Linda Larkey, PhD, of Arizona State University, and her colleagues combed the medical literature, finding 77 published reports of scientific studies that looked at the two wellness practices and compared them to other exercises or to a sedentary state.The 77 studies included 6,410 participants.
The studies, published between 1993 and 2007, included 6410 participants and looked at qigong and tai chi and their effects on various outcomes, such as health, physical function, falls, immune system functioning, psychological symptoms, quality of life, one's feeling of self-efficacy, and other factors.
Qigong
Qigong is the Mandarin Chinese term used to describe various Chinese system of physical and mental training for health, martial arts and self-enlightenment. The dictionary definition for the word “qi” usually involved the meaning of “breathing”, “air”, “gas” and “vapor” but it can also be used in the context of describing the relationship between matter, energy and spirit. The dictionary definition for the word “Gong” (功) is that of achievement or results. The two words are combined to describe systems and methods of “energy cultivation” and the manipulation of intrinsic energy within living organisms.
There are many forms of qigong originating from different segments within Chinese society. The traditional Chinese Medical community uses qigong for preventive and curative functions. The religious community including both Taoist and Buddhist traditions uses qigong as part of their meditative practice. Confucian scholars practice qigong to improve their moral character.
The practices of Qigong are differentiated by four types of training: dynamic, static, meditative and activities requiring external aids, such as the ingestion of herbs, massages, physical manipulation or interactions with other living organisms. A qigong system can be composed of one or more types of training.
Tai Chi
Tai chi (short forTai chi chuan) is an ancient system of movements and positions developed in 12th Century China. There were originally 13 postures, but since tai chi's development there have been may additional styles of tai chi developed.
The modern practice of tai chi often includes sequences of slow movements coordinated with deep breathing and mental attention. Tai chi techniques aim to address the body and mind as an interconnected system and are traditionally believed to have mental and physical health benefits to improve posture, balance, flexibility, and strength.
While Qigong includes the practices of foutr types of training, tai chi is similar, incorporating three types of trainingH
- Meditation: The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of tai chi is seen as necessary in maintaining optimum health (in the sense of relieving stress and maintaining homeostasis) and in application of the form as a soft style martial art.
- Health: Tai chi's health training concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person may find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use tai chi as a martial art.
- Martial art: Martially, Tai chi chuan is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces; the study of yielding and "sticking" to an incoming attack rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force.
Qigong and Tai Chi - Similar Activities with Similar Health Benefits
Both qigong and tai chi incorporate a wide range of physical movements and slow, meditative, dance-like movements and also include meditation postures and gentle or vigorous shaking of the body. Both qigong and tai chi emphasize regulation of breath and mind coordinated with body regulation.
The new review, Larkey says in a news release, provides a "stronger evidence base" for the activities and their positive effects on bone health, cardio-respiratory fitness, physical functioning, balance, quality of life, fall prevention, and mental health.
Although it was not possible to combine all the study results statistically and come up with a number describing the effect, the evidence of their positive effects on bone health, cardio-respiratory fitness, physical functioning, balance, quality of life, fall prevention, and mental health is consistent, says Larkey.
Exactly how do qigong and tai chi impart their benefits?
"This combination of self-awareness with self-correction of the posture and movement of the body, the flow of breath, and mindfulness, are thought to comprise a state that activates the natural self-regulatory (self-healing) capacity," according to Larkey. That, in turn, helps trigger beneficial brain hormones and "a wide array of natural health recovery mechanisms."
SOURCES:
- Jahnke, R. American Journal of Health Promotion, July/August 2010, vol 24.
- News release, Health Behavior News Service.