YHU Scientific Journal, Vol 11, p4-17, 2024
THE APPLICATION OF COMPLEX TAI CHI EXERCISES TO IMPROVE THE BODY BALANCE OF TAEKWONDO ATHLETES AFTER LOWER EXTREMITY INJURY
Grigorios-Isaak Demirchyan, Tigran Petrosyan
YHU Medical Institute
Submitted 02.06 , Accepted 17.07
DOI: 10.61484/29538181-sj.11.24-1
Abstract. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a complex of Tai-Chi exercises on the dynamic balance and kinematic parameters of the lower limbs of a taekwondo athlete with functional instability of the ankle joint. The Tai Chi (eight techniques and five steps) training program used in this study was used in the third phase of the physical rehabilitation of a taekwondo athlete with an ankle joint injury, as a method of balance improvement by adapting the exercises of the Tai-Chi system to the biomechanical features of the movements used in taekwondo. The lenrth of athlete’s rehabilitation at this stage was nine weeks, during which the principle of Tai Chi’s eight movements and five steps was applied. As a result, all balance indicators evaluated by the BTS electronic platform were improved: weight distribution, sensory integration, body stability limits, neck challenges, the body center of gravity change, and single leg standing test values. Research results show that a selected combination of Tai Chi exercises can improve athletes’ ability to control balance, making it applicable to everyday training as well. The complex of Tai Chi exercises can also be effective in physical rehabilitation programs used after blunt cranial injuries, where balance recovery is a special part of the treatment.
Keywords: Tai-Chi, Exercise, Taekwondo, Injuries, Balance, Rehabilitation
Abstract. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a complex of Tai-Chi exercises on the dynamic balance and kinematic parameters of the lower limbs of a taekwondo athlete with functional instability of the ankle joint. The Tai Chi (eight techniques and five steps) training program used in this study was used in the third phase of the physical rehabilitation of a taekwondo athlete with an ankle joint injury, as a method of balance improvement by adapting the exercises of the Tai-Chi system to the biomechanical features of the movements used in taekwondo. The lenrth of athlete’s rehabilitation at this stage was nine weeks, during which the principle of Tai Chi’s eight movements and five steps was applied. As a result, all balance indicators evaluated by the BTS electronic platform were improved: weight distribution, sensory integration, body stability limits, neck challenges, the body center of gravity change, and single leg standing test values. Research results show that a selected combination of Tai Chi exercises can improve athletes’ ability to control balance, making it applicable to everyday training as well. The complex of Tai Chi exercises can also be effective in physical rehabilitation programs used after blunt cranial injuries, where balance recovery is a special part of the treatment.
Keywords: Tai-Chi, Exercise, Taekwondo, Injuries, Balance, Rehabilitation