The success rate of much treatment of depression in older people is, well, depressing, so researchers at UCLA decided to add an element of physical exercise, in the form of ancient Chinese martial art tai chi. A UCLA news release reports that the scientists worked with 112 adults, all over the age 60, whose depression was treated with the drug escitalopram, a standard antidepressant. After four weeks, 73 participants who showed only partial improvement were also randomly assigned to 10 weeks of either a tai chi class for two hours per week or a health education class for two hours per week. The researchers found that among the tai chi group, 65 percent were less depressed than they had been, while only 51 percent of those who received health education improved.
A more accurate title would be Exercise Fights Depression, which is well known. There’s nothing magical about Tai Chi.
As a T’ai Chi instructor for 15 years, and a Personal Trainer for 10 years, I am not surprised by the findings. To clarify, T’ai Chi is like all forms of exercise, but not all forms of exercise are like T’ai Chi. This ancient Chinese martial art is also known as a “moving meditation,” and other studies have shown the benefit of meditation in treating depression. Combine these aspects of T’ai Chi: a light resistance exercise, rhythmic breathing, relaxation and meditation (which builds/strengthens your Qi) and YES… you do have “MAGIC!” If the participants had practiced daily, the improvements would have been more dramatic.
Where exactly can I find my Qi?