•     General Benefits

     •     Psychological Benefits

     •     Mental Homeostasis

     •     Immune System

     •     Breathing, Aches, Blood Pressure

     •     Balance

     •     Mental & Physical Stress

     •     Postural Control

     •     Beyond Traditional Care

     •     Cures/Prevention

     •     Rheumatoid Arthritis

     •     Support Groups Recommending Tai Chi

     •     AIDS

     •     Tai Chi & Gestalt Therapy

     •     Psychosomatic Illness

     •     Tai Chi Helps Understand Change

     •     Elderly

     •     Cardioresperitory Effects

     •     Sports Health

 

 

GENERAL BENEFITS: [Tai Chi] teaches inner strength while toning muscles, increasing flexibility, and boosting immune power. It is also said to reduce stress, store up energy, increase body awareness, and improve balance and coordination. Tai Chi was the closely held secret of a few Chinese families for nearly 1,000 years... Men's Health Magazine, 8 Mar/Apr '93 p. 66-69 

 

PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS: Relative to measurement beforehand, practice of Tai Chi raised heart rate, increased noradrenaline excretion in urine, and decreased salivary cortisol concentration. Relative to baseline levels [Test Subjects] reported less tension, depression, anger, fatigue, confusion and state-anxiety; they felt more vigorous, and in general they had less total mood disturbance. (American Psychological Association) Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 1989 V. 33 (2) 197-206 

 

MENTAL HOMEOSTASIS: Psychological homeostasis refers to emotional control or tranquility. It has been stated that the biological function of human emotion and repression is primarily homeostatic. Evidence suggests that a feedback relationship exists between forms of homeostasis, and the body-mind type of therapies (including acupuncture and Tai Chi) thus have a combined physiological, physical, and psychological effect. (American Psychological Association) American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 1981 Spring V. 9 (1) 1-14 

 

IMMUNE SYSTEM: A study conducted in China indicates that Tai Chi may increase the number of T lymphocytes in the body. Also know as T-Cells, these lymphocytes help the immune system destroy bacteria and possibly even tumor cells. Prevention Magazine V. 42, May 90, p.14-15 BREATHING, ACHES, 

 

BLOOD PRESSURE: ...participants observed a "big increase in breathing capacity", a disappearance of back aches and neck aches, those with high blood pressure claimed a drop of 10 to 15 mm Hg systolic at rest, and all participants claimed to have more energy in their daily work. Hawaii Medical Journal – V. 51 No. 8 August 92 

 

BALANCE: A ten-year study on aging through Harvard, Yale and Emory University determined not only that Tai Chi was superior to more technological balance therapies, but also that Tai Chi reduced the risk of injury by falling by 48%. Complications from these injuries are the sixth leading cause of death in older Americans, and account for about $10 billion loss per year to the economy. USA Today, May 1996

 

BALANCE: Institute of Chicago indicates that people with moderate balance problems can be helped by practicing Tai Chi. Participants...of the 2 month course ...experienced about a 10 percent improvement in balance. An Emory University study supports Hain's findings. Prevention Magazine V. 46 Dec. 94 p. 71-72 

 

MENTAL & PHYSICAL STRESS: Mind & body exercises, such as...Tai Chi...are increasingly replacing high-impact aerobics, long distance running and other body punishing exercises of the 1980's ...Mind/body workouts are kinder to the joints and muscles … reduce the tension that often contributes to the development of disease, which makes them especially appropriate for high powered, stressed out baby boomers. Unlike most conventional exercises, these forms are intended to stretch, tone, and relax the whole body instead of isolating parts...based on a series of progressive choreographed movements coordinated with deep breathing. Working Woman Magazine V. 20 Feb. 95 p. 60-62+ 

 

POSTURAL CONTROL: Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese exercise, is a series of individual dance like movements linked together in a continuous, smooth-flowing sequence ... An analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that in 3 of 5 tests, the Tai Chi practitioners had significantly better postural control than the sedentary non practitioners. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 1992 Apr. V. 46 (4) 295-300 

 

