Today I stumbled across this story which will make blogless friend Chuck very happy.

FRIDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- T'ai chi, an exercise that features slow martial arts-like movements and meditation, significantly improves the ability of older adults' immune systems to fight the virus -- varicella zoster -- that causes shingles, a new study says.

Chuck is my tai chi instructor. Of course I seldom go to class anymore because it's a bit of a commute from Boston to Chicago, although I make it a point to go to class whenever I'm out there. (and no, I'm not looking for a class out here - I left a terrific group of people and a new class wouldn't be the same). Now I do the form at home.

The interesting thing about this article is here:

The 25-week study, conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles, involved 112 people, ages 59 to 86. The researchers found that T'ai chi, by itself, increased immunity against varicella zoster to a level that was comparable to having received the standard vaccine against the virus.

When a person did T'ai chi and received the vaccine, the immunity against the virus reached a level normally seen in middle age, said the study, which was published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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"These are exciting findings, because the positive results of this study also have implications for other infectious diseases, like influenza and pneumonia.

I've been doing tai chi for 8 years. While I have migraines and allergies, I seldom get the flu. I can't remember the last time I took antibiotics for an infection, it's been years. Maybe that's why. Or maybe not.

In any case, I'll keep doing my tai chi because I like it. Now if only I could get to class more often than twice a year... and, yes Chuck, I did practice today.

Posted by: Teresa in Medical at 11:56 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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