@article{ref1,
title="Effect of Tai Chi on gait and obstacle crossing behaviors in middle-aged adults",
journal="Gait and posture",
year="2006",
author="Ramachandran, Arun K. and Rosengren, Karl S. and Yang, Yaling and Hsiao-Wecksler, Elizabeth T.",
volume="26",
number="2",
pages="248-255",
abstract="This study investigated whether long-term, habitual practice of Tai Chi (or Taiji) results in behavioral modifications during gait. Specifically, we examined whether Tai Chi (TC) experience alters gait behavior during normal and obstructed walking. Fifteen experienced TC practitioners and fifteen control subjects (average age 45 years, 23-66 year range) completed level walking trials with or without a stationary obstacle placed in their path. TC practitioners in this study had an average of 6.5 years (1.5-15 year range) of Chen-style Tai Chi experience. Kinematic analyses performed on their step-to-step gait characteristics over multiple steps revealed that TC practitioners used a more cautious strategy by using slower gait speeds and shorter and slower steps than controls.</p>  <p>&lt;/=0.003).</p>  <p tc=&quot;tc&quot; practitioners=&quot;practitioners&quot; also=&quot;also&quot; spent=&quot;spent&quot; significantly=&quot;significantly&quot; longer=&quot;longer&quot; time=&quot;time&quot; in=&quot;in&quot; single=&quot;single&quot; leg=&quot;leg&quot; support=&quot;support&quot; while=&quot;while&quot; crossing=&quot;crossing&quot; the=&quot;the&quot; obstacle=&quot;obstacle&quot;>Language: en</p>  <p></p>",
language="",
issn="0966-6362",
doi="10.1016/j.gaitpost.2006.09.005",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2006.09.005"
}