Key points
- Tai chi walking is a very slow, controlled way of stepping. You place each foot before you put any weight on it, then move your body over it gradually, so every step becomes a small balance exercise.
- No trial has tested tai chi walking for weight loss. Studies of full tai chi classes show small changes: about half a kilo in one trial, and a waist about 2 cm smaller in another.
- It burns relatively few calories. Based on the Compendium of Physical Activities, half an hour of brisk walking uses roughly twice the energy of slow tai chi stepping.
- Tai chi does help in other ways. Good studies link it to fewer falls, less knee pain, lower blood pressure and less stress, which can make it easier to keep moving.
- For weight loss, brisk walking and good food matter more. Use tai chi walking as a warm-up, a cool-down or a gentle day, not as your main tool.
- Talk to your doctor first if you get dizzy, take blood pressure medicines, have fallen recently or have heart or joint problems.
What is tai chi walking?
Tai chi walking is a slow-motion walk taken from the stepping drills of tai chi, a Chinese martial art that is now mostly practised as gentle exercise. Each step has two stages: first you place the foot, then you transfer your weight onto it.
In normal walking you lean forward a little and your next foot catches you. In tai chi walking there is no momentum. You stand fully on one leg for a few seconds while the other foot moves, and that is why your thighs and ankles feel it even though you barely move forward.
The drill went viral on short-video apps, often with promises of fast fat loss. Our walking for weight loss guide gives it a short mention; this page looks at the full picture: what it is, what it can and cannot do, and how to fit it into a plan that does help you lose weight.
It is not the same as walking meditation, although both are slow. Walking meditation is mainly about attention. Tai chi walking also trains leg strength, posture and the way you shift your weight, which is useful for anyone who feels unsteady on their feet.
Does tai chi walking help with weight loss?
There are no published trials of tai chi walking for weight loss, so any claim of large or fast fat loss is not based on evidence. What we do have are studies of complete tai chi programmes, which include stepping as one part of longer, flowing routines.
Those studies show small but real effects on weight and waist size. They do not show tai chi working better than ordinary exercise, and none of them tested the short daily stepping sessions shown in viral videos.
The largest trial: tai chi and waist size
In Hong Kong, researchers randomly assigned 543 adults aged 50 or over with a large waist to tai chi, to conventional exercise (aerobic exercise plus strength training) or to no exercise. The two exercise groups trained three times a week for an hour, for 12 weeks.
Compared with the group that did not exercise, the tai chi group lost about 1.8 cm from the waist and the conventional exercise group about 1.3 cm. Both groups also lost a small amount of weight, and both changes were still there about six months after the classes ended.
That is encouraging, but notice the dose: three hours a week of supervised classes, not a few minutes of slow steps. The study also had no food programme and many people dropped out, which the authors listed as limitations.
Tai chi compared with walking
An earlier Hong Kong trial compared tai chi with self-paced walking in 374 middle-aged adults. Both groups practised for 45 minutes a day, five days a week, for 12 weeks.
On average the tai chi group lost 0.5 kg and the walking group 0.76 kg. Both groups reduced their waist size by about 4 cm compared with the control group and improved fasting blood sugar. So even with almost four hours a week, the weight change was small without changes in food.
Reviews of many small trials
A review of 10 trials of traditional Chinese exercise, including tai chi, reported a much larger average weight drop of about 6 kg. The authors themselves warned that the trials were small and of weak methodological quality, so this figure should be treated with caution.
The overall message is consistent with exercise research in general. Programmes of movement alone usually lead to modest weight loss, while the bigger changes come when people also change what and how much they eat.
| Study | Who took part | How much tai chi | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siu et al., randomised trial | 543 adults aged 50+ with a large waist | 1 hour, 3 times a week, 12 weeks | Waist about 1.8 cm smaller than no exercise; similar to aerobic plus strength exercise; small weight loss |
| Hui et al., randomised trial | 374 middle-aged adults | 45 minutes, 5 times a week, 12 weeks | 0.5 kg lost with tai chi, 0.76 kg with walking; waist smaller in both |
| Yang et al., review of 10 trials | 701 people with obesity | Different traditional Chinese exercises | Larger losses reported, but the trials were small and of weak quality |
| Tai chi walking on its own | No trials found | Not studied | Effect on weight unknown |
If you have seen posts claiming dramatic results from a few minutes a day, our page on weight loss myths explains why short routines that promise to burn fat almost never hold up.
