The Memory-Boosting Power of Tai Chi: A Study Reveals the Most Beneficial Type

A study has found that practicing tai chi, a slow-moving martial art, can help slow down cognitive decline and protect against dementia. Participants who practiced a simplified form of tai chi twice a week for six months improved their memory test scores by 1.5 points, equivalent to staving off decline for three extra years. Those who practiced a more rigorous form of tai chi, called Cognitively Enhanced Tai Ji Quan, improved their scores by about 3 points, equivalent to six extra years of cognitive function. The combination of physical activity and memorization of movements in tai chi is believed to contribute to its effectiveness.