Effects of Baduanjin Exercise on Improving Health in Sedentary Young and Middle-Aged Adults

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Baduanjin exercise: A 12-week, standardized Baduanjin exercise program. Participants will complete 5 sessions per week, each lasting 60 minutes (including warm-up, Baduanjin practice, and cool-down). The program includes both supervised group sessions and guided home practice.

General Health Education: Participants will receive general health education (including recommendations on physical activity types and duration), but will not be enrolled in any structured or supervised exercise program. They will be instructed to maintain their usual lifestyle.

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a 12-week Baduanjin exercise program can improve health in sedentary young and middle-aged adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Does the Baduanjin program improve participants' cardiorespiratory fitness (measured as peak oxygen uptake)?
2. Does it improve their body composition, muscle strength, balance, and flexibility?
3. Does it reduce their daily sitting time?

Researchers will compare the Baduanjin training group to a health education control group to see if Baduanjin is more effective in improving these health outcomes.

Participants will:

1. Be randomly assigned to one of the two groups.
2. If in the Baduanjin group, attend supervised group sessions and practice at home for 12 weeks.
3. Complete a series of assessments at the beginning, middle, and end of the study, including fitness tests, body measurements, and questionnaires.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in Peak Oxygen Uptake (VO₂peak) assessed by Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing — at baseline and Week 13.
  Measured by Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET).

Trial sites (1)

More China-Japan Friendship Hospital trials in Japan