Participants recalled that before they joined the intervention program, their expectations (goals) for the program were mainly to maintain their physical activity level, improve their physical health, expand their social networks, learn knowledge, and feel a sense of persistence. Only three participants said that they did not set any goals.

“My goal in retirement is to do more exercises, stay healthy and have fewer doctor visits" (F, R, 10, ISFJ). “Reducing fatty liver” (F, T, 12, ESFJ). “Improve balance and body cold” (F, T,6, ISFJ). “Flexibility in arms and legs and good health” (F, T,14,ESFJ).

They want to use what they have learned to educate others: “My aim is not only to help myself but also others, as well as teach my friends Tai Chi together” (F, T, 14, ESFJ). Another participant agreed: “I can also teach my family, I will be happy and initiate other older adults” (F, T, 12,ESFJ).

Some participants wanted to learn about exercise theory to help them maintain their physical activity levels for their entire lives: “I hope that the intervention can open up the path to understanding sports and learn some sports that I can do at home so that I can do them regularly without the help of others” (F, R, 7, ESTJ); “I hope the knowledge of Tai Chi taught by my teacher can be my lifelong asset” (F, T, 2, ESFJ); “I usually do exercise, but I don’t have enough theoretical knowledge, so I sometimes overexert myself and hurt my knee” (F, R, 15, ESFJ).

One participant noted that perseverance was the goal of program participation: “Try not to miss a single day of training” (F, R, 2, ESFJ).

Those with no goals were mainly inactive and had no sports experience: “I haven’t tried resistance training, I don’t have any goal in doing sports” (F, R, 18, ESFJ); “I don’t have special goals, I usually do stretching at home, I haven’t participated in any other sports activity” (F, R, 19, ESFJ).

The worries expressed by participants were mainly having limited physical fitness, becoming injured, and a lack of determination: “I was worried that my muscles were not strong enough or that I was not able to do the movements in the class” (F, R, 11, ESFJ); “I was afraid of Tai Chi standing might hurt my knee” (F, T, 14, ESFJ); “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to do it [resistance] as I was almost 70 years old and I was afraid it would be too drastic” (F, R, 19, ESFJ); “I was worried that I would give up halfway because I don’t know if the exercise is too difficult” (F, R, 7, ESTJ).

However, all participants said that the intervention eventually eliminated their concerns. Because some participants believed in the professionalism of the instructors, their stereotypes regarding physical activity changed after learning from the intervention: “Because the instructor is very experienced and knows what age we are, they won’t force us to do it if we can’t” (F, R, 18, ESFJ). A female participant (F, T, 14, ESFJ), after practicing tai chi, said the following: “Standing on one leg in Tai Chi helps me to maintain my balance and I know how to adjust when I fall”.

Participants said that they set long-term health-related goals after the intervention and they reported being more conscious of healthy eating habits after participating: “I will pay attention to health information, such as the ingredients of food, to avoid food allergies” (F, R, 10, ISFJ); “I will maintain my weight and take foods that maintain muscle, such as protein” (F, R, 11, ESFJ); “Eat less fried and sweet foods” (M, R, 1, ESFJ); “Eat lighter, less diet out, make breakfast cooked at home” (M, T, 4, ISFJ); “Eat more vegetables, grains and cereals” (F, R, 15, ESFJ).

Regarding physical health, participants stated that the recovering function was their long-term health goal: “I hope my lower limb function can be improved, stronger feet and bones” (F, T, 9, ESFJ); “reducing muscle loss” (F, R, 10, ISFJ).

Meanwhile, participants had a clearer vision of further goal setting for physical activity. A male participant was determined to use technology to monitor his health: “I will be more aware of different activities. … I use a pedometer to set goals for myself and recently I have been using another function to lift myself up to drink” (M, R, 3, ISFJ). In addition, the majority emphasized cultivating the habit of engaging in physical activity, having perseverance when performing exercises, and reducing physical deterioration as their long-term aims: “The long-term goal is to exercise two to three days a week for one to one and a half hours each time” (F, R, 2, ESFJ); “My new goal is how to remain motivated to exercise” (F, R, 17, ISFJ); “I hope I can practice Tai Chi every day, I am satisfied if my body deterioration is slowed down” (F, T, 6, ISFJ). Moreover, one participant (F, T, 12, ESFJ) believed that achieving long-term health-related goals needed time for learning and building up: “It needs time to build up. I want to further learn Tai Chi stances, change the eating pattern and focus on improving healthy lifestyles”.