How many calories does tai chi walking burn?
Tai chi walking probably burns about as much energy as a very slow stroll, which is roughly half of what a brisk walk uses in the same time. These are estimates, because the Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard research list of energy costs, has no separate entry for tai chi walking.
The Compendium gives energy use in METs: multiples of the energy you use sitting still. It lists general tai chi and qigong at 3.3 METs and seated tai chi at 1.5. Very slow strolling is 2.3, moderate walking 3.8 and brisk walking 4.8.
For tai chi walking we used the strolling value, because the steps are slower than any walking speed in the list. We then applied the same formula as our calories burned calculator to four body weights.
| Activity (Compendium METs) | 80 kg | 100 kg | 120 kg | 140 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seated tai chi, light (1.5) | 63 | 79 | 94 | 110 |
| Tai chi walking, our estimate based on very slow strolling (2.3) | 97 | 121 | 145 | 169 |
| Tai chi class, general (3.3) | 139 | 173 | 208 | 243 |
| Walking at a moderate pace, 4.5–5.5 km/h (3.8) | 160 | 200 | 239 | 279 |
| Brisk walking, 5.6–6.3 km/h (4.8) | 202 | 252 | 302 | 353 |
These totals include the energy you would have used anyway by sitting still. For the 100 kg example, the extra energy from 30 minutes of tai chi walking is only about 70 kcal, against about 200 kcal for brisk walking.
Over a week the gap adds up. Swapping five half-hour brisk walks for tai chi walking would mean roughly 650 kcal less movement energy per week for someone of 100 kg.
Some forms of tai chi can be much harder work: the Compendium lists Yang-style tai chi chuan at 6.0 METs. Slow stepping practice in a kitchen or park is a very different activity, so do not use that number for tai chi walking.
Your own numbers can differ from the table. MET values are based on averages and can be off by a fair margin, particularly in a heavier body, and the effort depends on how low you bend your knees and how long you hold each step.
What tai chi can do: balance, joints, blood pressure and stress
Tai chi has better evidence for balance, joint pain, blood pressure and mood than for weight. These benefits matter for weight loss indirectly: when you feel steadier and less sore, it becomes easier to walk further and keep active.
Balance and falls
A large Cochrane review of exercise to prevent falls in people aged 60 and over found that tai chi reduces the number of people who fall by about 20%, with high-certainty evidence. Programmes built around balance and functional exercises also reduced falls.
The same review was uncertain whether walking programmes on their own prevent falls. That is one reason why combining brisk walking with slow balance work, such as tai chi walking, makes sense if you feel unsteady.
Knee pain
In a trial of 204 people with knee osteoarthritis, twelve weeks of twice-weekly tai chi eased pain and stiffness about as much as a standard course of physiotherapy. The tai chi group also had greater improvements in depression scores.
Exercise guidelines for knee osteoarthritis now include tai chi among recommended options. Our page on exercise with bad knees covers the wider choice of knee-friendly cardio and how much discomfort is acceptable.
Blood pressure
In a 12-month trial of 342 adults with blood pressure just above the healthy range, tai chi lowered the top number (systolic pressure) by about 7 mmHg on average. The comparison group, who did aerobic exercise for the same amount of time, saw a drop of about 4.6 mmHg.
Both groups trained four times a week for an hour under supervision. This suggests that slow, controlled movement can lower blood pressure, even though it uses less energy than brisk walking. Note that these were full tai chi classes, not tai chi walking alone.
