Tai Chi - a gentle exercise for everyone
The popularity of Tai Chi has grown in recent years, boosted by evidence that it has many health benefits. But what exactly is Tai Chi?
Tai Chi was originally developed in order to promote self defense skills. Today, however, it is mainly practiced for its health benefits. This slow, graceful Chinese exercise simultaneously heals the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual body. Tai Chi forms involve a series of choreographed martial arts poses that flow together like a slow motion dance. They are done in a precise order to help facilitate energy flow, fitness, relaxation and mental concentration.
Most traditional forms of Tai Chi take 12-20 minutes to perform and over one year to learn. However, there are many simplified forms that take much less time to learn, making it more accessible to a greater number of people. The moves are simple, gentle, and easy to learn. They require no special skill, clothing, or equipment and can be done anywhere; indoors, outdoors, alone or with a group.
Students of Tai Chi come in all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels. Because of the slowness and ease of the movements, it is often thought that Tai Chi is mainly for senior citizens, but it can benefit anyone, including those in wheelchairs. Even if you think you're not coordinated or agile, you can learn these movements at your own pace.
Tai Chi provides a gentle massaging of the internal organs, as well as clearing the joints of calcium deposits. This is because the movements require the body to rotate about 95 percent of the ways it can be rotated. The next closest western exercise to that is swimming, and it only rotates about 65 percent of the body's potential movement.
Research has shown that Tai Chi provides all the benefits of a rigorous workout but because it is not strenuous it carries no potentially harmful side effects. Besides providing the lowest weight bearing exercise known, regular practice of Tai Chi can also:
| Boost the immune system | Improve coordination |
| Slow the aging process | Increase flexibility |
| Help ensure full range of mobility | Lower high blood pressure and heart rate |
| Increase breathing capacity | Reduce joint pain of arthritis, rheumatism, and fibromyalgia |
| Reduce asthma and allergy reactions | Ease back pain |
| Reduce risks of falls in elderly | Stimulate circulation |
| Slow bone loss | Enhance muscle tone |
| Improve posture | Help with weight loss |
| Sharpen mental focus | Reduce amount of stress hormones |
| Reduce anxiety | Limber up joints |
Tai Chi provides more health benefits than any other single exercise. No wonder it is one of the most popular exercises in the world! If you think you would like to try it out, why not find out where the nearest teacher/class is to you by visiting Tai Chi Finder website or try your local Library or Further Education Centre who may be able to help.
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