Yahoo Lifestyle Qi Gong: Your Stress Reliever
1. It brightens your mood
As little as one month of qi gong practice can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, finds a Spanish study from the Universidad de Málaga. Other studies also support this mind, body and breathing therapy as an alternative to drugs for the treatment of anxiety.
2. It deepens your sleep
Practising tai chi, which is closely related to qi gong, helped people with sleep complaints drift off about 18 minutes faster and snooze 48 minutes longer, according to an Oregon Research Institute study in the US. The theory is that meditative movement may modify circadian rhythms, allowing you to sleep through the night.
3. It revs your immunity
Adults who did qi gong and tai chi for 3 hours a week after receiving a flu vaccine produced three times as many antibodies as those receiving only the vaccine did, reveals a study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US. This added protection could be helpful if stress and lack of sleep suppress your immune system.
4. It eases headaches
Qi gong may also relieve stress-related headaches, say American researchers. Women affected by such headaches who practised tai chi reported less frequent and less severe pain. The exercise limited the muscle spasms and inflammation that can contribute to headaches.
5. It prevents slips and falls
By improving balance, reaction time and muscle control, qi gong enhances body awareness, helping you navigate uneven ground and even avoid twisting an ankle.
