Practice Tai Chi, Qigong to boost health, say researchers

Researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) College of Nursing and Health Care Innovation, U.S., stated that tai chi chuan and qigong are accurately known as the exercises for body and mind as practicing them offers various physical and mental health benefits.

Shin Lin, professor at Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, Irvine and member of National Advisory Council for Complimentary and Alterative Medicine, was quoted by The Times of India (TOI) as saying, “Tai Chi and Qigong have many health benefits and therefore should be considered a high priority when one is selecting an exercise to practice.”

Qigong combines ‘qi’ (energy) and ‘gong’ (exercise), and is a “very general term to describe exercises that will enhance qi flow or balance”, Lin further said.

Tai Chi focuses on a series of 24 to 108 movements with a long-written history over 19 generations, Lin added.

Medical literature studied
Researchers examined medical literature and found 77 reports observing the two practices published between 1993 and 2007.

The studies involving 6,410 participants, evaluated tai chi and qigong for their effects on health, physical function and falls, along with one’s quality of life and feeling of self-efficacy.

Besides, the practices were studied for their effects on immune-system functioning, psychological symptoms, and other factors.

Evaluation results
Analysis revealed that both forms integrate a range of physical movements--slow, meditative, dance-like movements.

Furthermore, they include medication-postures and gentle or vigorous shaking of the body, besides emphasizing on breath-regulation and body-mind coordination.

Regarding the findings, study co-author Linda Larkey, ASU, was quoted by TOI as saying, “We see this as moving the understanding of the potential of Qigong and Tai Chi forward, with an emphasis on combining the evidence across these practices.”

On the way the practices impart benefits, Larkey was cited by WebMD as saying, “This combination of self-awareness with self-correction of the posture and movement of the body, the flow of breath, and mindfulness, are thought to comprise a state that activates the natural self-regulatory (self-healing) capacity; that, in turn, helps trigger beneficial brain hormones and a wide array of natural health recovery mechanisms.”

Although combining all study-results to describe the effect statistically was not possible, the evidence of benefits was reliable, stated the researcher.

The study appears in American Journal of Health Promotion.