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| Wednesday, May 27, 2009 |
| Have You Tried Tai Chi? |
Tai Chi, sometimes called tai chi chuan, is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercises and stretching. It was originally started in China as a form of self-defense or martial arts. In Tai Chi, you perform a series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner. The postures flow into each other without pausing. Almost anyone can try Tai Chi. No special equipment is needed and you don’t have to be especially strong or flexible either. Tai Chi emphasizes the proper technique over strength.
There are over 100 postures in Tai Chi. You can do just your favorites or keep your workout interesting with a variety of postures. There are some Tai Chi classes that are fast paced and a little more challenging, but you can start with a basic class and master the moves before picking up the pace. By now you might be asking, “Why should I bother to try another fitness class, what’s in it for me?” Well, it never hurts to vary your workout and there are many benefits of Tai Chi that might be just the thing you need to look and feel your very best.
Tai Chi has been known to help reduce stress. Like yoga, Tai Chi brings the mind and body together. By focusing on the movements and your breathing, you are able to center your body and free your mind. You can clear all of the stressful thoughts out of your mind during your workout. The calming effect can last well after your workout is over too.
Another benefit of Tai Chi is that it can help improve your strength and balance. This can be especially important for those with injuries and of course, the elderly. Losing balance and falling is a serious concern for the elderly. Tai chi can help improve balance and therefore may help prevent falls. It can also help with arthritis and joint pain that many elderly people experience. Overall, it may be able to help improve the quality of life of the elderly.
Tai chi has also been found to be useful in many health conditions besides arthritis. For example, a 2008 study at the University of Rochester, published in Medicine and Sport Science, found that quality of life and functional capacity (including aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and flexibility) improved in women with breast cancer who did 12 weeks of Tai Chi, while declining in a control group that received only supportive therapy. Tai chi may also help reduce high blood pressure. In a review of 26 studies, published in Preventive Cardiology (Spring 2008), Dr. Yeh reported that in 85% of trials, Tai Chi lowered blood pressure, with improvements ranging from 3 to 32 mm Hg in systolic pressure and from 2 to 18 mm Hg in diastolic pressure. It may also help improve sleep conditions. In a University of California, Los Angeles, study of 112 healthy older adults with moderate sleep complaints, 16 weeks of Tai Chi improved the quality and duration of sleep significantly more than standard sleep education. The study was published in the July 2008 issue of the journal Sleep.
If Tai Chi sounds like something you might be interested in trying, make sure you find a qualified instructor and start out slow. Try to incorporate it into your workout at least two times per week. You should find yourself slowly becoming less stressed, more flexible and more focused.
- Jennifer
Labels: Jennifer, Mind-Body Connection, Physical Activity, tai chi
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posted by My Sensei @ Wednesday, May 27, 2009   |
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| 2 Comments: |
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I have not tried it because I don't want to give up any of the workouts I do now that I love... I know I should or at least yoga or something more calming.. maybe one day!!!
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Funny you should write about this. Never tried it, but my gym has it so I should. Was watching the class from a far the other night.
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I have not tried it because I don't want to give up any of the workouts I do now that I love... I know I should or at least yoga or something more calming.. maybe one day!!!