BEYOND TRADITIONAL CARE: Health practitioners encountering clients who are faced with problems that do not seem to respond to traditional health care...may employ some of the health traditions of other cultures and to view the body and mind as a balanced whole. Massage, acupuncture and Tai Chi...focus on the mind/body connection to facilitate healing through relaxation, pressure points, and movement. AAOHN Journal, 1993 July, 41 (7) 349-351 

 

CURES/PREVENTIONS: Proponents claim that Tai Chi can also (1) cure illnesses such as hypertension, asthma, and insomnia; (2) prevent arteriosclerosis and spinal deformity, and (3) shorten recovery phase from long-term illness. Results from a study by Chen Munyi (1963) with elderly Tai Chi practitioners show that this group had RTs, strength, and flexibility superior to non-practitioners. (American Psychological Association) American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 1981 Spr. V. 9(1) 15-22 

 

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: No significant exacerbation of joint symptoms using this weight bearing system of exercises (Tai Chi) was observed. Tai Chi exercises appear to be safe for RA patients...weight bearing exercises have the potential advantages of stimulating bone growth and strengthening connective tissue, ... American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, June 1991, 70 (3) p. 136-141 

 

SUPPORT GROUPS RECOMMENDING TAI CHI: Multiple Sclerosis Fibromyalgia, Parkinson's Disease, Lupus, Migraines, Chronic Pain AIDS: Proper exercise [for AIDS sufferers] is typified by Tai Chi. Dr. Laurence E. Badgley,M.D. 

 

PSYCHOLOGY: "Tai Chi is a natural and safe vehicle for both clients and staff to learn and experience the benefits of being able to channel, concentrate and co-ordinate their bodies and minds: to learn to relax and to neutralize" rather than resist the stress in their personal lives. This is an ability, which we greatly need to nurture in our modern fast-paced society. Dr. John Beaulieu, N.D., M.T.R.S. Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, N.Y.C. [Refer to the Tai Chi book "The Supreme Ultimate" for full text] 

 

TAI CHI & GESTALT THERAPY: Discussion of Tai Chi, a Chinese system of integrated exercises, as an effective adjunct to Gestalt Therapy. (American Psychological Association) Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 1978 Fall V. 10 (1) 25-31 

 

PSYCHOSOMATIC ILLNESS: A holistic paradigm, Tai Chi, is proposed as a theoretical basis for treating psychosomatic illness. (American Psychological Assn.) Journal of Black Psychology, 1980 Aug. V. 7(1) 27-43 

 

TAI CHI HELPS UNDERSTAND CHANGE: Suggests the imagery of the Tai Chi figure...can serve as a model for understanding the processes of change within psychotherapy. The Tai Chi figure expresses the themes of unity and completeness, the dynamic of interplay and balance of opposite forces, and the cyclical nature of therapeutic change. (American Psychological Assn.) Psychologia, An International Journal of Psychology in the Orient, 1991 Mar. V. 34 (1) 18-27 

 

ELDERLY: According to Tai Chi enthusiasts, the discipline can prevent many ailments, including high blood pressure, tuberculosis, and diabetes, and US scientists agree that Tai Chi can offer some important fitness benefits, particularly for older adults. Modern Maturity, V. 35 June/July 92 p. 60-62 

 

CARDIORESPERITORY EFFECTS: Conclusion: The data substantiate that practicing Tai Chi regularly may delay the decline of cardio-resperatory function in older individuals. In addition, TC may be prescribed as a suitable aerobics exercise for older adults. Journal of American Geriatric Society, Nov. 1995, 43 (11) p 1222-1227 ISSN 0002-8614 Journal Code: H6V 

 

SPORTS HEALTH: [Former] Boston Celtic's star Robert Parish, who, at age 39, is the oldest player in the NBA, credits the ancient martial art of Tai Chi with his durability. Parish remains dominant in his 17th season in the league, and he has no plans to retire. He started all 79 games that he played last year for the Celtics, averaging 14.1 points, shooting 54 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line, and racking up a season total of 705 rebounds and 97 blocked shots. Inspired by his success, fellow Celtics players Reggie Lewis and Rick Fox have signed on with Li (Parish's Tai Chi instructor). Gentlemen's Quarterly V. 62 Dec. 92, p 256-60 March 13, 1999   

 

