University of Florida News

T’ai Chi video

Supers:
Gainesville, FL
Beverly Roberts/UF researcher

Managing diabetes through exercise could be easier than some people think. A new study at the University of Florida suggests T’ai Chi lowers blood glucose levels and helps control diabetes.

Beverly Roberts/UF researcher: “Those people that participated in the T’ai Chi sessions actually had lower blood glucose at three and six months. And in addition, those individuals also had lower hemoglobin A-1-C which means they had better diabetic control.”

In addition to controlling diabetes, experts say T’ai Chi gives the body just as good of a workout as other aerobic exercises.

Beverly Roberts/UF researcher: “T’ai Chi really is just as effective as other aerobic exercises in diabetic control. The difference is T’ai Chi is less intense, is a low impact exercise which means that it’s less stressful on the bones, joints, and muscles than walking or bicycling.”

Experts say T’ai Chi could really benefit elderly diabetics or those who may be unable to handle a more strenuous exercise program. At the University of Florida, I’m Dan Larkin.

Note: Downloadable videos are encoded at 720x486 using the Photo-JPEG codec. Audio is encoded at 44.1 kHz and unmixed.