你會打太極拳嗎？有沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)打太極拳能愉悅身心？最新研究表明，打太極拳有緩解抑郁的功效。在試驗(yàn)中，參與太極拳練習(xí)的受試者抑郁癥狀都有明顯改善。

Taking part in Tai Chi could help to combat depression, new research claims.
最新研究表明，打太極拳能幫助對抗抑郁。

Going to classes in the ancient Chinese martial art for 12 weeks significantly reduced symptoms of the blues.
參加這門古代中國武術(shù)（太極拳）的課程12周就能明顯減輕抑郁癥狀。

It can work independently of treatment, suggesting it can scupper the need for an antidepressant prescription, the small study shows.
一項(xiàng)小型研究顯示，太極拳練習(xí)可用于獨(dú)立治療，也就是說患者無需服用抗抑郁藥物。

The findings hold promise amid soaring rates of depression worldwide, with drugs and therapy often proving ineffective.
從全世界范圍來看，抑郁癥的發(fā)病率不斷上升，藥物和各種治療經(jīng)常證明無效，而這一研究發(fā)現(xiàn)給人們帶來了希望。

The meditative practice, which has been used for more than 1,000 years, combines deep breathing and slow and gentle movements.
太極拳能讓人在運(yùn)動中冥想，已有超過1000年歷史，它將深呼吸和緩慢溫和的運(yùn)動結(jié)合起來。

Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital enrolled 50 Chinese-American participants for the study.
麻省綜合醫(yī)院的研究人員招募了50名美籍華人參與了這項(xiàng)研究。

All of the volunteers had mild to moderate depression and were not receiving any other forms of treatment at the time.
所有的志愿者都有輕度到中度抑郁，而且受試時未接受任何其他形式的抑郁治療。

They were placed at random in three groups. The first took part in Tai Chi, a second received educational therapy and the third was a control group.
他們被隨機(jī)分為三組。第一組參加太極拳練習(xí)，第二組接受教育治療，第三組是實(shí)驗(yàn)對照組。

Those given Tai Chi were taught basic traditional movements and asked to practice three times a week.
太極拳練習(xí)組的成員學(xué)習(xí)了基本的太極拳動作，并按照要求每周練習(xí)三次。

All 17 volunteers in the martial art reported significantly greater improvement in depression symptoms than the other two groups.
與另外兩組相比，所有的17名太極拳組成員的抑郁癥狀都得到了顯著改善。

Follow up assessment after six months showed sustained improvement, the report published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry states.
研究報告稱，半年后的跟蹤評估顯示，受試者的抑郁癥狀得到持續(xù)改善。這份研究報告發(fā)表在《臨床神經(jīng)病學(xué)雜志》上。

Lead author Professor Albert Yeung said if the findings are confirmed in other trials, it could be used as a primary treatment.
報告的主要作者艾伯特-楊教授說，如果這一發(fā)現(xiàn)在其他研究中得以證實(shí)，就可以用來進(jìn)行對抑郁癥的初步治療。

While he said that the results of the study were important due to many adults of Chinese American ethnicity deciding not to seek help with depression.
他表示，這一研究成果非常重要，因?yàn)楹芏嗝兰A人患了抑郁癥一般都選擇不尋求治療。

Professor Yeung added: 'Finding Tai Chi can be effective is particularly significant because it is culturally accepted by this group of patients who tend to avoid conventional psychiatric treatment.'
楊教授補(bǔ)充說：“太極拳對緩解抑郁有效這一發(fā)現(xiàn)非常重要，因?yàn)槊兰A人中的抑郁癥人群常常不想做傳統(tǒng)的精神病學(xué)治療，而太極拳對他們來說在文化角度來看是可以接受的?！?/p>

Previous research has shown Tai Chi makes the brain bigger and improves memory and thinking - possibly delaying the onset of dementia.
此前研究表明，練習(xí)太極拳可以使腦容量更大，改善記憶力和思維能力，因此有可能延緩癡呆癥的發(fā)作。

The devastating neurological condition is associated with increasing shrinkage of the brain, as nerve cells and their connections are gradually lost.
這種毀滅性的神經(jīng)癥狀與腦容量日益縮小有關(guān)，神經(jīng)細(xì)胞以及它們之間的連接逐漸喪失。

Tai Chi has also been linked with reducing high blood pressure and relieving symptoms of cancer, heart failure, osteoarthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
練習(xí)太極拳還可以降低血壓，緩解癌癥、心力衰竭、骨關(guān)節(jié)炎和慢性阻塞性肺病的癥狀。

英文來源：每日郵報
翻譯&編審：yaning