Signing up for a tai chi class might come with an unexpected health benefit: lower blood pressure. A new clinical trial found that participants with prehypertension or slightly elevated blood pressure had improved measurements after practicing tai chi for a year—even more so than a group that regularly did aerobic exercises, reports the Washington Post. The yearlong study split 342 adults in China into two groups. The first group was given an aerobic regimen—60 minutes of moderate exercise like brisk walking—to practice four times per week. The second group learned a tai chi routine to perform four times weekly for an hour.
The participants had their blood pressure measured six months in, and then again after a year. During the course of the study, they also received health education and were encouraged to follow a diet developed to improve heart health. While all participants were at risk of hypertension at the start of the study, 21.8% of people from the tai chi group saw their blood pressure lowered to an ideal range, while 15.6% from the aerobic group fell within that range, according to the study published in the journal JAMA Network Open. So what might explain tai chi's advantage in lowering blood pressure?
Ruth Taylor-Piliae of University of Arizona's College of Nursing tells NPR that tai chi's gentle, slow movements and controlled breathing tend to activate what's known as the parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes the body during times of stress. She also notes that it's an accessible form of exercise. "I think the beauty of tai chi is that you don't have to have a special gym membership, you don't have to have special clothing," says Taylor-Piliae, who was not involved in study. "Once you learn tai chi, you can do it anytime, anyplace, anywhere. And it does kind of provide that calming, relaxing" effect. Other benefits associated with tai chi include improved balance, flexibility, and muscle strength, per Harvard Health. (More blood pressure stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