Importantly, a female participant (F, R, 18, ESFJ) mentioned that health is not the same as longevity and that being able to live independently is critical: “The goal is not to live a long life, but to be able to walk even at an advanced age, without the need for assistance or difficulty in walking”.

Finally, a participant said that a further goal was not only to promote health for herself but also to encourage others: “The goal is now to encourage other people to do exercise together, not just myself” (F, R, 11, ESFJ).

Participants’ opinions were mixed, with 10 preferring generalized aims, 9 preferring personalized aims, and 1 saying both were important.

Participants believe generalized aims make them more motivated, encourage them, make them happy, and make teaching easier: “It is motivating to work together as a team towards a goal” (M, R, 1, ESFJ); “Generalized aims are more encouraging” (F, T, 9, ESFJ); “We are happier to have generalized aims because they can last for a longer time” (F, R, 17, ISFJ); “The course was too short with only 4 months. It would be too difficult for the instructor to get to know everyone in a short period of time if there was another opportunity to set up personalized aims for each person in the future” (F, R, 7, ESTJ); “Prefer generalized aims, because the instructor doesn’t know everyone’s abilities and physique” (M, T, 4, ISFJ). One participant said that generalized goals can protect their self-esteem: "Personalized goals disguised as one-to-one can be inferior or embarrassing. It’s embarrassing to see that others can but you can’t, so it’s better to have the same goal but give modifications at the same time” (F, T, 14, ESFJ).

On the other hand, one participant preferred personalized aims since they were more in line with individual needs: “There was a big difference in the physical ability of the group for this program, so it would have been boring if I had to do the movements of the less fit students” (F, R, 15, ESFJ).

There were 14 participants who supported progressive small goals, whereas only 5 preferred ultimate goals, and 1 person chose both.

Progressive smaller goals will give participants a sense of success and satisfaction: "Smaller goals are more likely to have a sense of success and will be more intentional, large goals take a long time to see results. I am worried that something else is going on in the meantime that will affect the results, therefore less motivation and commitment” (F, R, 10, ISFJ). Some participants believe that small aims can make it easier for them to control their progress and are more suitable for their age: “For example, if I can’t achieve it today, I will try the next day and it will be easy to know if I have done it” (F, R, 15, ESFJ); “I can know the progress in each class and if go in the right direction” (F, R, 18); “It is better to take a gradual approach as you are getting older” (F, T, 5, ESFJ).

Other participants believe that ultimate aims are more flexible: “Because we may not master the movements she [the instructor] taught us in each class, I hope that we will be given a target in the end, because if we have a target in every class, we will be under pressure and we will be afraid of being compared to others. I would rather have a long-term goal so that we can go home and practice even if we don’t do well in that class, and a small goal like asking us to hand in our homework”(F, R, 19, ESFJ).

In addition to filling out personality questionnaires, participants were also asked to describe their personalities. Those categorized as ESFJ, who comprised the majority, described themselves as positive, extroverted, agreeable, open, and conscientious. They like taking the initiative and trying new things, are open-minded about life, and enjoy team activities.

“I am open-minded, and always find activities and sports to participate in” (F, T, 9, ESFJ). “I like to interact and share with others, so I want to find activities and meet other people” (F, T, 12, ESFJ). “I learn spontaneously, and if it is a sport I am interested in, I will participate in it” (F, T, 14, ESFJ). “In the sports program, I was responsible for creating a WhatsApp group to keep my group members in communication” (F, T, 16, ESFJ).

Those categorized as ISFJ described themselves as introverted, curious, anxious, and impatient as well as open-minded to changing themselves to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“I am a person who likes to get to the bottom of things. I want to find theories to prove, to accept different opinions and then synthesize” (M, R, 3, ISFJ). “After participating in the program, I made new friends, contact with people makes me happier, let the introverted self become extroverted” (M, T, 4, ISFJ). “Actively looking for activities/groups sports can make myself cheerful … avoid overthinking” (F, R, 11, ISFJ). “Originally, I am a person who is in a hurry, but by participating in Tai Chi, I can slow myself down” (F, T, 6, ISFJ).

Only two participants fell into the INFP and ESTJ categories. The participant assessed as INFP described herself as passive and overthinking, which hindered her from connecting with others. The participant assessed as ESTJ believed she was an active, positive, self-disciplined person, which has a positive effect on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.