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 managementnecessitate blood glucose monitoring, health education, and professional nursingcare. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of Tai Chiand walking on fasting blood glucose (FBG) among patients with type II DM.Methods: In this randomized controlled trial study, 100 patients with type II DMwere randomly allocated to a Tai Chi, a walking, and a control group. Patientsin the control group performed no regular physical exercise. However, patientsin the Tai Chi and the walking groups, respectively, did Tai Chi and walkingin three 30‑min sessions a week for eight successive weeks. FBG was assessedbefore and after the interventions. The data were analyzed through the one‑wayanalysis of variance paired‑sample t, and Scheffe’s tests. Results: Posttest valuesof FBG in the Tai Chi and the walking groups were significantly lower thanthe corresponding pretest values (P = 0.013 and 0.004, respectively). Moreover,after the intervention, FBG level in the control group was significantly higherthan the Tai Chi (P 0.001) and the walking (P 0.0001) groups while thedifference between the Tai Chi and the walking groups was not statisticallysignificant (P = 0.571). Conclusion: Eight‑week Tia Chi and walking are effectivein lowering blood glucose among patients with type II DM. These exercises arerecommended for patients with type II DM.Keywords: