Effects of tai chi exercises

Abstract

Tai Chi, or also called ‘Tai Chi Chuan’, originated in China about six hundreds years ago as a martial art, has slowly become a widely popular physical exercise due to known health benefits. Tai Chi practitioners believe that ‘Qi’ – the vital life energy, is generated by this body-mind exercise. However, due to lack of scientific definition for Qi, it remains more as an art than a science. In this paper, we investigate the scientific basis for Tai Chi to produce such interesting health benefits. Electrical

acupuncture point measurements conducted before and after Tai Chi, showed

significant conductance variation. The results show that Tai Chi increases the

conductance of the body, similar to those of healthy youngsters. Scientifically,

electrification of the blood helps remove bacteria and pathogens present. Using results from relevant western clinic research and combining our observations during Tai Chi exercise, we propose a new theory that explains the beneficial effects of the

mind-body exercise.