While many of us attend Tai Chi classes in Portland, Oregon to learn the martial art form of this ancient Chinese practice and others to learn to find our center and refocus our Qi, research is now finding that Tai Chi Chuan has many health benefits, which while long known in Chinese holistic medicine, are just now becoming more commonly known in the medical and scientific world. Tai Chi and osteoporosis is one of the interesting discoveries recently found. Tai Chi can be a very effective form of therapy on multiple levels for women.
In a study produced in the Chinese “Physician and Sports Medicine” in 2004 it was found that post-menopausal women who regularly practiced Tai Chi experience a significant slowing down of bone loss. In order to ensure the accuracy of this study, each patient’s bone density was measured prior to the study beginning and again at the end of the study. The group was then split into two sub-groups, one that would practice Tai Chi and one that would not.
A video on the history of Tai Chi and other martial arts:
While both groups of women still experience some bone loss, the rate of loss between the two groups in the study showed significantly less bone loss in those who practiced Tai Chi. After the data was completely tabulated the rate of loss in those participating in regular Tai Chi classes like those taught here in Portland, Oregon was 2.6 to 3.6 times slower than that of the control group.
Perhaps a large part of this change can be attributed to the feeling of being focused and relaxed as evidence shows that women who suffer the depression often associated with menopause tend to experience more bone loss. Those who practice Tai Chi on a regular basis and learn to meditate, exercise and breathe properly find relief from the depression, stress and anxiety they are dealing with.
A report written by Donal P. O’Mathuna in Prevention Magazine states that the relief that the practice of Tai Chi Chuan exercises creates can actually help to increase bone density in a large percentage of post-menopausal women. This makes perfectly good sense as the National Institutes of Mental Health has released a report showing the correlation between stress and bone loss in depressed women. As the practice of Tai Chi reduces stress levels, it only stands to reason that bone loss rates would go down.