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Exercise & Fitness
Tai chi offers similar benefits as conventional exercise
- By Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
In the journals
Tai chi helps improve balance and coordination, especially among older adults. Now, a study published June 1, 2021, in Annals of Internal Medicine has shown that the ancient mind-body practice also offers much the same health benefits as conventional exercise.
Researchers randomly divided 543 obese people, ages 50 and older, into three groups. One practiced tai chi, another worked out with a combination of aerobic and strength training, and the third did not exercise.
The tai chi participants followed the common form of slow continuous circular movements known as Yang style. The exercisers did brisk walking and strength-training workouts, such as arm curls and raises, shoulder presses, squats, and heel raises. Both groups did one-hour sessions, three times a week, for 12 weeks.
Afterward, people in both the exercise and tai chi groups had similar reductions in waist size, body weight, and cholesterol levels compared with the control group.
It’s not clear how tai chi helps, but the researchers noted that the gentle, flowing motions are ideal for people who have trouble staying active and may help them stick with regular exercise.
Image: © kali9/Getty ImagesAbout the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
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You might also be interested in…
An Introduction to Tai Chi
Mind-body exercises, such as tai chi and yoga, have been gaining popularity over the past few decades. This is not surprising, given the increasing number of studies on the positive effects of these gentler forms of exercise—everything from lowering blood pressure and managing depression to building strength and improving balance. There is even evidence that tai chi may help you live a longer, more vital life.
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