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Updated: Jan 15, 2026
Author Spotlight: Integrating Tai Chi with Mindfulness Training to Achieve an Effective Mind-Body Exercise
Published on: July 14, 2023
Improving exercise motivation and physical fitness in college students through a long-term mindfulness-enhanced Tai
Ping Qu1, Xiaoqing Zhu2, Ting Zhu1
1Department of Physical Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Background:
While Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is widely recognized for its physical and mental health benefits, its mindful components are often overlooked in traditional training. Mindfulness-enhanced Tai Chi Chuan (MTCC) has been proposed to address this limitation, yet little research has explored its long-term impact on exercise motivation and physical fitness. This study extends previous findings by investigating the sustained effects of a 24-week MTCC intervention in improving physical and mental health outcomes among college students, with a focus on long-term sustainability and motivation maintenance that distinguishes it from our prior short-term research.
Methods:
A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 80 college students assigned to either an MTCC group or a traditional TCC group. Seventy-one participants completed the allocated intervention, while nine participants dropped out for personal reasons. No serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported. The MTCC program was delivered in two stages over 24 weekly sessions. The first stage introduced participants to mindfulness-enhanced Taiyi Mirrored-heart Chuan, emphasizing foundational postures and mindfulness principles. The second stage involved traditional TCC training to consolidate the skills and motivation gained during the first stage. Outcome measures, including exercise motivation, physical fitness, mindfulness and subjective well-being, were assessed pre- and post-intervention.
Results:
Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that participants in the MTCC group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in all measured outcomes compared to the traditional TCC group. Specifically, the 24-week intervention showed larger effect sizes in physical fitness (η 2 p = 0.224) compared to our prior study (η 2 p = 0.033-0.210), highlighting the value of long-term intervention.
Conclusion:
These findings highlight the long-term benefits of integrating mindfulness into TCC practice, particularly in fostering intrinsic motivation for physical activity and enhancing overall well-being. The study underscores the potential of MTCC as a sustainable intervention for promoting holistic health in college students and its applicability in educational and wellness settings.
Clinical Review Registration:
https://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2200058449.
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