Acupuncture Times Your guide to acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and TCM — explore acupoints, herbs and formulas, plus the latest acupuncture research news.
Related Articles
This network meta-analysis examined the comparative effectiveness of traditional Chinese fitness exercises on mental health, body composition, and cardiorespiratory outcomes in college students. Researchers searched eight databases and included 69 randomised controlled trials involving 6,065 participants, using Bayesian network meta-analysis methods to rank and compare multiple exercise modalities simultaneously.
For depression, Tai Chi emerged as the top-ranked intervention, followed by Yijin Jing and Baduanjin, with several statistically meaningful differences observed between specific pairs of exercises. For anxiety, Tai Chi significantly outperformed no exercise and ranked highest overall. Results for physical outcomes were more varied: different exercises excelled in different areas, with Xingyiquan and Mawangdui Daoyinshu ranking highest for maximal oxygen uptake, while Liuzijue combined with physical intervention and Wuqinxi ranked well for vital capacity. Tai Chi also ranked highest for reducing body fat rate, whereas Liuzijue, Wuqinxi, and physical intervention alone ranked highest for body mass index. The authors caution that surface under the cumulative ranking curve rankings must be interpreted alongside actual effect sizes and credible intervals, as ranking position alone does not confirm clinical significance.
The findings suggest that no single exercise is universally superior across all outcomes, and that practitioners should select exercises based on the specific health goal being targeted.
Conclusion: Traditional Chinese fitness exercises offer multidimensional benefits for college students, with Tai Chi showing particular promise for mental health outcomes, though exercise choice should be guided by the individual outcome of interest.
Source: Wang N, Hong H, Dong M and colleagues. Frontiers in psychiatry (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42920613) · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1921373
