Tai Chi Players are Less Likely to Die
“Dr. Xianglan Zhang of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, one of the researchers in the Shanghai Men’s Health Study reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology that of the over 61,000 participants in the study, about 10,000 practiced T’ai Chi.
“The Researchers tracked the health and lifestyle of the study participants for more than five years. When adjusted for other factors such as age, health conditions, and whether they smoked tobacco, the T’ai Chi practitioners in this study were twenty percent less likely to die over the five year time period studied.
“Dr. Zhang noted that the findings are consistent with other studies that found health benefits related to this form of qigong (chi kung, chi gong) exercise. “It combines slow motion exercise and mind concentration to focus on movement. That itself can reduce your stress and, of course, it will increase your flexibility and endurance,” said Dr. Zhang. Zhang said the findings support tai chi as a healthy activity, “I think for the elderly people, especially to maintain flexibility and balance, this is a good option for people to consider.”
“Research has shown T’ai Chi can be performed in as little as 10 minutes a day, is beneficial for persons with many chronic conditions, including, but not limited to fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s disease, menopause, insomnia, stress and mental health in students, and by improving balance among the elderly.”