 

MEDICAL STUDYS ON TAI CHI 

 

Tai Chi Chuan and Blood Pressure(Reuters) - Tai chi - a slow, relaxed form of exercise with origins in ancient China - lowered people's blood pressure almost as well as moderate intensity aerobic exercise, according to a study presented recently at a meeting sponsored by the American Heart Association. "You better believe we were surprised by those results," one of the researchers, Dr. Deborah R. Young, MD, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in a statement. "We were expecting to see significant changes in the aerobic exercise group and minimal changes in the Tai chi grow. The scientists studied 62 sedentary adults, aged 60 years and older, assigning half to a program of brisk walking and low-impact aerobics and the other half to learning Tai chi. After 12 weeks, systolic blood pressure (the first number in a blood pressure reading) had fallen significantly in both groups, an average of 8.4 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) in the aerobic exercise group and 7 mm Hg in the Tai chi group. "It could be that in elderly, sedentary people, just getting up and doing some slow movement could be associated with beneficial reductions in high blood pressure," Young theorizes.High blood pressure is a risk factor for stroke and heart attack. Young cautions that the results of her research need to be confirmed by studying a larger group of people. "Until we know more, I encourage people to go out and do brisk walking on a regular basis," she said. "We know it's associated with an attitude of health benefits." Two Studies by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) initiative, launched in 1990The two studies were the first involving Tai Chi to be reported by scientists in a special frailty reduction program sponsored by NIA. Public Information Office (301) 496-1752In the first study, Steven L. Wolf, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga., found that older people taking part in a 15-week Tai Chi program reduced their risk of falling by 47.5 percent. A second study, by Leslie Wolfson, M.D., and colleagues at the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, found that several interventions to improve balance and strength among older people were effective. These improvements, particularly in strength, were preserved over a 6-month period while participants did Tai Chi exercises.Web page: http://www.nih.gov/nia/new/press/taichi.htm 

 

FROM HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOLPublished in the HARVARD HEALTH LETTERVolume 21 Number 11 - September 1996 Issue20TH ANNIVERSARY YEARThe following is an excerpt from the article "Injury Prevention" of this issue citing a study by the American Geriatric Society on Tai Chi....Another promising way to prevent falls is exercise to improve balance, flexibility, muscle strength, and reaction time. A study in the May 1996 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society showed that Tai Chi—an ancient Chinese martial art that employs slow, precise movements—helped improve balance and strength among seniors. Those who underwent Tai Chi training for 15 weeks reduced their risk of falling by 47.5% compared with those who didn't take classes.Another major benefit was decreased fear of falling—a worry that often prevents older people from being as active as they'd like. 

 

UNIVERISTY of CALIFORNIA, BerkeleyWellness Letter, The Newsletter of Nutrition, Fitness & Stress Management Volume 15, Issue 2 November 1998. From the School of Public HealthTai Chi: smooth, balanced, low-impactThough it originated as a self-defense technique, Tai Chi Chuan (or simply Tai Chi, pronounced tie-jee) has been practiced in China for centuries as an art form, religious ritual, relaxation technique, and exercise for people of all ages, even those in their eighties and nineties. Tai Chi Chuan literally means "Grand Ultimate Fist," but most people today do not practice it as a martial art. Across America and Canada thousands of people perform the slow, balanced, low-impact movements of Tai Chi, generally as a means of improving flexibility and balance, strengthening muscles, and reducing stress.Tai Chi involves dozens of dance like postures, performed in sequences known as "forms" or "sets," derived from animal postures (such as the snake, dragon, or tiger). At first glance it resembles karate in slow motion or swimming in air. In fact, it is based on the concept of withstanding aggression without force—yielding to a blow and using an attacker's momentum against him. It calls for concentration, controlled breathing, balanced shifting of body weight, and muscle relaxation—thus it is often called "moving meditation." Though Tai Chi movements are slow, they can provide a fairly intense workout.Here are some of the potential health benefits of Tai Chi:Flexibility coming from the choreographed exercises gently taking your joints through their full range of motion. Studies show that the controlled movements can be helpful for people with arthritis (but they should check with their doctors before starting any exercise program).Physical therapy. Some research has found that Tai Chi can be a form of physical therapy and aid in the recovery of injuries.Balance. The smooth, slow movements help instill physical confidence and may enhance balance and coordination.Strengthening. Tai chi helps tone muscles in the lower body, especially the thighs, buttocks and calves.Posture. Your head, neck, and spine are usually aligned, thus relieving strain on the neck and lower back.Relaxation. Tai Chi can have some of the same psychological benefits as Yoga. The concentration on the body's fluid motion and on breathing helps many people relax, and can relieve tension and anxiety.Lowerblood pressure. Though studies have had conflicting results, a recent study presented at the American Heart Association meeting found thatTwelve weeks of Tai Chi resulted in a small but significant drop in blood pressure in older people. Tai Chi requires no special clothing or equipment and can be done even in a small space. The best way to learn Tai Chi is in a class from an experienced instructor who can guide you through the positions. Tai chi classes are often available at the Y, health clubs, colleges, and adult education programs. Check the Yellow Pages under martial arts instruction. Books and videos may also be helpful, though these seldom can take the place of an instructor. It takes years to become adept at Tai Chi, but within a few weeks you can learn several movements or positions.Second thoughts. A few researchers claim that Tai Chi can provide a cardiovascular workout as good as jogging. But any such benefit is likely to be minimal. Do some aerobic exercise along with your Tai Chi. 

