Posted on 04/29/2024 8:15:16 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A research team found positive effects of tai chi and aerobic exercise on sleep quality, psychological well-being, physical function, and circadian rhythm in patients with advanced lung cancer.
The study, conducted over a four-year period, discovered additional advantages in terms of improving one-year survival rates and reducing fatigue.
The research has demonstrated remarkable potential of tai chi as a non-pharmacological intervention for improving survival in advanced lung cancer patients.
The research team conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effects of aerobic and mind-body exercises, two widely recognized forms of physical exercises, which differ in intensity and modality. The study showed significant enhancement in sleep quality among cancer patients experiencing poor sleep.
Between December 2018 and September 2022, HKUMed research team recruited 226 patients with advanced lung cancer in three public hospitals in Hong Kong. They were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: tai chi, aerobic exercise, or a self-management control group. The tai chi group attended classes twice a week for 16 weeks. The aerobic exercise group attended classes twice a month over the same 16-week period, engaging in activities such as treadmill walking, stationary bike riding, and resistance exercises.
The results revealed that both the tai chi and aerobic exercise groups demonstrated a significant improvement in sleep quality, anxiety, depression, cardiorespiratory function, physical function, step count, and circadian rhythm at both week 16 and week 52 than the control group. Tai chi demonstrated superior benefits over aerobic exercise in terms of sleep quality, fatigue reduction, and balance.
The study found a remarkable 65% lower risk of mortality in the tai chi group compared to the control group, suggesting that engaging in tai chi may potentially offer better survival for patients with advanced lung cancer.
This three-arm randomized controlled trial represents the largest study of its kind.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Still, mortality was amazingly less, and people could have done aerobic exercise on their own.
The self-management group must have done the worst.
Bkmrk
I did Tai Chi years ago with a Chinese teacher who gave free lessons in a San Francisco park. And now we have them 4 days a week in clubhouse at our senior complex. Easy, pleasant exercise that gives good results.
Doing Tai Chi as “Easy, pleasant exercise” is entirely different from doing the forms rigorously and with perfection.
Did you drink Chai tea before or after doing Tai Chi?
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