The Ancient Chinese Martial Art of Tai Chi has Evolved into a Low-Impact Exercise That's Particularly Beneficial for People with Diabetes

Last winter, while spending a week in Beijing for work, I would wake early every morning and peer out my hotel room window at a most remarkable sight below. In a tidy public plaza next door to the hotel, a group of 20 or so Chinese seniors, men and women, were gracefully practicing the slow-motion movements of tai chi. While I was vaguely familiar with the centuries-old Chinese form of martial arts, I learned that morning tai chi gatherings are as common throughout China as lines for coffee and doughnuts are in the United States.

Similar to other traditional Chinese practices that have gained acceptance in Western society, such as acupuncture, tai chi is evolving into a popular form of low-impact exercise — one ideally suited to people with diabetes.

“My doctors are amazed at what tai chi has done for me,” says Sherry Jones, who claims that symptoms not only from type 2 diabetes but also from severe arthritis and elevated cholesterol have been dramatically reduced in the three years since she began taking tai chi classes specifically designed for people with diabetes. So convinced that others might enjoy the same types of benefits, Jones, 55, now teaches tai chi classes to fellow type 2 patients near her home in Burleson, Texas, many of them seniors beginning their first serious exercise program.

Tai chi (tie-CHEE) originated in China nearly 2,000 years ago as a martial art, though a gentle style compared to kung fu, for example. It involves doing a progressive series of slow, gentle movements, called forms, that stretch and flex the entire body. Deep abdominal breathing is also part of the routine. There are several styles, though Yang and Sun are preferred for people with diabetes.

“My doctors are amazed at what tai chi has done for me,” says Sherry Jones, who reports reduced symptoms of diabetes and other conditions.

Tai chi has evolved over the ages, among millions of steadfast practitioners, into a “mind-body” exercise routine that promotes physical, emotional and mental well-being. Along with improving cardiovascular and muscular fitness, balance and flexibility, tai chi has been credited with mitigating symptoms of diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cardiac problems, chronic pain, hypertension, stress, depression, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and other maladies. During a typical hour-long session, it burns considerable calories, too, so weight maintenance is another advantage. “Research shows that tai chi provides just about the same cardiovascular benefits as modern impact aerobics,” says Bill Douglas, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tai Chi and Qigong (qigong is a close relative to tai chi). Douglas has been practicing tai chi for almost 30 years and has devoted the past decade to collecting international research studies as a way to scientifically document tai chi’s manifold attributes.

A tireless advocate, Douglas writes articles and produces instructional DVDs in addition to organizing World Tai Chi and Qigong Day (annually on the last Saturday in April), during which free one-day workshops are offered in hundreds of cities around the world.

Because tai chi reduces stress and stimulates circulation, Douglas says, it’s ideal for people with diabetes. He cites a recent article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reporting on a study that concludes tai chi, as a moderate form of exercise, can improve the control of type 2 diabetes. “Tai chi may prompt a fall in blood glucose levels, or improve blood glucose metabolism, sparking a drop in the inflammatory response,” the article states. “Alternately, the exercise may boost fitness levels and the feeling of well-being, which may then boost the health of the immune system.”

Sheila Rae is a Memphis, Tennessee-based master instructor of Tai Chi for Diabetes, a program developed by Dr. Paul Lam, an Australian family physician and tai chi expert. “This is something people can do standing or sitting,” says Rae. No special equipment is required, only flat-soled shoes, loose pants or shorts and a T-shirt. Although there is a deeply personal, internal nature to tai chi — known in Chinese culture as chi, a person’s life force or energy flow — Rae relishes its social element. “There is a camaraderie in tai chi classes that you don’t always see in traditional exercise classes,” she says.

Just as Western science and medical researchers are taking tai chi more seriously, affordable classes (often $10–$20) are offered in a growing number of communities. Douglas, who has enlisted the YMCA to help publicize World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, recommends that beginners — after getting a doctor’s OK — look into several different tai chi classes in their area. “Interview the instructors until you find a class that teaches the style of tai chi you want,” he says. You can also try different tai chi DVDs.

After taking two to three classes a week for just a few months, most people should be proficient enough to practice tai chi on their own, some opting for daily sessions. Before you know it, guests at hotels all across America might spy tai chi groups outside their windows every morning too.