There doesn't really seem to be anything unique to single out tai chi in particular in this study. The benefits pointed out in the article --- that it's meditative, encourages stretching and relaxation, improves balance --- seem to also be associated with things like yoga, or just going through a general stretching and mobility routine. They idea that calming yourself (removing stress or just relaxing) will lower your blood pressure is so intuitive to most people that we say someone needs to calm down or "they'll blow a gasket."<p>The contrast with "vigorous aerobic exercises" is also interesting. The study looked at<p>> "Aerobic exercise interventions included climbing stairs, jogging, brisk walking, and cycling. Exercise intensity in the aerobic exercise group was monitored. The maximum heart rate was estimated as 208 − (0.7 × age in years)."<p>which makes you wonder how much the findings compare to the well known benefits of zone-2 HR aerobic training. "Vigorous" is a bit of weird term that suggests very different things between different people. Low HR cardio is usually not considered "vigorous" at all.<p>Another broader question would be whether maximizing lowered blood pressure is more important than getting people doing "vigorous" aerobic exercise, which brings a whole host of important benefits along with lowering blood pressure. Most people should get a lot more aerobic exercise and use relaxation methods, but I would probably recommend aerobic exercise first.
Long ago, maybe before the consumer internet, I saw a video claiming to showcase people who studied tai chi as a fighting art instead of just exercise. It was a lot of being able to follow the other person's movements to the point that "Fighting a tai chi master is like wrestling with an empty jacket". There was also a demonstration where a master pushed a student's middle finger back using an open palm. No matter how the student spun around and whipped his hand around, he couldn't get his finger away from the pressure of the palm that was following him around.<p>No idea how legit it was. I've never seen tai chi presented primarily as self-defense since.
Paper: <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2814872" rel="nofollow">https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle...</a><p>Results:<p>- SBP difference was 2.4mmHg (95%CI -4.39 to -0.41mmHg) between Tai chi and aerobic exercise.
I'm deeply skeptical.<p>Sure, your blood pressure is not going to be low <i>while</i> you're doing aerobic exercise.<p>If you do a lot of aerobic exercise consistently, your heart will get bigger and stronger, with a lower resting rate. That will bring your pressure down. It's not uncommon for endurance athletes to feel unusually lightheaded when standing up because of the low blood pressure and slow heart rate.
I think it was Virtua Fighter that taught me that Tai Chi is also the most powerful of martial arts, when weilded by a master. I've wanted to learn it since.
If anyone want to get into this. There's a yoga series called "Namaste Yoga", a few of the episodes are online. This style of yoga emphasizes breathing.
So if you actually do the stretching while trying to breathe in and out to the ques they give, it becomes much better and very meditative. If you really don't get the benefits of yoga, or are experiencing stress right now, you should give this series a try.<p>Actually might be even better if you do it after a hot bath, since your muscles are warmed up. And a darkened room.<p>Example episode
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edGlTd1pNi4" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edGlTd1pNi4</a>
Are they sort of saying that guided relaxation helps lower blood pressure?<p>I assume restorative yoga, or mindfullness mediation or just "The relaxation response" would all do the same?
Taichi is very similar to isometric exercise. Basically in a lot of moves you are pushing against yourself while moving slowly in circles.<p>Isometric exercise, which is when you are exerting force but not moving, has been shown to be great at reducing blood pressure: <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/20/1317" rel="nofollow">https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/20/1317</a>
Recently I have been doing Rajio Taiso, a calisthenic exercises that have been popularized since 1928 in Japan. This exercise believed to have helped the Japanese people have a longer and healthy life. It is just three minutes and I must say, enjoyable and communal.
My master says: If you are not relaxed, you are exercising or maybe doing something interesting but you are not doing Tai Chi. I played every sport under the sun and I found in Tai Chi a way to be "In the Zone" through gentle practice and meditation.
Seems like since Yoga is so wide-spread, and similar, that would be an obvious comparison. They should have studied them side by side. But don't think study even mentions yoga? Did I miss it?
342 participants presumably of similar demographics, no mention of diet or previous health state, no mention of other cofactors<p>Studies like this are just click-bait.