Tai Chi plus wearable activity trackers to help people recover after a heart attack
Tai Chi Exercise and Wearable Feedback Technology to Promote Physical Activity in ACS Survivors
This work pairs gentle Tai Chi classes with wearable activity trackers to help people who recently had an acute coronary syndrome become more active and stick with exercise.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10931391 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you would take part in group Tai Chi sessions designed for people recovering from a heart event and use a wearable activity tracker that gives feedback and personalized goals. The program blends low-to-moderate physical movement with stress-reduction and social support from class peers. Researchers will monitor daily activity (using accelerometers/wearables) and health markers over time to see whether participants increase and maintain physical activity. The approach aims to make exercise easier to adopt and keep for people who are often sedentary after an acute coronary syndrome.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who recently experienced an acute coronary syndrome (heart attack or unstable angina), are medically cleared for low-to-moderate exercise, and currently get little physical activity would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with unstable cardiac conditions, those not cleared for exercise, or those already meeting high levels of daily activity are unlikely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help survivors of heart attacks raise daily activity levels, improve cardiovascular risk factors, and support longer-term recovery.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies suggest Tai Chi and wearable activity trackers each can help increase physical activity and improve some cardiovascular risk factors, but combining them for acute coronary syndrome survivors is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yeh, Gloria Y — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Yeh, Gloria Y
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.