Stress and mood
A review of 40 studies found that regular tai chi was linked to less stress, anxiety and low mood, and to better overall well-being. The authors noted that the studies varied widely in design and often lacked good comparison groups, so the size of the benefit is uncertain.
For many people, stress and tiredness make it harder to eat well and keep moving. A calm ten minutes of slow steps can be a useful reset at the end of a long day.
How do you do tai chi walking, step by step?
Tai chi walking means moving one foot into place with no weight on it, then shifting your weight onto that foot slowly and smoothly. Start next to a wall, a kitchen worktop or the back of a sturdy chair so you can touch it at any moment.
- Set up. Clear a short, flat path of four or five metres. Wear flat shoes with a good grip, not socks on a smooth floor.
- Stand tall. Feet hip-width apart or a little wider, toes pointing forward, knees soft rather than locked. Rest one hand on your support.
- Settle your weight. Breathe out and let your weight sink into your left leg until your right foot feels light.
- Place the free foot. Lift your right foot and set it down a short step ahead, heel first, with no weight on it yet. Keep the step short: about half a normal stride is plenty.
- Shift slowly. Over three or four slow counts, roll the right foot flat and move your weight forward onto it. Your back heel will lift as the back leg becomes light.
- Bring the back foot forward. Lift the left foot, let it pass close to the right ankle and place it ahead, again with no weight on it.
- Keep going. Take 6 to 10 steps, then turn around slowly with small steps and come back. Breathe calmly through the whole movement and do not hold your breath.
Your knees should point in the same direction as your toes, and they should not sink lower than feels comfortable. A small bend is enough to begin with; the deeper the bend, the harder your thighs work.
Variations once the basic step feels steady
- Sideways steps along the worktop: place one foot to the side, shift your weight across slowly, then bring the other foot in.
- Backward steps, only with your hand on the support: place the toes first, then lower the heel and move your weight back.
- Lighter support: rest one fingertip on the wall instead of your whole hand, then try a few steps with your hand hovering just above it.
- Arm movements: let your hands float forward at hip height as you shift, then lower them as you place the next foot.
Tai chi walking in a heavier body
Tai chi walking can be done in any body size, as long as you adapt the stance and keep support close by. The slow pace is an advantage: there is no impact, and you can stop and rest between any two steps.
A slightly wider stance makes standing on one leg more stable and gives your thighs room. Many people with a larger belly or thighs find it more comfortable to point the toes a little outwards; just keep the knees in line with them.
Standing on one leg is harder when you carry more weight, especially with sore knees or ankles. Shorten the time you stay on one leg: count two instead of four, and keep your hand on the wall for as long as you like. With regular practice, strength and balance usually improve.
If standing for ten minutes is too tiring, start with two or three minutes and sit down between rounds. A seated warm-up from our low impact cardio routine can prepare your legs before you stand up.
Leg strength makes every step steadier. Simple sit-to-stand practice and calf raises from our strength training plan for beginners help both tai chi walking and ordinary walking.
Safety: dizziness, blood pressure medicines and falls
Tai chi walking is low-risk for most people, but its slowness brings its own challenges: you stand on one leg, you turn, and you may stand still for longer than usual. Talk to your doctor first if any of the following applies to you.
- You often feel dizzy or light-headed, for example when you stand up quickly. Some medicines can cause dizziness, so ask your doctor whether yours might. Practise next to a chair so you can sit straight away.
- You take medicines for blood pressure. Tai chi itself may lower blood pressure over time. If you check your blood pressure at home and see it falling, or feel faint, let your doctor know; never change your medicines yourself.
- You have fallen in the past year or are afraid of falling. A physiotherapist can check your balance and show you a safe set-up, and some areas run supervised tai chi or falls prevention classes.
- You have numb feet, inner ear problems or poor eyesight. These make balance harder, so keep a hand on the support at all times and practise in good light.
- You have heart or lung disease, or diabetes treated with insulin or similar medicines. Ask your care team which activity level is safe and, for diabetes, what to carry when you exercise.
