What Is Qi Gong — And Why Every Londoner Burned Out on High-Intensity Wellness Should Try It
Qi Gong (pronounced "chee gong") is an ancient Chinese practice that combines slow, intentional movement with controlled breathing and a calm, focused mind. It has been part of Chinese medicine and culture for around 4,000 years. And in 2026, thanks to a wave of interest in slower, gentler approaches to health, it is having its biggest moment in the West yet, including right here in Forest Hill and SE23.
So What Actually Is Qi Gong?
The name tells you everything you need to know. "Qi" (also written as "chi") means vital life-force energy, the animating force that flows through the body and, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, underpins our health. "Gong" means skill or cultivation through steady practice. Put them together and you get something like "cultivating your life energy", which is a fair description of what the practice feels like from the inside.
A typical Qi Gong session involves a sequence of slow, flowing movements coordinated with the breath. There is no equipment, no fitness floor, and no minimum level of flexibility required. Some forms are done standing, some seated, some lying down. Most involve gentle repetition: the same movement practised quietly until the body finds its rhythm.
What makes Qi Gong different from other movement practices is its emphasis on inner awareness rather than physical effort. You are not trying to hold a difficult pose or push through discomfort. You are learning to notice how your body feels and to move in ways that support it. For many people, that is a genuinely novel experience.
Why Is Everyone Suddenly Talking About It?
Qi Gong has been quietly practised in parks across London for decades. But something shifted in early 2026. A wave of content across TikTok and Instagram brought it to mainstream Western attention, particularly among people who were tired of cold plunges, HIIT sessions, and wellness routines that felt more punishing than nourishing.
The trend reflects something real. One in three people in the UK are now prioritising what researchers are calling a "soft" or "slow" approach to wellness: sustainable habits built around rest, rhythm, and gentle movement rather than performance or intensity. Qi Gong fits this mood precisely. It asks nothing of you except your attention.
It is worth saying clearly: the trend is new, but the practice is not. The exercises you might have seen on social media, including the flowing arm sequences of Baduanjin (the "Eight Brocades"), one of the most widely practised forms, are rooted in traditions stretching back well over a thousand years. The viral moment has simply introduced millions of people to something that has always worked quietly in the background.
What Does the Science Actually Say?
The evidence for Qi Gong is genuinely promising, though it is important to be honest about what it shows and where its limits are.
Two systematic reviews published in 2025, one in Cureus (May 2025) and one in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research (February 2025), both found that Qi Gong and Tai Chi produced meaningful improvements in pain and physical disability in adults with chronic low back pain, across multiple randomised controlled trials. A 2020 systematic review of 28 studies, published via the Cochrane Library and NCBI, found positive results for Qi Gong across a wide range of conditions including stress, burnout, depression, fatigue, cardiovascular health, and chronic musculoskeletal pain.
The picture on stress is particularly strong. A 2024 randomised trial in Alpha Psychiatry followed overworked young adults through a 65-day Qi Gong programme and found that stress scores in the Qi Gong group fell dramatically compared to controls, results the researchers described as clinically meaningful.
I want to be clear about what this means in practice. Qi Gong is not a medical treatment and should not be presented as a cure. Cleveland Clinic's integrative medicine specialists describe it as a "helpful supportive therapy", safe, accessible, and worth exploring alongside conventional care. That is exactly how I would frame it. It is a practice that helps the body function better, manage stress more effectively, and move with less pain over time. For most of my students, that is more than enough.
How Does Qi Gong Compare to Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi?
This is one of the questions I get most often from new students, so it is worth addressing directly.
| Practice | Origin | Primary Focus | Intensity | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qi Gong | China (TCM tradition) | Energy flow, nervous system, breath | Very low | None |
| Tai Chi | China (martial arts tradition) | Balance, coordination, internal energy | Low | None |
| Yoga | India (multiple traditions) | Flexibility, strength, breath, philosophy | Low to high | Mat, props |
| Pilates | Western (rehabilitation origin) | Core strength, postural alignment | Low to moderate | Mat, equipment |
Qi Gong and Tai Chi come from the same Chinese medicine tradition and overlap significantly, but Qi Gong tends to be simpler to learn and more accessible for beginners or anyone managing pain or fatigue. Yoga and Qi Gong share an emphasis on breath and mindful movement, but feel quite different in practice: Yoga typically asks more of the body, while Qi Gong asks more of the attention.
At The Honor Oak Wellness Rooms we offer Pilates courses alongside Qi Gong and they work beautifully together. Pilates builds the structural strength and postural awareness that makes Qi Gong movements more precise; Qi Gong brings the slower, more meditative quality that helps Pilates students switch off their habitual patterns and move with greater ease.
If you have tried Yoga and found it too fast-paced, or Pilates and found it too clinical, Qi Gong is often a very natural next step.
Who Is Qi Gong Actually For?
One of the things I love about Qi Gong is that it has almost no barriers to entry. You do not need to be fit, flexible, young, or experienced. You need to be able to breathe and to move, and even then, many forms can be practised seated or adapted for limited mobility.
In my experience, the people who get the most from Qi Gong tend to fall into a few recognisable groups:
- Burnt-out professionals: particularly those commuting into London from Forest Hill, East Dulwich or Brockley, who carry the stress of city work in their shoulders, jaw, and lower back. Qi gong offers a way to genuinely discharge that tension rather than temporarily suppressing it.
