In a study of older obese adults with type 2 diabetes, “there was a strong relationship between muscle power/speed and poor mobility and balance,” study co-author Rhonda Orr, a lecturer at the University of Sydney, in Australia, said. “Those individuals with lower muscle power and slower muscle speed had greater balance and mobility impairment.” The study also shows that older obese type 2 diabetics can benefit from low-intensity, low-impact Tai Chi exercises as well as from regular stretching and calisthenics.

“Our Tai Chi program was just as effective as gentle stretching/calisthenics in improving balance and mobility, but not effective in improving muscle function in our cohort,” said Orr. She noted that “improving muscle contraction speed or power may be more appropriate interventions to gain improvements in balance and mobility.”

In the study, 38 men and women with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to Tai Chi exercises or seated calisthenics and stretching. The participants, who were about 65 years old, participated in 55-minute exercise sessions twice a week for 16 weeks.

At the end of the study period, participants in both exercise groups experienced improvements in their balance and walking speed. Men and women who participated in Tai Chi exercises showed improved mobility.

However, their improvements were no greater than that found among men and women in the comparison group.

The reason for the lack of greater benefit among the Tai Chi participants may be because the high prevalence of obesity and osteoarthritis among the study participants “may have compromised an optimal training style,” Orr and her co-authors suggest.

Or perhaps the dose and/or movements incorporated into the Tai Chi program were not sufficient to elicit a stronger response.

Overall, balance was most improved among men and women with poorer quality of life at the start of the study, whereas better health, muscle function and exercise capacity at the start of the study, was associated with increased walking speeds by the end of the study.

In light of the findings, “we need to further investigate an optimal modality of exercise(s) and dose for older, obese and long-term sedentary adults with type 2 diabetes, so that they are able to increase their level of physical activity,  enjoy and adhere to an exercise program in order to slow down the decline in physical function associated with diabetes,” Orr said.