The effects of tai chi and walking on fasting blood glucose among patients with type II diabetes mellitus

Background: Effective diabetes mellitus (DM) prevention and management necessitate blood glucose monitoring, health education, and professional nursing care. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of Tai Chi and walking on fasting blood glucose (FBG) among patients with type II DM. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial study, 100 patients with type II DM were randomly allocated to a Tai Chi, a walking, and a control group. Patients in the control group performed no regular physical exercise. However, patients in the Tai Chi and the walking groups, respectively, did Tai Chi and walking in three 30-min sessions a week for eight successive weeks. FBG was assessed before and after the interventions. The data were analyzed through the one-way analysis of variance paired-sample t, and Scheffe's tests. Results: Posttest values of FBG in the Tai Chi and the walking groups were significantly lower than the corresponding pretest values (P = 0.013 and 0.004, respectively). Moreover, after the intervention, FBG level in the control group was significantly higher than the Tai Chi (P < 0.001) and the walking (P < 0.0001) groups while the difference between the Tai Chi and the walking groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.571). Conclusion: Eight-week Tia Chi and walking are effective in lowering blood glucose among patients with type II DM. These exercises are recommended for patients with type II DM.