Participants were recruited at two hospitals in Beijing, and 169 of them were given an aerobic exercise regimen of 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking or climbing stairs, four times a week. The remaining 173 people were taught Tai Chi routines in group classes and then assigned four 60-minute sessions per week at home.
During the study period, patients were monitored by phone, received health education, and advised to follow a low-fat diet. dash diet, was developed to improve heart health with an emphasis on eating fruits and vegetables. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
Researchers looked at participants’ blood pressure, weight, and other measurements at six months and one year.
Although there were no differences in overall adherence to the program, waist circumference, weight, or BMI, there were differences in subsequent blood pressure after 1 year. Participants in the tai chi group had an average decrease in systolic blood pressure of 7.01 points over 12 months, while participants who did aerobic exercise had an average decrease of 4.61 points.
Diastolic blood pressure in both groups decreased over time, but the difference did not reach statistical significance.
At the start of the study, both groups’ blood pressures were outside the ideal range and they were at risk for hypertension. At the end of the study, 21.8 percent of the Tai Chi practitioners had blood pressure within the ideal range, compared to 15.6 percent of the aerobic exercise group.
“These findings support the important public health value of Tai Chi in promoting the prevention of cardiovascular disease in people with prehypertension,” the researchers concluded. Research continues to explore the potential benefits of Tai Chi. The exercises are related It improves balance, reduces falls, and is beneficial for patients with conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.
