Four recent studies point to the ancient Chinese martial arts exercise as beneficial. Tai chi involves shifting your body weight in a series of slow, graceful movements called forms. Many of these forms are named for animals and are patterned after the ways in which specific creatures contort their bodies. For example, one movement involves lifting your arms in the same manner that a white crane spreads its wings.

Each form in tai chi flows smoothly into the next, which keeps the body in constant motion. It is known as a "soft" martial art, in which deep relaxation of the muscles is paramount. During tai chi, the practitioner breathes deeply and meditates by blocking out distracting thoughts.

Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) studied 112 adults ranging in age from 59 to 86 over a 25-week period. Half of the participants took the tai chi chih form of the exercise three times a week for 16 weeks. The remaining participants received 16 weeks of health education classes that included advice on stress management, sleep disorders and diet.

Both groups were then given vaccinations for shingles, a skin rash that consists of small red pimples caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) -- the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles most often affects adults aged 55 and older. This may be due to a breakdown in VZV immunity as people age, though it may occur in relation to a number of factors, including stress.

The UCLA researchers found by the end of the 25-week study people who received tai chi chih instruction had immunity to the virus that was twice the level of participants who took only health education classes. The tai chi group also showed reduction in pain and improvement in movement and mobility and mental health.

"The positive results of this study also have implications for other infectious diseases, like influenza and pneumonia," Michael Irvin, the lead author, said in a press release. "Since older adults often show blunted protective responses to vaccines, this study suggests that tai chi is an approach that might complement and augment the efficacy of other vaccines, such as influenza."

Results of the study were published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The research was partially funded by grants from the National Institute of Aging and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Another study, published in the March issue of Integrative Medicine Insights, showed no significant impact on blood glucose when 25 participants with type 2 diabetes took hour-long Tai chi classes twice weekly for 12 weeks. Regular exercise is considered a key factor in controlling glucose.

However, the researchers noted that the study included a small number of participants and nearly half (48 percent) failed to complete the program. Those who did finish reported lower glucose readings within two to three days of the exercise classes, but the levels returned to their higher levels prior to the next tai chi session. The researchers noted that additional studies with a larger group and classes taken more closely together might show glucose improvement.

In a study published in the March issue of Diabetes Care, researchers from Taiwan found that the tai chi chuan form of the exercise may improve blood sugar control and boost immune system functions. They studied 32 people who participated in three one-hour long tai chi sessions a week for 12 weeks.

Another study involved 72 older adults who met three times a week at Louisiana State University (LSU) to practice the martial art. Researchers found that the exercises improved peripheral neuropathy caused by type 2 diabetes. Peripheral neuropathy is nerve damage caused by uncontrolled glucose. Symptoms include pain, numbness and weakness in the legs and arms. Participants reported improved flexibility and sensation in their limbs and fewer incidents of accidental falls. Many stopped using walkers and canes after tai chi training.

"We're seeing great results and we're very excited," Li Li, the lead LSU researcher, said in a press release. "Some people started the program unable to stand, even with assistance, for more than five minutes. Today, these same people have no trouble standing independently."

Copyright 2007 iVillage Total Health.