A review of tai chi trials found that reported side effects were usually minor aches, mostly in the knees and back, and no serious harm linked to tai chi itself. The authors added that many trials did not track side effects carefully, so it is still wise to start gently.
Stop and sit down if you feel dizzy, short of breath at rest, chest pain or pressure, or a sudden sharp pain in a joint. Seek medical help straight away if chest pain or breathlessness does not settle within a few minutes.
A 4-week plan: tai chi walking plus brisk walking
This plan uses tai chi walking for balance and calm, and ordinary walking at a gradually faster pace for energy use and heart health. Talk to your doctor first before you begin, especially if anything in the safety section applies to you.
“Brisk” means you breathe faster but can still talk in full sentences. If a week feels too hard, repeat it; there is no deadline.
| Week | Tai chi walking | Walking | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 minutes on most days, one hand on the worktop | 10 minutes at a comfortable pace, 3–4 days | Write down how steady you feel, from 1 to 10 |
| 2 | 5–8 minutes on most days; try fingertip support | 15 minutes, 4 days; the last 5 minutes a little brisker | One Start workout video |
| 3 | 8–10 minutes as a warm-up before each walk; add sideways steps | 20 minutes, 4–5 days, with two 3-minute brisk spells | Two Start videos or short strength sessions |
| 4 | 10 minutes as a warm-up or cool-down | 20–25 minutes, 5 days, with 10 minutes brisk in total | Two strength sessions; one food change from your eating plan |
On days when your knees or back are sore, tai chi walking can replace the walk rather than skipping movement altogether. On good days, keep it short and put your time into walking.
After four weeks, continue building towards the levels in our 12-week walking plan. Tai chi walking can stay as a short daily balance habit alongside it.
Who does tai chi walking suit, and who needs more?
Tai chi walking suits people who want a gentle, low-cost way to start moving and to feel steadier on their feet. It is less useful as the main activity for someone whose first goal is to lose weight.
| Your situation | How tai chi walking can help | What to add |
|---|---|---|
| Starting after years of little exercise | An easy daily habit that builds leg control and confidence | Short ordinary walks that slowly get longer |
| Sore knees or hips | No impact; tai chi eased knee pain in trials | Cycling, water exercise or walking within a comfortable pain level |
| Worried about balance or falling | Trains single-leg standing with support close by | Strength exercises for legs; a physiotherapist check if you have fallen |
| High stress or poor sleep | A calm, focused routine that many people find relaxing | Regular sleep times and support if stress feels overwhelming |
| Main goal is weight loss | A warm-up or recovery day at most | Brisk walking, strength training and changes in food |
Gentle yoga and pilates sit in a similar place: good for balance, flexibility and calm, less so for burning energy. Our guide to yoga and pilates for weight loss compares the two.
What actually drives weight loss
Weight loss mostly comes from eating a little less energy than you use, consistently, and the food side usually does more than the exercise side. Movement then helps you keep the weight off, protects muscle and improves your health at any weight.
That is why tai chi walking alone is unlikely to change the scale much. The calorie gap between slow stepping and brisk walking is real, but even brisk walking works best next to everyday changes such as more vegetables, filling protein, fewer sugary drinks and smaller portions of high-calorie foods.
If you have been active for weeks and your weight has not moved, our page on why you are not losing weight goes through the usual causes, from portion creep to sleep and medicines.
Progress also shows up outside the scale. Standing on one leg for longer, climbing stairs with less effort and fewer aches are all signs that your body is getting stronger.
Free tai chi walking: how to learn without paying
You do not need a class or an app to start tai chi walking: the steps on this page, a wall and a few metres of floor are enough. If you want guidance, there are free options too.
- Community classes. Many community centres, libraries, parks and health services offer free or low-cost tai chi, sometimes as part of falls prevention programmes for older adults.
- Online videos. Choose teachers who show support options and short steps, and skip any video that promises fast fat loss.
- A physiotherapist. If you have fallen or have joint problems, ask your doctor whether a physiotherapy or balance programme is available to you.
