BALANCE IMPROVEMENT IN OLDER ADULTS WITH TAEKWONDO
Article Information
Download Article
How to Cite
Abstract
Impaired balance in older adults can directly lead to falls, leading to injuries, reduced quality of life, and increased dependence in daily activities. To diversify neuromotor exercises, evidence on the effectiveness of Taekwondo has been reviewed. Searches using relevant keywords reported that Taekwondo significantly improves both static and dynamic balance measures in individuals over 65 years old. Additionally, the findings suggest that Taekwondo may enhance exercise adherence among participants. These results support the potential of Taekwondo as a exercise to improve balance for older adults, although further high-quality evidence is needed.
Keywords
References
- Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, Franklin BA, Lamonte MJ, Lee IM, Nieman DC, Swain DP; American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Jul;43(7):1334-59. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb. PMID: 21694556. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb
- Youm CH, Lee JS, Seo KE. Effects of Taekwondo and walking exercises on the double leg balance control of elderly females. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics. 2011;21(2):123–129. doi:10.5103/KJSB.2011.21.2.123 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5103/KJSB.2011.21.2.123
- Kang H, Jung HC, Kim HB, Song JG. The effects of 12 weeks of Taekwondo Poomsae training on body composition, functional physical fitness, and bone health-related hormones in older women. Kukkiwon Taekwondo Res. 2012;3(2):75–89. doi:10.24881/tjk.2012.3.2.75 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24881/tjk.2012.3.2.75
- Valdés-Badilla P, Herrera-Valenzuela T, Ramirez-Campillo R, Aedo-Muñoz E, Báez-San Martín E, Ojeda-Aravena A, et al. Effects of Olympic combat sports on older adults’ health status: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(14):7381. doi:10.3390/ijerph18147381 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147381
- Ha S, Jeon HG, Kim MJ, Park J, Lee I. Does Taekwondo improve physical fitness in adults older than 50?: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Taekwondo J. 2023;14(3):67–81. doi:10.24881/tjk.2023.14.3.67
- Valdés-Badilla P, Herrera-Valenzuela T, Guzmán-Muñoz E, Hernandez-Martinez J, Cid-Calfucura I, Vásquez-Carrasco E, et al. Adapted Taekwondo improves postural balance and health-related quality of life concerning multicomponent training and walking exercise in older females: a randomized controlled trial (TKD and Aging Project). J Clin Med. 2024;13(23):7250. doi:10.3390/jcm13237250 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13237250
- Herrera Valenzuela T, Cid Calfucura I, Hernandez Martinez J, Valdés Badilla P, García García JM, Calvo Rico B, et al. Comparative effects of adapted Taekwondo versus Tai Chi on health status in independent older women: a randomized controlled trial. Life. 2025;15(10):1511. doi:10.3390/life15101511. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/life15101511
- Kim JY. Effects of Taekwondo standing posture and step box exercise on healthy physical fitness, pain, and growth hormone in elderly female patients with knee arthritis [master’s thesis]. Pusan (South Korea): Pusan National University; 2022.
License
© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Journal of Health and Aging.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
