Exergaming-based Sitting Tai Chi for Sarcopenia and/or Frailty

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effects of an exergaming-based sitting Tai Chi program on muscle strength, physical function, cognition, and psychosocial outcomes in older adults living in residential care facilities who are at risk of sarcopenia and/or prefrailty. Eligible participants aged 60 years or older will be identified using simple screening criteria for sarcopenia and prefrailty and will not meet full diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia or frailty. A total of 152 participants will be randomly assigned to either an individually supervised exergaming-based sitting Tai Chi intervention or a group-based general health education control, each delivered twice weekly for 12 weeks. The primary outcome is dominant-hand grip strength, a core indicator of sarcopenia-related muscle weakness. Key secondary outcomes include sitting balance and functional reach assessed by the Modified Functional Reach Test, with additional secondary measures of muscle mass, lower-extremity function, activities of daily living, reaction time and health-related quality of life. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. The findings will provide preliminary evidence on whether chair-based exergaming Tai Chi can be integrated into routine residential care to support healthy aging and functional independence.

NCT Number	NCT07616219
Lead Sponsor	Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Conditions	Sarcopenia in Elderly, Frailty at Older Adults
Enrollment	152 participants
Start Date	2026-03-01
Primary Completion	2027-09-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-12-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-07-01