Health Studies
It is generally recognised that the prevalence of depression and obesity constitute two of the most common health problems in the Western world. In Australia, one in five people experience depression at some stage of their lives and more than half of Australian adults are either overweight or obese!
Tai Chi addresses both these major health problems and studies are now being conducted to quantify and qualify the health benefits of practising Tai Chi.
The following recent studies give an idea of the holistic benefits of practising Tai Chi. The summary of the results of each study appear in italics and, if you wish to delve deeper, a link to the full article is provided.
Tai Chi addresses both these major health problems and studies are now being conducted to quantify and qualify the health benefits of practising Tai Chi.
The following recent studies give an idea of the holistic benefits of practising Tai Chi. The summary of the results of each study appear in italics and, if you wish to delve deeper, a link to the full article is provided.
Tai Chi … a gentler way
''Many studies have shown that tai chi builds muscle strength, improves balance and flexibility… It is especially effective at building the deep stabiliser muscles that support our back, which most 'conventional' exercises do not.'' Tai chi is fantastic for the musculoskeletal system… Not only does it move the body within its comfortable boundaries, it also improves muscle and ligament proprioception (balance), increases oxygenation of muscles, aids removal of waste (through the lymph) as well as calming the autonomic nervous system that controls all our natural stress responses." www.smh.com.au/lifestyle - June 10, 2013 |
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Innovative Tai Chi program treats depression, diabetes and obesity
"… In addition to the improvements in depression and obesity, the results of the study also show that this specific program has a beneficial effect on indicators of blood glucose control (decreased by 6 percent), hypertension (decreased by 9 percent and 12 percent in systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively) and insulin resistance (decreased by 20 percent).” … "…Other reported benefits include improvements in energy levels, sleeping patterns, urinary control, breathing, immunity, confidence, self-esteem and coping; and positive changes in life perspective and family harmony." Dr Liu Xin, The University of Queensland |
Tai chi helps Parkinson’s patients with balance and fall prevention
"… This study evaluated three different forms of exercise – resistance training, stretching, and tai chi – and found that tai chi led to the greatest overall improvements in balance and stability for patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease." "… The key observation is that a specifically designed sequence of tai chi movements improves postural stability and prevents falls for an extended period of time in persons with Parkinson’s disease."... Li, F. et al. New England Journal of Medicine. Feb 9, 2012. Volume 366(6), pages 511-9 |
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Tai Chi May Benefit Older Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis
"… tai chi patients had greater improvement in measures of pain, physical function, self-efficacy (belief in one's own abilities), depression, and health-related quality of life. Although most differences between the two groups were statistically significant only at 12 weeks, the differences for self-efficacy and depression remained statistically significant at 24 and 48 weeks." National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) |