A new study recently published by Swiss journal Frontiers in public health examines the health benefits of Chan-Chuang Qigong and resistance exercise. Chan-Chuang, also translated as Zhan Zhuang from Chinese 站桩, means “standing like a tree trunk”.
In this study, a Chinese research team deployed an 8-week randomized controlled trial, in which 76 male methamphetamine users were allocated to control (25 of them), Chan-Chuang (26), and residence exercise groups (25). The primary outcomes were drug craving, mental wellbeing, sleep quality, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure. The secondary outcomes were body mass index (BMI), vital capacity, grip strength, balance, and vertical jump.
Chan-Chuang exercise resulted in reduced heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure, along with improvements in vital capacity, grip strength, and balance compared to the control group. Resistance exercise reduced systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure, and improved vital capacity, grip strength, balance, and vertical jump.
These findings may support the role of Chan-Chuang and resistance exercise in maintaining the physical fitness of methamphetamine users at drug rehab centers.
