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Tai
Chi or Jogging for Lower-Body Conditioning?
By Shirley Archer, JD, MA
 Long-term
practice of tai chi can improve muscular strength in
the lower body, particularly for muscles around the
knees and ankles, as much as long-term jogging, according
to a study published in the British Journal of Sports
Medicine (2006; [40], 50-54). This is good news
for older adults looking for gentle movement alternatives
that provide powerful conditioning benefits.
Researchers recruited 61 participants, including long-term
tai chi practitioners, long-term joggers and inactive
individuals. Assessors measured the isokinetic strength
of muscles at the knee and ankle joints and the endurance
of knee flexors and extensors in all subjects. Slight
differences in conditioning resulted from the nature
of the different activities. For example, comparing
joggers with tai chi practitioners, the former developed
slightly stronger concentric strength in the knee extensors
and flexors, whereas the latter attained greater muscular
endurance in the knee extensors. The benefits of both
jogging and tai chi on lower-body muscular strength
and endurance were clear—and significantly better
than no exercise.
Investigators suggested that tai chi could be effective
in increasing muscular endurance because the movements
are slow, continuous, smooth and well controlled. This
type of training may be most beneficial for conditioning
slow-twitch muscle fibers, which when trained have a
greater resistance to fatigue (than fast-twitch fibers)
because of their high capacity for aerobic metabolism.
More research is needed to explore these mechanisms
of action and to appreciate the broad range of benefits,
especially for older adults, of long-term tai chi practice.
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