Tai chi has long been known to improve fitness and balance, but researchers are finding it affects the immune system, though the reason for its effect isn't known.
Shingles can appear in people who have had chickenpox at some time in their lives, typically emerging at the age of 50 or older. Chickenpox can lay dormant in the body and reappear as shingles years later.
Over 100 adults aged 59 to 86 who previously had chickenpox participated in a study at the University of California, Los Angeles. Half of them took tai chi classes three times a week, while the others took classes where they learned about good eating habits and managing stress.
At the end of the six-month study, those who took the tai chi classes had an immune response similar to that of younger people, and twice the level of immunity as those who took the health-education classes.
The study, led by Dr. Michael Irwin, appears in the April issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
