Abstract
The effects of Gicheon training on one-leg standing were compared between two groups of senior citizens. Seven experienced (median =64 yr) and 12 beginner (median =66.5 yr) citizens participated in this study. Standing time with one-leg, as well as subjective rating of health, was measured before and after a series of practicing 60 min Gicheon training once a week for 10 weeks. Before starting practice beginners showed significantly shorter standing time (mean =22.4 sec) compared with the experienced participants (mean =56.3 sec) when open-eye condition was used. Ten weeks later, when practice ended the significant difference disappeared, however. The similar result was observed for the subjective health. However, in the closed-eye condition, both groups showed almost the same very short standing time (experienced mean =9.7 sec; beginner mean =6.9 sec), regardless of the former experience. The notion that Gicheon training improved one-leg standing time in open-eye condition indicated that Gicheon practice may prevent falling accidents often observed among the senior citizens. Subjective health will also be improved by the practicing. In the future, it needs to be tested in a large-scale randomized trial.
