Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2015 Oct 15:15:368.
doi: 10.1186/s12906-015-0895-x.

Training in ChiRunning to reduce blood pressure: a randomized controlled pilot study

Kelly McDermott  1 , Deepak Kumar  2 , Veronica Goldman  3 , Haojun Feng  3 , Wolf Mehling  3 , Judith T Moskowitz  4 , Richard B Souza  2   5 , Frederick M Hecht  3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Training in ChiRunning to reduce blood pressure: a randomized controlled pilot study

Kelly McDermott et al. BMC Complement Altern Med. .

Abstract

Background: People with prehypertension (120-130/80-90 mmHg) are at increased risk of progressing to hypertension. Recommendations for prehypertension include engaging in regular physical activity. We aimed to assess feasibility and acceptability and collect preliminary outcome data on ChiRunning for people with elevated blood pressure. ChiRunning is a commercially available running program based on the mindful movements of Tai Chi, which is aimed at decreasing injury by both increasing body awareness and modifying running form.

Methods: We enrolled adults with elevated systolic (130-150 mmHg) or diastolic (80-100 mmHg) blood pressure in a 12-week pilot trial. Participants were randomized 2:1:1 to 8 weeks of: 1) intervention-a trainer-led ChiRunning group (n = 10); 2) active control-a trainer-led running group (n = 6); or 3) educational control-a self-directed running group (n = 6) and followed for 4 more weeks. The active control and educational control groups were combined for analysis.

Results: This study was feasible, meeting recruitment, retention and adherence goals, and acceptable to participants. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure did not change significantly over the study for either the ChiRunning or control groups. Changes in BMI over time were significantly different from zero in the ChiRunning group (p = 0.04) but not in the control group (slope for ChiRunning -0.05 [-0.1 to -0.002] vs. control -0.01 [-0.06 to 0.04], between slope difference, p = 0.22). Self-reported running-related injury (i.e. discomfort leading to a decrease in running) was similar between groups (ChiRunning, 4 [1.2 to 8.4] vs. control, 3 [0.7 to 7.1] injuries per 100 h of running, p = 0.72) although self-reported running-related discomfort (i.e. discomfort that does not lead to changes in running) trended higher in the ChiRunning group (ChiRunning, 10 [5.4 to 16.8] vs. control, 4 [1.5 to 9] reports of discomfort per 100 h of running, p = 0.06).

Conclusion: ChiRunning appears to be a feasible and acceptable exercise program for people with elevated blood pressure. We did not find that ChiRunning had a significant impact on blood pressure or self reported injury, but did see a positive change in BMI over time. ChiRunning warrants further investigation in a larger trial.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01587183.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
CONSORT flow diagram of participants
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Go AS, Mozaffarian D, Roger VL, Benjamin EJ, Berry JD, Blaha MJ, et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics--2014 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2014;129:e28–e292. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.0000441139.02102.80. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wang Y, Wang QJ. The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension among US adults according to the new joint national committee guidelines: new challenges of the old problem. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:2126–2134. doi: 10.1001/archinte.164.19.2126. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Vasan RS, Larson MG, Leip EP, Kannel WB, Levy D. Assessment of frequency of progression to hypertension in non-hypertensive participants in the Framingham Heart Study: a cohort study. Lancet. 2001;358:1682–1686. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(01)06710-1. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, Cushman WC, Green LA, Izzo JL, et al. Seventh report of the joint national committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure. Hypertension. 2003;42:1206–1252. doi: 10.1161/01.HYP.0000107251.49515.c2. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kokkinos P, Myers J, Doumas M, Faselis C, Manolis A, Pittaras A, et al. Exercise capacity and all-cause mortality in prehypertensive men. Am J Hypertens. 2009;22:735–741. doi: 10.1038/ajh.2009.74. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

Associated data