Health Effects of Taekwondo Training for Elderly Over the Age of 60 Years

This randomized controlled trial investigates the effects of a 10-week Taekwondo (TKD) training intervention on physical and cognitive function in community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older. Participants are randomly allocated to either an intervention group undertaking supervised Taekwondo training twice weekly or to a waiting-list control group maintaining usual activity for 10 weeks before receiving the same intervention. The primary aim is to determine whether structured Taekwondo training improves balance performance compared to a control condition. Secondary outcomes include lower- and upper-body muscular strength, cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂max), blood pressure, body composition, and selected cognitive outcomes. Assessments are conducted at baseline and after the 10-week intervention period. A 1-year follow-up assessment is included to examine long-term maintenance of effects. The study is designed to evaluate whether Taekwondo represents a safe, feasible, and effective multimodal training approach for promoting physical function and healthy ageing in older adults.