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Tai chi/yoga effects on anxiety, heartrate, EEG and math computations
Tiffany Field1, Miguel Diego, Maria Hernandez-Reif
1Touch Research Institutes, University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Miami, FL 33101, USA. tfield@med.miami.edu
Objective:
To determine the immediate effects of a combined form of Tai chi/yoga.
Design:
38 adults participated in a 20-min Tai chi/yoga class. The session was comprised of standing Tai chi movements, balancing poses and a short Tai chi form and 10 min of standing, sitting and lying down yoga poses.
Main Outcome Measures:
The pre- and post- Tai chi/yoga effects were assessed using the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI), EKG, EEG and math computations.
Results:
Heartrate increased during the session, as would be expected for this moderate-intensity exercise. Changes from pre to post-session assessments suggested increased relaxation including decreased anxiety and a trend for increased EEG theta activity.
Conclusions:
The increased relaxation may have contributed to the increased speed and accuracy noted on math computations following the Tai chi/yoga class.
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