Tai Chi for stress and cardiovascular function

The intervention group will be offered a standardised Tai Chi intervention over a period of 24 weeks, consisting of a 12 week intensive Tai Chi intervention and a 12-week sustained Tai Chi intervention. In the intensive period the Tai Chi class of 60-90 minutes will take place twice per week, while in the sustained period the Tai Chi class of 60-90 minutes will take place once per week. Attendance will be recorded by the Tai Chi instructor each class. Participants will be required to practice at least 3 other days per week at home. Printed materials containing pictures and written descriptions of the Tai Chi intervention or DVDs will be provided to facilitate home practice. A self-report patient diary for recording the home practice sessions will need to be completed. The overall contents of classes include Tai Chi history, theories and principles, meditation, walking lunges, 13-form Chen-style Tai Chi modified from the classical Chen-style Tai Chi, and 13-form Tai Chi cool-down exercise. Each class consists of 10-20 minutes of meditation, 10-20 minutes of walking lunges, 30 minutes of Tai Chi practice, and 10-20 minutes of Tai Chi cool-down exercise. Participants will be able to learn the entire sequence by the end of the 6th week, and the entire sequence will be repeated in the following weeks. Patients assigned to the wait list control group will be instructed to maintain their routine activities and not to begin any new exercise programs during their study participation. These patients will be offered an equivalent 12-week intensive Tai Chi intervention and 12-week sustained Tai Chi intervention at the termination of the study provided the Tai Chi intervention in the treatment is proved to be safe (no severe adverse events directly associated with Tai Chi).