Qigong and Tai Chi May Be Effective Flu-Busters
Flu season is on its way, bringing with it a plethora of obnoxious symptoms that can bring even the strongest of us to our knees…in front of a toilet. If only there was a way to avoid this predictable pest. Fortunately, new research suggests that there may be another tool in the arsenal.
But as this year’s sniffling-sneezing season approaches, there’s also a hint of hope in the pre-germ air. A new study suggests that adults who adopt an exercise regimen of Tai Chi (Taiji) and Qigong will get an extra boost to their immune system and that it may enhance the effects of an annual flu shot.
“We have found that 20 weeks of Taiji can increase the antibody response to influenza vaccine in older adults,” said the study’s lead author Yang Yang, an adjunct professor of kinesiology and community health, and a Taiji master with over 30 years of experience as a practitioner and instructor.
According to the study, these traditional Chinese exercises enhance the bodies ability to fight infection. According to Yang, one problem with the flu vaccine is that older adults often do not reach what are considered to be “protective levels” of antibodies after receiving a vaccination.
On average, he said, the Taiji group had much higher antibody responses to the vaccination than the control group, and the percentage of persons who achieved protective levels also was higher in the Taiji group.
Qigong (chee-kung) and Taiji (tye-chee) combines simple, graceful movements with meditation. Qigong, which dates to the middle of the first millennium B.C., is a series of integrated exercises believed to have positive, relaxing effects on a person’s mind, body and spirit. Taiji is a holistic form of exercise, and a type of Qigong that melds Chinese philosophy with martial and healing arts.
While the Chinese have long believed the exercises result in a range of physical, mental and spiritual benefits for practitioners, until recently, evidence has been largely anecdotal. Yang’s overarching research focus is to use Western scientific practices to validate centuries of anecdotal claims and reveal what he calls “the essence of the tradition.”
“We want to demystify it and make the average person go straight to the core of the secret,” he said. “Our overall goal is to let the essence of this tradition reach the general public. This is my dream.”
Similar past research has demonstrated the ability of these exercises to contribute to various improvements in quality of life, flexibility, strength, cardiovascular function, pain, balance and kinesthetic strength.
“Because the curriculum is holistic, it touches people on many fronts,” he said. “So it’s not surprising that you can feel the immune part, the strength part, the psychological part. It’s what this art was designed for – to target all these different aspects of life, from a preventative and nurturing point of view.”
*This post was adapted from a news release issued by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Posted by Rebecca Sato
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