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Slow and Easy Works to Slow Bone Loss

Exercise is known to help treat or prevent osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercise works the best. However, it is tough to recommend that patients who are older or who have arthritis should take up weight-bearing exercise such as running or weight lifting.

Tai Chi Chuan could provide a good alternative for many patients. It is a gentle, fluid form of exercise that involves low and safe amounts of weight bearing. It is practiced by millions of people around the world. It is especially popular in China, where it was developed.

This study, done in Hong Kong, looked at the bone mineral density (BMD) after years of Tai Chi Chuan practice. Researchers focused on 17 postmenopausal women who did Tai Chi Chuan regularly. Their BMD was compared to 17 postmenopausal women who did not exercise. None of the women took calcium, vitamins, or estrogen, and they had never smoked. Their BMD was tested at the beginning of the study and again one year later. During that time, the women who did Tai Chi Chuan continued to do it at least 3.5 hours each week. The other women did no exercise at all.

Results showed that the group who did Tai Chi Chuan had higher BMDs both at the beginning of the study and again in a year. They still showed some bone loss over the year, but the rate of loss was much slower than the group who did not exercise. The authors suggest that Tai Chi Chuan could be a good exercise to recommend to patients at risk for osteoporosis who need a gentle form of exercise.

References: Ling Qin, PhD, et al. Regular Tai Chi Chuan Exercise May Retard Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women: A Case-Control Study. In Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. October 2002. Vol. 83. No. 10. Pp. 1355-1359.

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