SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS – Tai chi, a traditional, slow-moving form of Chinese martial art, is known to increase flexibility and improve balance.
Now, new research suggests it’s better than more vigorous aerobic exercises for lowering blood pressure in people with prehypertension.
Prehypertension is blood pressure that’s higher than normal but doesn’t quite reach the level of high blood pressure, or hypertension.
It’s considered a warning sign that heart disease may be ahead, and it raises the risk of having a heart attack.
The new findings, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, add to a large body of research pointing to health benefits from tai chi, a wellness practice that combines slow, gentle movements and postures with mindfulness. It’s often called meditation in motion.
“A large body of evidence has now shown the benefits of tai chi on blood pressure. The practice is appealing as a form of exercise because it is low impact and requires little space or equipment.”
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In the study, researchers in China randomly assigned 342 adults with prehypertension to one of two interventions.
The average age of participants was 49. Roughly half the people participated in supervised aerobic exercise, including jogging, climbing stairs, brisk walking and cycling. The other half was trained to practice tai chi. Both groups got hourlong sessions four times a week.
After 12 months, those in the tai chi group saw bigger drops in their blood pressure than those in the aerobic exercise group.
What’s more, nearly 22% of the people who practiced tai chi saw their blood pressure fall to within normal range, compared with nearly 16% of people in the aerobic exercise group.
And fewer patients in the tai chi group went on to develop hypertension than in the aerobic exercise group.
