Tai chi beneficial for retarding bone loss in weight-bearing bones in postmenopausal women.

December 20, 2009 by David Bendall · Leave a Comment

Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong randomly assigned 132 healthy early postmenopausal women to either 12 months of 45 minutes per day, 5 days per week supervised tai chi or no additional exercise. The rate of bone loss was less in the tai chi group than in the control group with the reduction especially significant in the distal tibia where there was a 2.6 to 3.6-fold retardation of bone loss. Over the course of the study, four fractures were documented, one in the tai chi group and three in the control group. The results suggest that tai chi is beneficial for retarding bone loss in postmenopausal women.

Abstract

Filed under Bone Health · Tagged with Bone Health, Bone Mineral Density, Postmenopausal women