Our own free videos are not tai chi, but they work on the same foundations. The Start level uses a chair or wall for support in every standing move, and the Build level adds balance and core exercises; see our workout levels for details.
How Obesity Foundation helps you move and lose weight
Obesity Foundation is a non-profit, and everything we offer is free. We help people lose weight and feel better with good food, suitable exercise and walking, at a pace that fits your body today.
- Free workout videos. Start, Build and Strong levels, with chair and wall support from the very first session. Get the free workout videos.
- A free eating plan. Everyday meals to go with your walking, without crash diets. Ask for your free eating plan.
- The Obesity Foundation Club. A free personal account to log walks, tai chi sessions and workouts and see your progress. Join the club.
- A free video meeting (in English). Talk with our team about where to start and what help exists near you. Book a free video meeting.
Start small: five minutes of slow steps by the kitchen worktop today, and a short walk tomorrow. Both count.
Frequently asked questions
Can tai chi walking replace my daily walk?
For balance and relaxation it can, but for weight and heart fitness it is a weaker swap, because it uses far less energy than brisk walking. A good compromise is 5 to 10 minutes of tai chi walking as a warm-up, followed by your normal walk. On days when your joints are sore, tai chi walking is better than no movement at all.
How long should a tai chi walking session be?
Five minutes is a good start, especially if standing on one leg feels hard. Most people can build up to 10 to 15 minutes within a few weeks. The tai chi trials that showed benefits used classes of 45 to 60 minutes, two to five times a week, so short daily sessions are a starting point rather than a proven dose.
Is tai chi walking the same as walking meditation?
No, although both are slow. Walking meditation focuses mainly on attention and breathing. Tai chi walking adds a clear technique: you place each foot with no weight on it and then shift your body over it, which trains leg strength and balance as well as focus.
Can I do tai chi walking with a walking stick or rollator?
Yes, as long as you feel stable. Many people practise with one hand on a wall or worktop instead, which leaves both feet free to step. If you normally need a walking aid, ask a physiotherapist to show you a safe way to practise, and never let go of support just to copy a video.
Does tai chi walking count towards the weekly activity guidelines?
Slow tai chi stepping is light activity for most people, so it counts as moving more and less sitting. The World Health Organization advises 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking, and balance training for older adults. Tai chi walking fits the balance part; brisk walking fits the moderate part.
Sources
- Herrmann SD et al. – 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities, Journal of Sport and Health Science (2024)
- Compendium of Physical Activities – Sports (codes 15xxx, including tai chi and qigong)
- Siu PM et al. – Effects of tai chi or conventional exercise on central obesity in middle-aged and older adults: a three-group randomized controlled trial, Annals of Internal Medicine (2021)
- Hui SS et al. – Effects of tai chi and walking exercises on weight loss, metabolic syndrome parameters, and bone mineral density: a cluster randomized controlled trial, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2015)
- Yang Z et al. – Efficacy of traditional Chinese exercise for obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Frontiers in Endocrinology (2023)
- Sherrington C et al. – Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2019)
- Wang C et al. – Comparative effectiveness of tai chi versus physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized trial, Annals of Internal Medicine (2016)
- Kolasinski SL et al. – 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation guideline for the management of osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee, Arthritis Care & Research (2020)
- Li X et al. – Effect of tai chi vs aerobic exercise on blood pressure in patients with prehypertension: a randomized clinical trial, JAMA Network Open (2024)
- Wang C et al. – Tai chi on psychological well-being: systematic review and meta-analysis, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2010)
- Wayne PM et al. – What do we really know about the safety of tai chi? A systematic review of adverse event reports in randomized trials, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2014)
- Byrne NM et al. – Metabolic equivalent: one size does not fit all, Journal of Applied Physiology (2005)
- Bellicha A et al. – Effect of exercise training on weight loss, body composition changes, and weight maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity: an overview of 12 systematic reviews and 149 studies, Obesity Reviews (2021)
- Bull FC et al. – World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2020)