Tai chi prolongs life: this is revealed by a maxi study that involved over 61 thousand Chinese males and was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Led by Xianglan Zhang of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, the study shows that men who regularly practiced Tai Chi had a 20 percent reduced risk of dying.

The expert studied the sample for several years, dividing it into groups according to the type of physical exercise he practiced or sedentary lifestyle.

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese art based on slow movements, balance and concentration: during the practice we help ourselves with concentration to maintain certain positions of the body for a long time. In past studies, Tai Chi has been found to be beneficial against the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

The new study found that Chinese people who practiced Tai Chi regularly, although on average older and often with chronic diseases than the rest of the observed sample, had a 20% reduced risk of dying compared to those who did not exercise.