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Article: Qigong and the older adult: an exercise to improve health and vitality. Combining breathing exercises, relaxation, and meditation, qigong has surprising therapeutic benefits, especially for older adults.
- Article from:
- JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance
- Article date:
- April 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Qigong, one of most popular traditional Chinese therapies for health and well-being, has a history that dates back thousands of years. Qigong literally means "breathing exercise" (Zhong, 1984). The term qi actually means both "breath" and "vital energy" (Tang, 1994). Qigong (pronounced "chee gong") can be spelled a number of ways, including qigong, qi gong, chi gong, and chi kung.
Qigong is an exercise to keep the qi or chi in good condition. According to Da-hong (1982), a medical doctor,
The term "chi" not only refers to the air one breathes in and out, but
also, in a more important sense, it refers to the vigor or energy
within the body, i.e. ...