Study of Potential Life Lengthening effect of Tai Chi

Image Caption: "This study provides the first step into providing scientific evidence for the possible health benefits of Tai Chi." said Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, distinguished professor at the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL. Credit: Thinkstock.com

April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
Tai Chi Chuan, or Tai Chi as it is commonly known, is an ancient form of Chinese martial arts. Originally developed as a form of self-defense, today Tai Chi has become a graceful exercise used to reduce stress and other health concerns, according to the Mayo Clinic.
A new study from the China Medical University Hospital reveals that Tai Chi also results in an increased expression of cluster of differentiation 34 (CD34+) cells, a stem cell important to a number of the body’s functions and structures.
“To evaluate the potential life-lengthening effect of Tai Chi, we conducted a year-long, retrospective cross-sectional study comparing the rejuvenating and anti-aging effects among three groups of volunteers under the age of 25 who engaged in either Tai Chi (TCC), brisk walking (BW), or no exercise habit (NEH),” said Dr. Shinn-Zong Lin of the Center for Neuropsychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. “We used young volunteers because they have better cell-renewing abilities than the old population and we also wanted to avoid having chronic diseases and medications as interfering factors.”
Previous studies have shown that patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease and fibromyalgia have benefited from the practice of Tai Chi. Tai Chi, which is a form of moving meditation, has also been found beneficial in pain reduction, fall prevention and balance improvement, aerobic capacity, blood pressure, quality of life and stress reduction.
“Compared with the NEH group, the TCC group had a significantly higher number of CD 34+ cells,” wrote the authors. “We found that the CD34+ cell count of the TCC group was significantly higher than the BW group.”
The researchers explained that CD34+ cells express the CD34 protein. The cells are also “cluster markers” for hematopoietic, or blood, stem cells. These stem cells are involved in cell self-renewal, differentiation and proliferation.
“It is possible that Tai Chi may prompt vasodilatation and increase blood flow,” said Lin. “Considering that BW may require a larger space or more equipment, Tai Chi seems to be an easier and more convenient choice of anti-aging exercise.”
“This study provides the first step into providing scientific evidence for the possible health benefits of Tai Chi.” said Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, distinguished professor at the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL. “Further study of how Tai Chi can elicit benefit in different populations and on different parameters of aging are necessary to determine its full impact.”
The findings of this study were published in a recent issue of Cell Transplantation.

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If this 95 year old lady improved her health and vitality by doing Tai Chi for 3 years... what could it do for you?

"Her name is Marie, she does tai chi, and so do we.
She is moving and alive.
We're just trying to survive, but Marie is 95."

She has an eye condition called macular degeneration and is legally blind. She also has arthritis. When she started taking the class three years ago, some of the movements were painful.
But there was no stopping her.
"It's really remarkable to see her," Milner said. "We think if she can do it, we can keep going. It may help us keep our abilities longer."

"Tai chi helps with balance, strength and mobility," he said. "People feel better when they are done."
Students perform continuous fluid movements with their limbs and torso, and Lund "never sits down," Sheils said.
"She seems to have gotten stronger over the past few years."

Lund said she began taking Sheils' class during visits to Ponte Vedra Beach to see her daughter. She was having problems with her feet and heard that tai chi could help. It did. Three years ago, when Lund left her home in Philadelphia to move in with her daughter, she became a class regular.
"I have seven children, so I was always very active," she said. "The class has helped me immensely."
Including with improving her balance, she said. "For years, I could not sweep for a long time with a broom."
After taking tai chi, "one day I swept for one whole hour and it didn't bother me," she said. "I've been doing it every day since."
The ancient Chinese form of soft, coordinated body movements focuses on cultivating internal energy called "chi."
The movements are practiced in a continuous flow, and can be adapted for people with physical limitations.
Since the martial art "enhances balance and body awareness through slow, graceful and precise body movements," it can significantly reduce the risk of falls among older people, and may be beneficial in maintaining gains made by people age 70 and older who undergo other types of balance and strength training, according to a National Institute of Aging report.

Lund said that when she first did the shoulder movements, "the pain was terrific." Now she can do them pain-free.
She doesn't do everything. At one point, "you have to stand on one foot and I am always afraid I might fall," she said. "So I don't do that."

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