 

TUFTS UNIVERSITYHealth & Nutrition Letter—YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING HEALTHIER LONGERVolume 17, Issue 10 December 1999FITNESS FORUMA No-Sweat Exercise with Multiple BenefitsIMAGINE PARTICIPATION in a fitness study turning out so enjoyable that the subjects decide to get together on their own to continue the activity once the research itself comes to an end. That's what happened at the conclusion of a 15-week Tai Chi study conducted at Emory University in Atlanta several years ago. Dozens of men and women in their 70's and older so enjoyed learning Tai Chi graceful movements that improve balance that they kept meeting by themselves. The Emory University researchers were happy, too. They found that those people who learned to perform Tai Chi were almost 50 percent less likely to suffer falls within a given time frame than subjects who simply received feedback from a computer screen on how much they swayed as they stood. That's no small thing. Each year, almost one in three people over 65 takes a fall. And fall survivors suffer great declines in activities of daily living than non-fallers and are also at greater risk of institutionalization.But Tai Chi does more than help prevent falls. Research suggests that it also improves heart and lung function; reduces the body's levels of cortisol (a stress hormone); and improves confidence. Now a new study, conducted at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, indicates that it can also lower systolic blood pressure, the first number in a blood pressure reading. People between the ages of 60 and 80 with moderately high blood pressure were instructed to engage either in low impact aerobic dance or Tai Chi several times a week. The Tai Chi Group, it turned out, lowered their systolic blood pressure by an average of 7 points—just a point less than the aerobics group. And they did it without even working up a sweat, even though they were medically obese and lived sedentary lives. Tai Chi barely raises the heart rate. 

 

