MailOnLine - Ryan Morrison - May 31 2021
Deep breathing and Tai Chi movements can be as beneficial as normal exercise in tackling middle-aged spread, study shows
Tai chi is an ancient martial art that is a fo rm of 'meditation through movement'
Volunteers with 'middle-aged spread' performed tai chi, no or some exercise
They had sessions with instructors in aerobic exercise or tai chi for 12 weeks
Researchers measured their waist lines before, at the end and weeks after
They found aerobic exercise and tai chi had the same impact on waist size
Tai chi is a form of 'mind-body exercise' that is described as 'meditation in motion' practiced by millions around the world to improve health and mindfulness.
Volunteers either did no exercise, aerobic exercise or tai chi for 12 weeks and had their waist size tracked by University of California in Los Angeles researchers.
They found that tai chi was as effective as conventional exercises when reducing the waist circumference in obese middle-aged and older adults.
The team focused on people with a condition known as central obesity, that is weight carried predominantly around the midsection.
This is a major manifestation of metabolic syndrome and a common health problem in middle-aged adults. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
The team also involved researchers from the University of Hong Kong, who carried out the experiment by randomly assigning more than 500 adults over 50 with central obesity to a regimen of tai chi, conventional exercise, or no exercise.