AsianScientist (Aug. 13, 2012) – Tai Chi may be a useful form of exercise therapy for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to new findings.
It is known that moderate forms of exercise can help COPD patients to improve their exercise tolerance, symptoms of breathlessness, and their overall quality of life.
The research, published recently in the European Respiratory Journal, suggests that Tai Chi may be as beneficial as pulmonary rehabilitation in improving exercise capacity and quality of life in people with COPD.
Tai Chi (太极拳) has been part of Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years, and this new study investigated whether Sun-style Tai Chi could be effective as a form of exercise therapy.
Sun-style Tai Chi was previously shown to help people with chronic conditions such as arthritis, as it involves less difficult movements which enabled people of all ages to perform this martial art.
Researchers from Concord Repatriation General Hospital and the University of Sydney worked with 42 people with COPD. Half the group attended Tai Chi lessons twice a week and practiced Tai Chi at home, whereas the other half followed their usual medical management which did not include exercise.
Researchers then tested the exercise capacity of all participants via a walking test and also asked all participants to complete the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire, which gives an indication of how the disease affects their quality of life.
Compared to the group completing the usual medical management, participants completing the Tai Chi exercise training walked for a significantly longer time in the walking test. They also had an increased score on the questionnaire, indicating a better quality of life.
The results also showed that the intensity of the Tai Chi was moderate, which met the recommendations for exercise training for people with COPD.
“With increasing numbers of people being diagnosed with COPD, it is important to provide different options for exercise that can be tailored to suit each individual,” said lead author Regina Wai Man Leung.
“The results from this small sample provide compelling evidence that Tai Chi is an effective training programme for patients with COPD, and could be considered as an alternative to the usual exercise training programmes that are available in pulmonary rehabilitation.”
The article can be found at: Leung RWM et al. (2012) Short-form Sun-style Tai Chi as an exercise training modality in people with COPD.
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Source: European Lung Foundation; Photo: DolphinDans/Flickr.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