- People managing chronic pain: especially back pain, neck tension, and joint stiffness. The slow, low-impact movements are accessible when other exercise feels too much, and the research on chronic low back pain is particularly encouraging.
- Anyone recovering from injury or illness: Qi Gong is often recommended in Chinese hospitals as part of rehabilitation programmes. The practice supports the body's recovery without placing demand on structures that are still healing.
- Older adults: balance, coordination, and joint mobility all respond well to regular Qi Gong. The practice is one of the most extensively studied forms of exercise for healthy ageing.
- People who have never really connected with exercise: Qi Gong does not look or feel like exercise in the Western sense. It feels more like a moving rest. For many beginners, that shift in framing is transformative.
If you are reading this from SE23, Honor Oak Park, or anywhere in South London and you have been curious but unsure whether it is "for you", it probably is.
Qi Gong at The Honor Oak Wellness Rooms
We offer Qi Gong classes at the clinic as part of our courses. Classes are suitable for all levels, including complete beginners, and are kept deliberately small so that every student gets proper attention rather than just following along in a crowd.
Qi Gong sits naturally alongside the other work we do at the clinic. Our acupuncture practice shares the same Traditional Chinese Medicine roots, both working with the concept of qi and the meridian system, so many acupuncture patients find that adding a Qi Gong practice deepens and extends the effects of their treatment. For patients working with Simon or Emma on back pain or musculoskeletal issues, Qi Gong can provide the daily movement habit that chiropractic care alone cannot replace.
If you would like to explore what practice might suit you, our team are always happy to have an honest conversation first.
Ready to Try a Class?
If you are in Forest Hill, Honor Oak, Brockley or anywhere across SE23 and you are curious about Qi Gong, you can book your course below.
Book a course or class → Qi Gong with Jasmine
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Qi Gong and how do you pronounce it?
Qi Gong is pronounced "chee gong." It is an ancient Chinese practice that combines slow, deliberate movement with controlled breathing and focused awareness. The name translates roughly as "cultivating life energy." It has been practised for around 4,000 years and is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In the West, it is increasingly popular as a low-impact way to manage stress, improve sleep, support musculoskeletal health, and build a sustainable daily movement habit.
Q: What is the difference between Qi Gong and Tai Chi?
Qi Gong and Tai Chi come from the same Chinese medicine tradition and share many movements and principles. The key difference is in origin and emphasis: Tai Chi developed from a martial arts tradition and places greater emphasis on coordination and defensive movement patterns, while qi gong is a purely health-focused practice. Qi Gong forms are generally shorter and simpler to learn, which makes them more accessible for beginners or for anyone managing pain, fatigue, or low energy.
Q: What is the difference between Qi Gong and Yoga?
Both practices combine movement with breath and mindful awareness, but they feel quite different in practice. Yoga encompasses a wide range of intensities, from deeply restorative to physically demanding, and typically involves more static holding of postures. Qi Gong is almost always slow and flowing, with very little held tension. It also draws on the TCM framework of energy meridians rather than the Indian tradition of chakras and nadis. Many people find Qi Gong gentler and easier to sustain as a daily practice.
Q: Is Qi Gong good for back pain?
The evidence is genuinely encouraging. Two systematic reviews published in 2025, one in Cureus and one in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, found that Qi Gong and Tai Chi produced significant improvements in pain and disability in adults with chronic low back pain. At The Honor Oak Wellness Rooms, Qi Gong is often recommended alongside chiropractic care for patients managing persistent lower back tension. As always, anyone with a specific injury or health condition should check with their GP or clinician before starting.
Q: Can complete beginners do Qi Gong?
Yes: Qi Gong is one of the most beginner-accessible movement practices there is. No previous experience, flexibility, or fitness is required. At The Honor Oak Wellness Rooms in SE23, our classes are designed specifically for people who are new to the practice. Movements can be adapted for limited mobility, and many forms can be done seated if standing is difficult.
Q: How long before you start to feel the benefits of Qi Gong?
Many students notice a sense of calm and mental clarity after their first session, largely a nervous system response to slow, controlled breathing and gentle movement. More substantial physical benefits, such as improvements in back pain, sleep quality, or energy levels, tend to build over four to eight weeks of regular practice. Like most movement practices, consistency matters more than intensity: a ten-minute daily practice will deliver more than an occasional longer session.
Q: Is Qi Gong good for stress and anxiety?
Yes, and the research supports this. A 2024 randomised controlled trial found that a 65-day Qi Gong programme in overworked young adults significantly reduced stress scores compared to a control group, with the researchers concluding that even short daily practice can meaningfully reduce occupational stress and emotional burden. The mechanism is partly physiological: slow, diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which counteracts the body's stress response. This is one of the reasons many people describe Qi Gong as "a moving meditation."
Q: Where can I try Qi Gong in Forest Hill or SE23?
The Honor Oak Wellness Rooms at 82 Brockley Rise, SE23 1LN offers Qi Gong classes as part of our movement programme. Classes are small, beginner-friendly, and designed to work alongside the other treatments we offer at the clinic, including chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage. You can find out more and book at https://www.honoroakwellnessrooms.com/qi-gong , or call us on 0208 314 5535 to have a conversation first.
