Jun 2, 2021 – Practicing the meditative, rhythmic flow of tai chi works just as well as aerobic exercise and weight training to get some health benefits like reducing waist size and improving cholesterol, new evidence suggests.
The results of a randomized controlled trial published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine May 31st show that people who have difficulty with some types of aerobic exercise can get similar benefits from tai chi.
The study is “very impressive,” says Bavani Nadeswaran, MD, of the University of California Irvine’s Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, who was not involved in the study.
Many people have arthritis or back pain, “and aerobic exercise can be tough for them,” she says. “The good thing about exercises like tai chi and yoga is that they are not stressful.” This means that people who do not run or have access to a pool to swim have a viable alternative.
The study included nearly 550 Hong Kong adults aged 50 and over who were randomly assigned to tai chi, aerobic exercise with weight training, or 12 weeks without an exercise program. All had a waist measurement of more than 35.4 inches for men and 31.5 inches for women.
The tai chi program consisted of three weekly one-hour exercises led by a teacher. The participants in the aerobic exercise group completed an exercise program with brisk tai chi and strength training three times a week, which was also led by a trainer.
The researchers measured changes in waist size, cholesterol levels, and weight for about 9 months. Those who did not exercise barely changed their average waistline. Compared to the non-exercising group, the average waistline of people in the two training groups decreased more: 0.7 inches more for tai chi and 0.5 inches more for brisk walking and weight training.
Both exercise groups also had greater decreases in body weight and triglyceride levels (a type of fat found in the blood) and greater increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or “good” cholesterol, compared to the non-exercise group. All of these improvements lasted for about 9 months with tai chi. But the improvements in cholesterol did not last as long for those on the brisk walking program.
The researchers also looked at the effects on blood pressure and blood sugar, but found no differences between the groups.
The results don’t necessarily mean people with a larger waist should forego their current exercise programs and turn to tai chi, says study author Parco Siu, PhD, director of the kinesiology department at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health. They show that tai chi is a great option when a person prefers it.
“This is good news for middle-aged and elderly adults who may be averse to conventional exercise,” he said in an email. But “it is certainly not a problem for people to continue to take part in conventional training regularly.”
Tai chi can also be a good choice for those without a larger waistline, as this form of exercise is a way to follow the World Health Organization’s advice on physical activity, Siu says, although the study didn’t answer that question.
Siu and the other researchers point out several limitations of the study, including the fact that all of the participants were in China so it’s not clear how the practice would affect people in different regions. In addition, almost a third of the new students dropped out of the study prematurely and tended to have a higher body weight than those who stayed through to the end. The authors say this high dropout rate could mean that some people had negative experiences during their exercise program.
The next few steps, Siu says, include further evaluating how tai chi affects things like blood sugar and blood pressure. Other early-stage studies also show that tai chi has some positive effects on mood and cognition, he says, suggesting more research needs to be done.
Nadeswaran from UC Irvine agrees. Work opens the door, she says, to take a long-term look at how practicing tai chi affects a person’s risk of dying from heart disease or some other cause. Her team’s work includes assessing the effects of tai chi on various medical conditions, including metabolic syndrome and even the consequences of COVID-19.
As researchers investigate these questions, tai chi is accessible in many ways. Siu points out the availability of courses in this practice of “meditation on the move” in community centers and fitness clubs. For people who are new to real world activities, Nadeswaran says that virtual tai chi classes are also available.
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Annals of Internal Medicine: “Effects of Tai Chi or Conventional Exercise on Central Obesity in Middle and Older Adults.”
Bavani Nadeswaran, MD, Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute at the University of California Irvine.
Parco Siu, PhD, Department of Kinesiology, Hong Kong University School of Public Health.
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