8 Surprising Reasons to Try Tai Chi After 50

1. Fall prevention

People who practice tai chi have up to 50 percent fewer falls than those who don’t, according to several large review studies. In other words, it cuts your chance of falling in half, Eckstrom says.

That’s important because about 1 in 4 adults age 65 and older falls every year, and falls are the leading cause of injury death for older adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Falls often result in injuries that can rob a person of his or her independence.

Other types of exercise have also been linked to fall prevention, but studies indicate tai chi is particularly effective. For example, in a 2018 JAMA Internal Medicine study, a group of 670 older adults randomly assigned to do tai chi for six months experienced 58 percent fewer falls compared with a group assigned to do stretching exercises and 31 percent fewer falls compared with a group assigned to do a combination regimen that included aerobics, strength training, balance and flexibility exercises. 

When you do tai chi, you stretch and reach into different poses that challenge and strengthen your balance, Eckstrom says. “It’s almost like falling every time you do a tai chi move, and you’re catching yourself,” she says. “So your body learns how to be more stable across a broader range of instability.”  

2. A sharper mind

Research indicates that practicing tai chi can help with learning, memory and other mental functions. For older adults who already have some cognitive issues, studies show tai chi can slow the progression to dementia.

In one study that Eckstrom conducted, people who practiced a simple form of tai chi called Tai Ji Quan twice a week for six months improved their score on a cognitive test by 1.5 points. If they added a cognitive challenge while practicing tai chi — such as counting backwards from 20 or spelling words backward — their scores jumped by another three points, the study showed. 

That may not sound like a lot, Eckstrom says, but because people with mild cognitive decline typically lose about half a point per year, “it’s the equivalent of giving you six extra years of cognition.”

3. Improved mood and mental health

The deep breathing and meditative movements that are part of tai chi are believed to help clear the mind, relieve stress and improve overall psychological well-being.

The mindfulness part of tai chi “has you focused on your body and breathing” rather than everything else going on in your life, Hashmi says, “so the stress reduction effects are immense.”

Research indicates tai chi can also help reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and mood disturbances and increase self-esteem.  

4. Lower blood pressure

Many studies have shown that tai chi can lower blood pressure, in some cases as well or better than antihypertensive drugs or other types of exercise.

One randomized controlled trial published in JAMA Open Network in 2024 assigned 342 people with prehypertension to two groups. One performed four sessions of tai chi each week; the other performed four sessions of aerobic exercise. After a year, both groups had lower systolic blood pressure readings, but those in the tai chi group experienced a much bigger drop: 7.01 mg Hg on average, compared to 4.61 mm Hg for the aerobic group.

“It’s sort of counterintuitive,” Hashmi said. “We used to have a lot of cardiology literature that used to say, if you’re going to do aerobic exercise, we want your heart rate to be at a certain target heart rate level.… This is different. This is relaxing you in a way that makes your blood pressure go down, makes your heart rate actually go down.”

Other research has linked tai chi to lower cholesterol and inflammation levels, and a seated form of tai chi has been found to help with stroke recovery.

5. Pain relief

Tai chi can provide relief from several types of chronic pain, including pain caused by osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. As many as 1 in 5 in the United States live with chronic pain that affects their daily life and activities, according to the CDC.

One review of people with knee osteoarthritis found that they had significantly less pain and better physical function after practicing tai chi. Another trial that compared tai chi to physical therapy found it was equally effective for knee osteoarthritis, and that the tai chi trial participants reported a higher quality of life compared to those who did PT.

The American College of Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation strongly recommend tai chi for the management of both knee and hip osteoarthritis.

Studies indicate tai chi can also help people with fibromyalgia, a condition that causes debilitating full-body pain. In one randomized controlled trial, fibromyalgia sufferers who did tai chi reported less pain compared to those assigned to do aerobic exercise.

Eckstrom said tai chi helps improve muscle and core strength and coordination, which leads to better joint stability, reducing pain.

“When your muscles are strong, your joints don’t have to work as hard, because your muscles do all the work,” she says.

6. Improved lung function

The combination of movement and deep abdominal breathing in tai chi can help boost breathing efficiency and oxygen intake.

For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tai chi improves exercise capacity, lung function and quality of life, according to a 2021 review of 23 studies by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Tai chi was better than no treatment, and it was better than breathing and walking exercises in some of the studies, the review found.

7. Better sleep

Practicing tai chi can help you catch some zzzs if you’re one of the 10 to 30 percent of older adults who suffer from insomnia.

One systematic review of nine randomized trials published in the Journal of Sleep Disorders and Therapy reported that 1.5 to 3 hours of tai chi per week significantly improved sleep quality and enhanced functional ability in older adults.

In addition, Eckstrom says her own research showed that people fell asleep 17 minutes sooner and slept 42 minutes longer after doing tai chi. “There are people who really struggle with sleep, and that amount of extra every night can make a big difference,” she says.

8. Boosts immune system

If you don’t want to get sick, it appears that tai chi can even help boost your body’s disease-fighting defenses.

Studies show that tai chi can increase the overall number of immune cells in your body, helping to stave off infection. Other research shows tai chi helps to increase antibody levels after vaccination. Experts think the boost happens because tai chi reduces stress and improves sleep — two essential ingredients for a healthy immune system.