Qigong and Tai Chi May Boost Immune Function

by WiredBerries Editors — August 24, 2007

As this year’s sniffling-sneezing season approaches, there is a hint of hope in the pre-germ-infected air. A new study suggests that adults who adopt an exercise regimen of Tai Chi (Taiji) and Qigong will get an extra boost to their immune system and that it may enhance the effects of an annual flu shot.

Qigong (chee-kung) and Taiji (tye-chee) combines simple, graceful movements with meditation. Qigong, which dates to the middle of the first millennium B.C., is a series of integrated exercises believed to have positive, relaxing effects on a person’s mind, body, and spirit. Taiji is a holistic form of exercise and a type of Qigong that melds Chinese philosophy with martial and healing arts.

The Chinese have long believed the exercises result in a range of physical, mental, and spiritual benefits for practitioners. However, until fairly recently evidence has been largely anecdotal. "We have found that 20 weeks of Taiji can increase the antibody response to influenza vaccine in older adults," said the study’s lead author Yang Yang, an adjunct professor of kinesiology and community health and a Taiji master with more than 30 years of experience as a practitioner and instructor.

On average, said Yang, the Taiji group had much higher antibody responses to the vaccination than the control group, and the percentage of persons who achieved protective levels also was higher in the Taiji group. Similar past research has demonstrated the ability of these exercises to contribute to various improvements in quality of life, flexibility, strength, cardiovascular function, pain, balance, and kinesthetic strength. Yang says he believes further research will reveal even more benefits.

"Because the curriculum is holistic, it touches people on many fronts," he said. "So it’s not surprising that you can feel the immune part, the strength part, the psychological part. It’s what this art was designed for—to target all these different aspects of life, from a preventative and nurturing point of view."