Tai chi has been around for centuries and
originated as a martial art in China.
This ancient exercise has long been associated
with better balance, stability and mood.
Previously, tai chi has been shown to help
people with osteoarthritis manage chronic pain, improve range of motion in
people with rheumatoid arthritis, and promote the quality of life and mood in
patients with heart failure and cancer. Now, two new studies show the practice
may also provide major brain health benefits to older adults.
These two new studies found that tai chi may be
beneficial in protecting memory for seniors with mild cognitive impairment, and
in slowing symptom progression for those with Parkinson's disease.
The first study, published in the Annals of
Internal Medicine, found that practicing tai chi may help improve cognition and
memory concerns in people with mild cognitive impairment; the second, in the
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, showed that doing the
exercise for an extended period of time could help slow the progression of
Parkinson's disease.
Thus the slow, controlled movements of tai chi—a
workout for the body and mind—can benefit both physical and cognitive health.
“By nature of the fact that it is movement
during this choreographed sequence, you have to make a connection between what
you’re seeing an instructor do, and what you want your body to do,” said Kerri
Winters-Stone, study coauthor and professor at the Knight Cancer Institute at
Oregon Health and Science University.
“[It’s] a real cognitive challenge. It’s a nice
type of intervention for improving cognitive health and improving brain
health.”
Meanwhile, the study that looks at tai chi's
effect on Parkinson's disease found that practicing the exercise over the span
of 3.5 years was associated with benefits for adults with the disease,
including a delayed need for anti-parkinsonian drugs and a slower progression
of motor issues associated with the disease. Those participants who practiced
tai chi were also more likely to see improvement in their non-motor symptoms,
like mood, sleep and quality of life.
Like many other forms of exercise, tai chi can
increase blood flow, reduce some stress hormones and inflammatory biomarkers,
and more. All of these things can help keep the brain functioning properly,
though they’re “generalizable to any type of physical activity,” said Winters-Stone.
And tai chi has its own set of unique benefits,
as well.
“[The movements] can enhance postural stability
and balance control, and walking efficiency,” Winters-Stone said.
This is because the movements require people to
“move outside of their center of gravity,” as well as engage in “squatting
movements” that are similar to getting out of bed or a chair, she added.
Additionally, unlike other forms of low-impact
exercise such as walking, tai chi is a mental workout, too.
“There’s already some cognitive challenge with
tai chi quan because it’s a choreographed type of exercise,” Winters-Stone said.
“People have to be able to follow and reproduce those movements in a sequence.”
According to Indu Subramanian, clinical
professor of neurology and integrative medicine at the David Geffen School of
Medicine at UCLA, tai chi hits on almost all of the different wellness
categories that physicians typically look for in a healthy lifestyle—physical
activity, mindfulness, improved sleep, time spent outside and social
connection.
For people with more advanced Parkinson’s or
other cognitive issues, there may be an added risk of falls or other issues,
Subramanian added. These people may want to consult with a doctor or physical
therapist before starting a tai chi class, she said, but in general, the
practice should be safe as long as people start slow.
Starting tai chi before someone reaches old age
is likely going to be helpful, and might even “lay the foundation for you to do
well as you age,” Subramanian said.
Actually, there are five different styles of tai
chi—Chen, Yang, Wu, Sun and Hao—all of which have slightly different movements
and cater to different groups or abilities.
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