Travel To Health: Health Benefits of Tai Chi Chuan

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Tai Chi is often described as “meditation in motion,” but it might well be called “medication in motion.” As you move, you breathe deeply and naturally, focusing your attention — as in some kinds of meditation — on your bodily sensations.

Tai Chi on Balancing

Tai chi moves, which involve gradual shifts of weight from one foot to another combined with rotating the trunk and extending the limbs, offer a series of challenges to improve your balance.

In 136 patients who’d had a stroke at least six months earlier, 12 weeks of Tai Chi improved standing balance more than a general exercise program that entailed breathing, stretching, and mobilizing muscles and joints involved in sitting and walking.^[1,2]

Tai chi training appears to reduce balance impairments in patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease, with additional benefits of improved functional capacity and reduced falls.^[14]

Tai Chi on Pain Improvement

In a randomized controlled trial, 20 patients with functional class I or II rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were randomly assigned to Tai Chi or attention control in twice-weekly sessions for 12 weeks. The results show that Tai Chi appears safe and may be beneficial for functional class I or II RA. It improved pain and functional status in adults with RA.^[20]

A pragmatic randomized controlled trial of tai chi exercise for people with low back pain. It showed that a 10-week tai chi program improved pain and disability outcomes and can be considered a safe and effective intervention for those experiencing long-term low back pain symptoms.^[21]

Tai Chi on Cognitive Performance

In a meta-analysis of 20 studies on tai chi and cognition,^[8] tai chi appears to improve executive function—the ability to multitask, manage time, and make decisions—in people without any cognitive decline. In those with mild cognitive impairment, tai chi slowed the progression to dementia more than other types of exercise and improved their cognitive function in a comparable fashion to other types of exercise or cognitive training.

In one study,^[9] researchers had nearly 400 Chinese men and women with some cognitive impairment perform either tai chi or a stretching and toning program three times a week. After a year, the tai chi group showed greater improvements, and only 2% of that group progressed to dementia, while 11% from the traditional exercise group did.

In another study,^[10] tai chi outperformed walking. Following 40 weeks of either tai chi, walking, social interaction, or no intervention, researchers compared MRI images and discovered that brain volume increased the most in the tai chi group. In addition, that group also performed better on cognitive tests.

Tai Chi Better Immune Function Test

When we consciously and mindfully focus on our breathing, a rhythmic pattern of healthy heart rate variability (HRV) and healthy immune function result.^{[3, 4]} And that mean a longer and healthier life. For cancer and fibromyalgia patients, you can also slow your heart rate by deep breathing to reduce pain.^[5-7]

A UCLA study found that practicing tai chi chih can significantly boosts the immune systems of older adults against the virus that leads to the painful, blistery rash known as shingles.^[17]

Tai Chi Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety

When learned correctly and performed regularly, tai chi can be a positive part of an overall approach to improving your mental health by:^[16]

Decreasing stress, anxiety and depression
Improving mood
Improving overall well-being

When tai chi was combined with a standard depression treatment for a group of older people with depression, researchers found better improvement in the level of depression, as well as improved quality of life, better memory and cognition, and more overall energy, in comparison to another group in which the standard depression treatment was combined with a health education class.^[12]

Tai chi Can Be an Adjunct to Standard Care of COPD Patients

Based on a randomized controlled trial of tai chi, scientists concluded that tai chi may be a suitable exercise option for patients with COPD as an adjunct to standard care.^[19]

Tai chi provides people mild to moderate aerobic activity, and lower-extremity, unsupported upper-extremity, and core-strength training. It also contains elements of breathing and respiratory muscle training and stress management that are important aspects of COPD management. Further, studies suggest that tai chi is safe, accessible, enjoyable, and has a high adherence rate.

Tai chi Can Be an Effective Approach for the Management of Blood Pressure and Long-term Glucose Control

A new study showed that Tai Chi exercise was more effective in improving blood pressure and HbA1c level than general aerobic exercise. It suggested that Tai Chi might be an effective approach for the management of blood pressure and long-term glucose control in older persons with depressive symptoms.^[22]

Travel To Health

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Health Benefits of Tai Chi Chuan