Background: Physical activity is associated with a better longevity andreduced morbidity. In addition, exercise has a mood-elevating effect, which improves self-esteem. Tai-Chiis a traditional Chinese aerobic exercise. We aimed to assess the short-term effects of Tai-Chi on theclinical parameters and health-related quality of life (QOL) in Hong Kong Chinese. Material/Methods:Twenty Chinese healthy female subjects were recruited. There were 2 Tai-Chi sessions per week for 10weeks. Each session lasted for one hour. Health-related QOL was assessed with SF-36 questionnaire. Results:Of the 20 subjects, their mean age was 40.8+/-5.9 years (median 42.5 years, range 30-50 years). At theend of the study, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterollevels significantly reduced (114+/-9 to 108+/-9 mmHg, p=0.012; 4.7+/-0.8 to 4.4+/-0.5 mmol/L, p=0.020and 2.7+/-0.6 to 2.2+/-0.5 mmol/L, p=0.001, respectively). Among all SF-36 items, Vitality and MentalHealth significantly improved after the 10-week Tai-Chi program (64.9+/-8.1 to 68.4+/-6.6, p=0.038 and64.4+/-6.9 to 69.1+/-1.4, p=0.003, respectively). Conclusions: A 10-week Tai-Chi exercise program improvedsystolic blood pressure, lipid profiles and some of the parameters of health-related QOL in Hong KongChinese women. Tai-Chi is likely to be a useful choice of physical activity. We need a larger study thatcovers a wider range of populations to confirm our results.

Keywords: Asian Continental Ancestry Group, Blood Pressure, Exercise - physiology, Hong Kong, Lipids - blood, Quality of Life, Questionnaires, Tai Ji, Time Factors