If you’re serving clients with chronic conditions and you’re not offering tai chi practice, you may want to network with a local practitioner to refer clients for cross-training benefits. Tai chi has proved to be a safe, effective and enjoyable training method for overall health improvement among adults with numerous chronic conditions, according to a review of  42 review studies reported in Disability and Rehabilitation (2020; doi:10.1080/09638288.2020.1725916).

“High-” and “moderate-quality” evidence indicates that tai chi practice can significantly benefit adults with conditions like heart disease, cancer, depression, lower-back pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and stroke. Benefits include significant improvements in activities of daily living, balance, exercise capacity, gait, mastery, mental health, mobility, motor function, physical function, quality of life, range of motion and strength. Outcomes also include significant reductions in blood pressure, body mass index, depression, disability, dyspnea (shortness of breath), falls, fatigue, pain, stiffness and waist circumference.