The practice of internal Chinese martial art commonly known as Tai Chi can be as good as the regular exercise of aerobic training and bodybuilding when it comes to losing belly fat, according to a new study of the UCLA and several other international universities. The study involved adults of average and elderly ages with central obesity, a significant risk factor for metabolic syndrome.
While conventional exercises commonly involve things like lifting weights or performing aerobic activities such as jogging, Tai Chi is a martial art based on movements that involves supposing different postures. This activity is widely regarded as a low impact exercise activity for people who can, for example, have joint pain or other problems that provide risky or painful impact activities.
The new study comes from the health sciences of the UCLA, as well as the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Chinese Academy of Science. The researchers examined Tai Chi and its potential impact on central obesity, which is often considered a major risk factor for other health problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The Tai Chi Group was joined by participants assigned to carry out conventional exercises, as well as a control group that did not exercise. Participants allocated to one or the other group of exercises received the same duration of exercise to be made during 12 weeks.
At the end of this three-month period, researchers found that Tai Chi offered the same benefits as common exercises in these adults when it came to reduce central obesity. It’s good news because central obesity is one of the main risk factors that come with metabolic syndrome, which can include other things like high blood pressure, high levels of “bad” cholesterol, from high blood glucose, etc.
