None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Tai Ji or Tai Chi (TC) is an ancient Chinese mind body exercise that is practised worldwide by millions of people daily with the belief that it has the potent healing effects upon the practitioner and a fundamental path for longevity. Whilst the mechanisms behind TC are not fully understood it is a general consensus among the general population that TC calms the mind and benefits health. There has been growing interest in the scientific community to evaluate the efficacy of TC in various physiological and psychological conditions; in particular the therapeutic effects of TC in psychological conditions. This study will hope to evaluate whether TC can improve stress level as measured by the State/trait anxiety scale and several objective physiological measures such as blood pressure, heart rate variability and galvanic skin response in a clinical trial with thirty participants. The participants will be randomly allocated by computer to three equal sized groups (n=10 per group), the TC intervention group, Gym group and Waiting list. The TC intervention group will complete five hours of TC exercise per week (minimum 2 contact hours with the instructor) over a period of 6sixweeks and followed by six weeks of self practise. The gym group will receive 12 weeks of free gym membership at the UTS Fitness centre, whilst the waiting list forms the non-active control group. The waiting list group will however be given six weeks of TC class after the experimental period as thanks for participation in the trial. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate if six weeks of TC practise can significantly reduce levels of stress in healthy but stressed individuals compared to a waiting list and if TC practise is equivalent to standard exercise in controlling stress levels. The trial will also evaluate if the effects of TC practise on stress can also be sustained when individuals are asked to practise without guidance and the comparative results of this compared to both waiting list and standard exercise groups. The primary measure will be the State/trait anxiety inventory and secondary measures will be blood pressure, SF36 (Short Form 36 questions to assess general health status), heart rate variability and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) on their perceived level of stress.
Interventions
The taiji sessions will take place for the first six weeks and during these six weeks there will be five taiji
sessions per week (one hour each) available for participants to attend. It is required that participants must
complete at least five hours of taiji training a week (minimum 1800 minutes during the initial six weeks) and at least two of these must be in the contact sessions. The contact session will be conducted as a group with a trainer and non contact practice will self practice and m
The taiji sessions will take place for the first six weeks and during these six weeks there will be five taiji sessions per week (one hour each) available for participants to attend. It is required that participants must complete at least five hours of taiji training a week (minimum 1800 minutes during the initial six weeks) and at least two of these must be in the contact sessions. The contact session will be conducted as a group with a trainer and non contact practice will self practice and monitored by a log book. There is no limit on how many contact taiji sessions any individual attends, but the minimum of two contact sessions must be completed per week. Remaining hours of taiji training (non contact) must be recorded in log book with reflections on each non contact practice to ensure sufficient hours are completed. After the initial six weeks there will only be one contact session a week for the remaining six weeks to revise any forgotten movements and check completion of log books. The emphasis on home taiji practice (non contact) will be strongly reinforced and the minimum of five hours of taiji training a week still applies. Participants will be asked to follow the DVD they were given at the commencement of the trail in regards to the training.
Sponsors
University of Technology, Sydney
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Participants must be 18-60 years of age and have no serious medical conditions (Screened using the Lifestyle Appraisal Questionnaire Must be able to understand and sign the consent form Score above 50 points on the State Trait Anxiety Inventory
Exclusion criteria
Currently training or have trained taiji in the last 12 months Currently exercising on a regular basis Any serious medical condition
Outcome results
None listed