Researchers found older people who performed the slow, graceful movements of tai chi had a better immune response against the virus that causes shingles than those who only got health education, according to the most rigorous test to date.
It’s unclear how tai chi, an ancient Chinese martial art that has become increasingly popular in the West, affects the immune system. But health experts were encouraged by the positive results.
“The message is that older people need to maintain healthy behavior,” said Andrew Monjan of the National Institute on Aging, which helped fund the research. “It’s nothing that our mothers haven’t told us, but we’re seeing it certainly holds up to scientific inquiry.”
New research shows that tai chi -- one of the few forms of exercise that can be practiced as the aging body declines -- may prevent a painful skin condition that affects about one million Americans.
