Tai chi and frailty: research overview

Not medical advice. This page lists research about tai chi and frailty. It does not say whether tai chi works for any person or condition. Talk to a qualified health professional before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have a medical condition.

Studies in PubMed

17 (tagged with “Frailty” as a major topic)

Years

2017–2026

Registered trials

5 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Types of studies

Each study is counted once, under its strongest type in this order: meta-analysis, systematic review, randomized controlled trial, clinical trial, review, observational study.

Studies, newest first

1. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of different exercise modalities on frailty in older adults. — Frontiers in public health, 2026 · DOISystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
2. Effects of Tai Chi-based combined interventions on muscle function, muscle mass, and physical performance in older adults with sarcopenia, frailty, or risk of functional decline: a systematic review and meta-analysis. — Frontiers in public health, 2026 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
3. Optimal aerobic exercise dose for improving metabolic health and functional outcomes in frail older adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. — Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 2026 · DOISystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
4. A randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of standardized tai chi in prefrail older adults with immunosenescence: design and protocol. — BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2025 · DOI
5. Mind-body training outperforms other physical activities in reducing frailty and enhancing quality of life in older adults: a network meta-analysis. — Frontiers in public health, 2025 · DOISystematic Review
6. The association between exercise, activities, and frailty in older Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) data. — BMC geriatrics, 2025 · DOI
7. Can strength training or tai ji quan training reduce frailty in postmenopausal women treated with chemotherapy? A secondary data analysis of the GET FIT trial. — Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 2024 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
8. Holistic frailty prevention: The promise of movement-based mind-body therapies. — Aging cell, 2024 · DOIReview
9. Tai Chi versus health education as a frailty intervention for community-dwelling older adults with hypertension. — Aging clinical and experimental research, 2023 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
10. Association of Tai Chi exercise with physical and neurocognitive functions, frailty, quality of life and mortality in older adults: Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study. — Age and ageing, 2022 · DOI
11. Effectiveness of a Hybrid Exercise Program on the Physical Abilities of Frail Elderly and Explainable Artificial-Intelligence-Based Clinical Assistance. — International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022 · DOI
12. Effects of Mindfulness-Based Tai Chi Chuan on Physical Performance and Cognitive Function among Cognitive Frailty Older Adults: A Six-Month Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial. — The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease, 2022 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
13. Effects of Traditional Chinese Exercises on Frailty, Quality of Life, and Physical Function on Frail and Pre-Frail Older People: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. — The Journal of frailty & aging, 2022 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
14. The effect of Tai Chi in elderly individuals with sarcopenia and frailty: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. — Ageing research reviews, 2022 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
15. Tai Chi is an effective form of exercise to reduce markers of frailty in older age. — Experimental gerontology, 2020 · DOI
16. The effects of sitting Tai Chi on physical and psychosocial health outcomes among individuals with impaired physical mobility. — Medicine, 2020 · DOI
17. Effect of a Combined Tai Chi, Resistance Training and Dietary Intervention on Cognitive Function in Obese Older Women. — The Journal of frailty & aging, 2017 · DOI

Registered clinical trials

Government health information

The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health summarizes the evidence on tai chi.

Study list: PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), citation data only. Trials: ClinicalTrials.gov. Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Data: PubMed (NLM citation data, free to use (abstracts not reproduced)); ClinicalTrials.gov (Public domain (U.S. Government work)); NCCIH (Public domain (U.S. Government work)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.