University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignAugust 14, 2007More on:Influenza, Fitness, Vaccines, Mental Health, Mental Health Research, Diseases and ConditionsTraditional Chinese Exercises May Increase Efficacy Of Flu Vaccine Yang Yang, adjunct professor of kinesiology and community health, leads a group of residents of ClarkLindsey Village in Urbana in Qigong and Taiji. Yang and colleagues at Illinois have found that older adults who adopt an exercise regimen combining Taiji and Qigong may get an extra boost from their annual flu shot. (Credit: L. Brian Stauffer) But as this year's sniffling-sneezing season approaches, there's also a hint of hope present in the pre-germ-season air. In a study scheduled for publication in the August issue of the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, a team of kinesiologists at the University of Illinois suggest that older adults who adopt an exercise regimen combining Taiji and Qigong may get an extra boost from their 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 30-plus years of experience as a practitioner and instructor."In this study, we found that five months of an easily performed behavioral Taiji and Qigong intervention could improve the magnitude and duration of the HI anti-influenza antibody titer response in a small cohort of older adults," write the authors, who also include Karl S. Rosengren, a U. of I. professor of psychology and of kinesiology and community health, and Jeffrey A. Woods, a kinesiology and community health professor who researches the effects of exercise on immune function. Rosengren and Woods helped design the study. Other co-authors are former U. of I. graduate students Rachel A. Mariani and Jay Verkuilen, and Scott A. Grubisich and Michael Reed of the Center for Taiji Studies, Champaign.According to Yang, one problem with the flu vaccine is that older adults often do not reach what are considered to be "protective levels" after receiving the 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. However, because of the small sample size, the percentage of persons from the Taiji group that achieved protective levels was not statistically different from the control. "Our results provide 'proof-of-concept' and suggest that there needs to be a larger dedicated intervention trial with Taiji to definitively determine whether this type of behavioral intervention can improve influenza vaccine efficacy in older adults."Qigong (chee-kung) and Taiji (tye-chee) – or Tai Chi, as it is more commonly known in the U.S. – combine simple, graceful movements and 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.Yang, who will discuss the work as a featured speaker at a Sept. 21 clinical conference hosted by Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said this is the first study to examine the effects of traditional Taiji intervention on the response to influenza vaccine in older adults.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."Recent research, including work by Yang and Rosengren, has demonstrated improvements in quality of life, flexibility, strength, cardiovascular function, pain, balance and kinesthetic strength. Yang said he decided to explore Taiji's effects on immune function, and specifically, efficacy of the influenza vaccine, after learning that another study had indicated improvement in immune response to the virus that causes shingles, a disease that often afflicts older adults."The use of Taiji as a behavioral intervention in older adults is particularly attractive due to age-related loss of function and problems with even moderate intensity exercise interventions," the authors note in their report.The study is an outgrowth of Yang's dissertation research, which yielded quantitative and qualitative evidence that its elderly participants benefited from both physical and mental improvements after practicing the ancient Chinese exercises. For the current study, 41 subjects were recruited from the larger data pool. Twenty-seven had received the Taiji/Qigong intervention; 14 were from the study's wait-list control group, and another 9 individuals who did not participate in the exercises were added to balance the size of the control group.Sub-study participants provided detailed medical histories, received sleep-quality evaluations and submitted blood samples for analysis before injection with the  influenza vaccine. Blood also was drawn three, six and 20 weeks following vaccination, and samples were sent to a Center for Disease Control-affiliated reference laboratory in New Jersey for blinded analysis of anti-influenza antibody titer by hemagglutination inhibition assay.Titer, according to Yang, refers to "a measurement of the amount of antibodies in the blood."Those in the exercise intervention group participated in three one-hour classes for 20 weeks, while the control group was directed to continue their regular activities for the same time period. Each class consisted of equal parts Qigong and Taiji, which included movements emphasizing mobility skills such as weight shifting, range of motion and coordination, and sitting and standing meditation.Although the study had certain limitations – including its small subject sample and the fact that it was not a purely randomized controlled trial – Yang is confident that further study will yield more substantive proof of a link between Taiji and Qigong and immune function. And he said he was not surprised that this preliminary examination indicated a link."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.And, he added, those benefits are borne out of a program that emphasizes balance."We don't believe the slogan, 'no pain, no gain.' In Taiji, it's 'no pain, you get big gain.' "Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

 

