Tai Chi exercise training enhances executive function and fluid intelligence of healthy older adults: Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence

Executive function and fluid intelligence are two of the crucial frontal lobe functions susceptible to aging. Tai Chi as a mind-body exercise has been proposed for preventing cognitive aging. However, whether Tai Chi has similar effects on multiple components of executive functions in older adults remains underspecified. Moreover, it is not currently known whether Tai Chi exercise training improvements in lower-order executive functions are able to explain improvements in higher-order fluid intelligence. Study 1 included a cross-sectional design based on a large sample of healthy older adults (55–79 years old). Modeling results showed that experience of Tai Chi training exerted significantly positive effects on fluid intelligence, inhibition and updating after controlling for age and education. Both inhibition and updating mediated effects of Tai Chi on fluid intelligence. Study 2 carried out a 12-month Tai Chi training intervention on a novice group and an experienced group of older adults. Results indicated that only the novices exhibited significant improvements in inhibition and fluid intelligence. In addition, improvements in fluid intelligence were no longer significant after controlling for improvements in inhibition. These results shed lights on the mechanism by which mind-body training enhances intelligence.