Tai Chi Can Help with Type 2 Diabetes

People are often being told to exercise, particularly if they have a chronic disease, such as type 2 diabetes. But exercise isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some people may enjoy walking, others don’t. Some may like going to a gym or taking an exercise class, and again, others don’t. But how about an activity like tai chi? It’s a gentle moving exercise that doesn’t stress the body and may be more enjoyable to you.

Researchers looked at the effect of tai chi (also spelled t’ai chi) on 62 senior Koreans. Their research was published earlier this year in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. The group, which was made up of mostly women, was divided in half and one group participated in supervised hour-long sessions of tai chi once a week and at home three days per week. The other half did not participate in the tai chi session.

At the end of six months, the researchers found that the group that participated in the tai chi not only had better blood glucose (sugar) control, they were more active and had more energy than the other group.

According to this University of Florida article, UF study: tai chi can help people with diabetes lower glucose levels,

“Tai chi provides a great alternative for people who may want the benefits of exercise on diabetic control but may be physically unable to complete strenuous activities due to age, condition or injury,” [Beverly] Roberts [Ph.D., R.N., the Annabel Davis Jenks endowed professor at the UF College of Nursing] said. “Future studies could examine if tai chi could similarly benefit conditions such as osteoporosis or heart disease.”

Since tai chi is an exercise that involves so many parts of the body and also helps to relax the mind, it is more likely participants will adhere to the exercise, said Paul Lam, M.B.B.S., a lecturer with the University of South Wales School of Public Health and Community Medicine and a practicing family physician in Sydney, Australia.

What is tai chi?

Tai chi has been compared to a combination of medication, yoga and gentle movement. The actions of tai chi moves many muscles in the body but in a deliberate and slow fashion, forcing the practitioner to think about the movements.

Tai chi is often called the perfect exercise for seniors because, not only are you moving so many muscles, the exercise works on improving coordination and balance, which decreases the risk of falls. The mental aspect helps people relax and achieve a mental balance, reducing tension and stress.

If you don’t like traditional exercise or are unable to for various reasons, perhaps tai chi is something you could consider.

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