The immune-boosting effects of tai chiTai chi boosts the immune system -- and may help balance and well-being.By Melissa Healy, Times Staff WriterApril 16, 2007 In 12th century China, a Taoist monk known as Chang San-Feng is said to have studied the physical movements of five animals and concluded that two — the snake and the crane — were best suited to overpower opponents who were fierce and tenacious. From that ancient observation, the slow, graceful movements of tai chi were born. Today, with the art and exercise of tai chi growing in popularity across the United States, scientists have found that older adults who practice this martial art strengthen themselves against an opponent as stubborn as any — the tiny chickenpox virus, which can cause a painful and often persistent nerve inflammation called shingles. The new study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, is the first — and most rigorous — of a welter of rigorous new studies designed to probe the health effects of tai chi. Also in the works are five federally funded studies examining whether regular practice can help patients contending with heart disease, osteoarthritis and cancer fight off threats such as depression, infection and the pain of joint inflammation. Other studies are probing whether tai chi can improve balance and reduce falls among the elderly, and improve the well-being of patients with HIV. "Tai chi is clearly an exercise program, but it has something more," says Andrew Monjan, chief of the National Institute on Aging's neurobiology of aging branch. "It seems to be somewhat more effective than simple exercise, and more effective than simple stress reduction." And older adults enjoy it, he says, making it a therapy patients will stick to. For healthy older adults, the study demonstrated a striking immunity-boosting effect. After 16 weeks of tai chi classes — even before they received chickenpox vaccine — subjects practicing tai chi showed immunity levels to chickenpox (and hence to shingles) that were comparable to those of 30- and 40-year-olds who got the vaccine. After the tai chi practitioners got the dose, their immune response surged by 40%. Compared with a similar group of non-tai chi practicing older adults who received a shot of vaccine and a 16-week health-education program, those who practiced tai chi during the same period built stronger immunity to chickenpox and to shingles. They also showed significant improvements in measures of physical functioning, vitality and mental health. "It looks like a strong phenomenon, a fairly robust effect," Monjan says. Tai chi's combination of slow, steady movements, rhythmic breathing and meditation appear to offer a unique mix of benefits, Monjan says. It builds aerobic conditioning. It relaxes the body's response to stress, which tend to intensify as people age. And it increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. But which of those effects produces the powerful immunity-building responses seen in the most recent study — or whether that effect is the product of some synergy among those effects — remains a mystery, he adds. Future studies may seek to answer that question, Monjan says. Dr. Michael R. Irwin, of UCLA's Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, directed the study, recruiting 112 healthy adults in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, with an average age of 70. All had had chickenpox at an earlier age and so had some immunity to a recurrence of that disease. But as people age, they become more vulnerable to the virus that is left behind by a case of chickenpox — the varicella virus, which causes shingles in one of five adults who have had chickenpox. The virus lies dormant in its host until a flagging immune system allows it to reawaken and inflame nerves. Generally, a dose of chickenpox vaccine will boost immunity to shingles, but in older adults, that boost can be less robust than among younger patients. To test whether the practice of tai chi had an effect on immunity to varicella (and hence, to herpes zoster), Irwin divided the group of healthy adults in half. Although all got a dose of varicella vaccine, half also received 120 minutes a week of tai chi for 16 weeks, while the other half got 120 minutes per week of class time on a variety of health-related topics. Even before the vaccine was administered after 16 weeks, the stronger immune response of the tai chi group, as compared with that of the group receiving general health instruction, was striking, Irwin said. Effectively, the tai chi group looked as if it had already had the vaccine. After members of both groups got a dose of vaccine, the tai chi group's immune response picked up more steam and was almost twice as strong as that of the non-tai chi group at the end of the study. "There's a huge number of people who are not being adequately treated with the vaccine, because older adults often do not show a full response to vaccine," Irwin said. "That's what's kind of nice," he added, "that when you add a behavioral intervention, it boosts the effects of the vaccine…. The benefit was really found in the combination." That powerful combination of medicine and behavior, said Monjan of the National Institute on Aging, underscores the important link between physical and psychological health and points to a new way — in this case, a pleasant and accessible form of exercise — to help combat the many chronic conditions that accelerate with age. Perhaps most encouraging, Irwin and Monjan said, is how readily accepted tai chi is by older adults who try it. The slow, dance-like movements require intense concentration and body awareness — both of which appear to contribute to its meditative, stress-reducing effects. But trying tai chi does not require a high level of conditioning or special skill, Irwin said. It is gentle on stiff joints and muscles and is accessible even to people with physical limitations such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, he added. For 78-year-old Robert L. Smith and 74-year-old Genevieve Marcus of Los Angeles, both participants in Irwin's trial, tai chi was a new form of exercise. But it is one that this married couple has now adopted as a daily morning ritual. Smith, who has had knee and hip replacement and says he's "fast at everything," finds that tai chi both calms and energizes him. Marcus says it has helped her hone and maintain her balance and become a welcome, meditative part of her day. "We feel in harmony" after conducting the slow-steady dawn sessions, says Smith. "We've just made it part of our routine."