Fitness and medical experts have inundated us with the advice of regular exercise to maintain a healthy body and mind. This is often portrayed by popular media and fitness clubs promote the vigorous, and even “no pain, no gain,” approach to fitness. There is some new research out now that indicates that a slower and more mindful approach to exercise may be just as, or even more beneficial for some people.

According to Alan Fogel, writing in Psychology Today, “slow movement, with body sense awareness, has astounding health benefits by itself and in combination with regular exercise routines.” There are a growing number of pain clinics and integrative medicine centers that offer slow movement, awareness-based therapies such as Yoga or Tai Chi.

Tai Chi, for example, the most famous branch of Quigong, or exercises that harness the “qi” (life energy) has been linked to health benefits for virtually everyone from children to seniors and for people suffering from everything from breast cancer to Parkinson’s, sleep problems, high blood pressure to soft tissue injuries. Tai Chi combines basic martial arts movements with deep breathing and graceful meditative movements. In a study comparing Tai Chi with brisk walking and resistance training, a Tai Chi group improved more than 30% in lower-body strength and 25% in arm strength, equal to weight trainers and more than brisk walkers.

A 2008 Harvard Medical School analysis of 26 research studies on the benefits of Tai Chi showed that in 85% of the trails, Tai Chi lowered blood pressure and reduced levels of peptides associated with heart disease and loss of bone density.

So, slow mindful exercise as demonstrated in practices such as yoga and Tai Chi, may be the ticket to longer, more peaceful life.