Can Qigong Lower Blood Pressure?

Qigong is a traditional exercise from China that incorporates mindfulness, breath control, and body movement. Prior research has suggested a possible reduction in blood pressure with baduanjin, a form of qigong consisting of eight slow, flowing movements (see Figure 1).

To explore this further, researchers in China randomly assigned 216 patients with in-office systolic blood pressure (SBP) between 130 and 139 mm Hg (mean, 135 mm Hg) to engage in baduanjin, brisk walking, or any aerobic exercise. Each group was given a goal of 30 minutes/day, 5 days/week of their assigned exercise. The baduanjin group received instructional videos and one training session. All patients underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (mean baseli…