed in a slow, rhythmical, and well-controlled manner. This makes the practice suitable for older adults. Study aim: To investigate and assess the impact of different types of martial arts on mental health, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and wellbeing among older adults, who are healthy or suffer from a mild cognitive impairment. Methods: This study focused on experimental studies with interventions of martial arts on older adults. Nine original articles gathered from Web of Science (n=1) and PubMed (n=8) were reviewed, compared and summarized. Keywords used were; “martial arts” AND “mental health” in both databases respectively. Results: The practice of martial arts is associated with positive results of both physical and mental health aspects. Tai Chi can lead to improvements of mental ability, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and improve the physical ability of older adults. Conclusion: Martial arts as a means of intervention may be beneficial for the wellbeing and overall quality of life in older adults and should be recommended. However, nine original articles are not sufficient for stating the significance of martial arts on mental health among older adults. Further research is therefore required