TaiChi
Posted under: The ancient Chinese discipline of T’ai Chi is known for promoting a sense of overall well-being and “alert relaxation.” Recent research adds to the evidence that this virtually no-impact exercise has genuine health and fitness benefits.
In one study, volunteers age 58 to 70 who practiced T’ai Chi roughly five days a week showed a 15 to 20 percent improvement in aerobic capacity and knee strength after one year. In a second study, older volunteers with elevated blood pressure who did T’ai Chi for 12 weeks lowered their systolic blood pressure (the upper number) by 7 mm Hg – nearly as much as those who did a moderately intense aerobic-exercise program of walking and low-impact aerobics.