Tai Chi Boosts Immune System
Tai Chi Boosts Immune System
As winter approaches, what better way of helping your body naturally fight the common cold and other winter bugs than with Tai Chi and Qigong. Understanding the importance of your immune system function and how exercise, breathwork and stress play a pivotal role in your personal immunity is vital to starve off illnesses, viruses, and diseases, as well as supporting your recovery afterwards. Try Tai Chi and Qigong this winter to help boost resistance to viruses by up to 50%. Read more on the health and wellbeing benefits of regular Tai Chi and Qigong practice. This article looks in details at how Tai Chi Boosts Immune System.
In 2007, UCLA and the University of California, San Diego carried out medical research on adults over a 25 week period. The findings at the end showed that those participants who practiced Tai Chi three times per week had double the immune system response than the others. Science Daily published an article titled 'Practicing Tai Chi Boosts Immune System In Older Adults' with more details on the research.
How Tai Chi Boosts Immune System
Exercise
Movement and exercise in any form is great for your immune health. Whether aerobic exercise, strength training, dance, athletics, yoga, Pilates.... and of course Tai Chi, Qigong, Bagua and other martial arts. Simply get moving daily to increase your immune system's function. Your muscles love to be exercised, they become stronger and toned. Your connective tissue loves to be exercised, it becomes pliable, flexible, dynamic, resilient and elastic. Your joints love to be exercised, they become fluid, nourished and loose. When your muscles, connective tissue and bones are functioning well, this aids immune system function. Tai Chi and Qigong are integrated body movements that have the benefit of being no impact, which means you can strengthen your muscles and develop pliable fascia and connective tissue by moving your whole body safely and slowly. Which is surprisingly demanding and strong on the body.
Tai Chi and Qigong movements help to activate the lymph system, through muscular contraction the expanding, compressing and spiralling movements, and through diaphragmatic breathing. The lymph system plays a hugely important part in our immune system function. The lymph fluid draws waste and toxins from within the body through to the lymph node filtering system. The lymph does not have a pump, movement is the only way to propel the lymph fluid through the system. The lymph acts as a drainage system for the body. A sedentary lifestyle leads to a build up of waste and toxins, which has a negative impact on our health.
Circulation
Tai Chi and Qigong movements, as an exercise practice helps boost circulation, improving blood flow, pushes the blood to the extremities, and lowers blood pressure. This helps increase oxygen levels throughout the whole body, including the brain, which is vital for energy levels and all body systems functioning well.
Unique to whole body movement practices (Tai Chi, Qigong, yoga etc), where the torso is stretched, flexed, extended, expanded and compressed. These movements help to massage the internal organs, which helps to expel toxins and waste, as well as to draw in nutrients. This helps to improve the function of the organs and systems within the torso, which in turn helps to increase your immunity.
Unique to whole body movement practices (Tai Chi, Qigong, yoga etc), the movements are combined with deep abdominal breathing, which also massages the internal organs with an expanding and compressing motion. Consider also movements that compress and restrict the torso, when adding in breathing this creates a smaller area for the lungs to fill to capacity within the torso. This deeply massages the internal organs to aid all body systems to function much better, again increasing immunity.
When you live excessively in the stress response, the body is in an emergency state which drains your energy, reduces the body's ability to function properly, and weakens the immune system. When you are stressed your body tenses up and that muscular tension inhibits blood circulation and lymph flow, which are all vital for a healthy immune response. High stress levels and a sustained stress state will make you prone to viruses and illness. Read more about the stress response here. Tai Chi and Qigong help to return the body to a neutral state, known as the natural relaxation response. The deliberately slow performance, combined with integrated body movements and deep breathing all help release physical and mental tension. The practices also help release happy brain chemicals: serotonin, dopamine and endorphins which help naturally reduce stress and tension.
Better Sleep
The majority of students I train, have said that after class that evening, the sleep they have is the best of the week. Tai Chi and Qigong are exceptional tools to aid quality of sleep. By getting the body moving and feeling more pliable and loose, by breathing deeply to soothe the central nervous system, by moving slowly to stimulate the rest and digest response, and by focusing on your body movements for a period of time which helps ground, centre and level, all of these aspects contribute to good sleep. With the body physically tired and the mind at rest, it is easier to fall asleep, stay asleep and be restful asleep. In turn, a relaxed mind / body state when sleeping has a positive impact on your immune system and mental health.
Tai Chi Boosts Immune System - Medical Research
"At the end of the 25-week period, the tai chi chih group achieved a level of immunity two times greater than the health education group. The tai chi chih group also showed significant improvements in physical functioning, vitality, mental health and reduction of bodily pain." Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070323105002.htm
"An important finding of the current review was that a minimum of 4 weeks practice of TQ enables participants to enhance their immune system functioning by stimulating innate and adaptive immune cell responses and regulating biomarkers associated with inflammation." "Practising TQ can have a positive impact on immune system functioning and inflammatory processes." Oh B, Bae K, Lamoury G, Eade T, Boyle F, Corless B, Clarke S, Yeung A, Rosenthal D, Schapira L, Back M. The Effects of Tai Chi and Qigong on Immune Responses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicines (Basel). 2020 Jun 30;7(7):39. doi: 10.3390/medicines7070039. PMID: 32629903; PMCID: PMC7400467.
"Clinical evidence suggests that Tai Chi can reduce pro-inflammatory biomarkers, enhance immune cell function, and improve vaccine responsiveness, particularly in aging and chronically ill populations. Additional benefits related to emotional regulation, physical function, and mental well-being further support its value as a complementary therapeutic strategy. " Thelander, Y.Z. and Ring, H.Z. (2025) Tai Chi and Its Impact on Immune Mechanisms: A Comprehensive Review. Health, 17, 508-531. https://doi.org/10.4236/health.2025.175033
"Tai Chi practices contribute to a more efficient immune system, notably by increasing the levels of immune cells, reducing markers of inflammation, and influencing virus-specific immune, responses during vaccinations. For example, a recent study has shown the benefits of Tai Chi practice for individuals coping with COVID-19, including immune system support, reduced inflammatory responses, assistance in respiratory disease rehabilitation, and improvements in emotional well-being." Alice Guyon. Benefits of Tai Chi for Physical and Mental Health. Future Integrative Medicine, 2024, ff10.14218/FIM.2023.00088ff. ffhal-04369069f
Tai Chi Boosts Immune System - As with all medical conditions, injuries and/or ill-health, please consult with your Doctor prior to starting a class. Tai Chi, Qigong and Meditation are not a replacement for conventional medical treatment.
