Effect of healthy Qigong "WuQinXi" exercise on peripheral blood T-cell subgroups in middle-aged subjects

"WuQinXi" is becoming a popular exercise among elders. This study measured the peripheral blood T-cell subgroups in elderly "WuQinXi" practitioners. Fifty healthy Chinese people (male 15, female 35), aged between 50 and 69, attended a 135 min Tai Chi practice session four times a week for three months. The results showed significant (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) differences in peripheral blood T-cell subgroups between before and after exercise. The improvement noted in the "WuQinXi" practitioners may reflect increased ratio of CD4 super(+) to CD8 super(+). Moreover, the effect was better in female practitioners than male ones. This data suggest that "WuQinXi" exercise may improve immunity function of elderly practitioners.