Tai Chi and Qigong Simply Explained

1. What It Is About

Tai Chi and Qigong are two forms of movement from China. In both, one moves slowly and fluidly, pays attention to the breath and directs attention to one’s own body. Tai Chi originated from martial arts, Qigong from meditative and healing traditions. Both have been used for health care for centuries and are practised worldwide today, often in groups, sometimes alone.

Tai Chi usually consists of set sequences, known as forms. Qigong more often uses quiet postures or repetitions. In both practices the idea of an energy flow called Qi plays a role. Such an energy flow cannot be measured with conventional research methods. Studies therefore focus mainly on what changes in the body and in the well-being of the practitioners.

Important for research: the exercises vary widely. Sometimes they are short and daily, sometimes the programmes last several months. Styles also differ. The studies can therefore be compared only to a limited extent.

2. What Studies Show

Pain in bones and joints is the best studied. One study involved 204 people with knee osteoarthritis, that is, a worn knee joint. One group practised Tai Chi twice a week for twelve weeks, the other received physiotherapy. At the end, symptoms had improved markedly in both groups and the values were similarly close. No clear advantage of one group emerged 6.

In fibromyalgia, a condition with widespread pain and fatigue, 66 affected individuals practised Tai Chi twice a week for twelve weeks. Their symptoms improved markedly more than in the comparison group that received health education and stretching exercises. The difference persisted until the follow-up at 24 weeks 1. A second, larger study with 226 affected individuals compared Tai Chi with endurance training. Anxiety, low mood and self-efficacy improved more in the Tai Chi group 5.

For mental health, an analysis of 40 studies with 3817 participants summarised that stress, anxiety and low mood improved. Exercise duration ranged from one hour to one year 2.

In cancer, a review evaluated 22 studies with 1283 participants. Fatigue, sleep problems, low mood and quality of life improved. No clear association was found for pain 4. In a smaller study with 30 people with heart failure, quality of life improved after twelve weeks of Tai Chi and participants walked further in six minutes 3.

3. What Remains Unclear

Many studies are small and last only a few weeks. Often the comparison is with a group that does nothing or is on a waiting list. It is then difficult to say how much is due to attention and the group alone. Blinding movement programmes is hardly possible: those who practise know that they are practising. Whether the effect lasts months or years remains open. It is also not yet clear whether one style works better than another. Adverse effects were recorded in only some of the studies; mainly mild complaints such as muscle soreness or temporary joint discomfort were reported. How the practices affect older people with several concurrent conditions would need to be examined in dedicated studies.

4. What This Means in Everyday Life

The studies almost always took place in groups led by experienced teachers, with fixed appointments. Whether the results can be transferred to practising at home or to other groups is not clear. It is noticeable that in several studies improvement depended on how much was actually practised. The more hours someone participated, the more clearly the symptoms improved. This is an indication that the practice itself plays a role, but not proof. The practices are considered well tolerated; mainly mild complaints were reported. Whether Tai Chi and Qigong produce similarly strong long-term effects as physiotherapy or endurance training would need to be clarified with direct comparisons over longer periods.

All details with study numbers and sources: Detailed page on Tai Chi and Qigong. For children: Tai Chi and Qigong for Children.