You may have seen people doing tai chi at your local park – and for good reason. With its mental and physical health benefits, this centuries-old practice remains a popular way to exercise the body and mind. The question is: how does it work and should you participate?
Shifu Shirley Cale, owner and executive director of Aiping Tai Chi in Milford, Connecticut, tells Yahoo Life that tai chi is a “moving meditation” originating in China that is considered a “gentle form of exercise because of its movements slow and fluid. But there’s so much more, she says.
“It’s often described as an exercise for seniors because it’s a low-impact exercise that can be easily modified for people with limited mobility,” says Chock. “However, if you look at the history of tai chi, you will learn that it was first developed as a fighting art. In its true form, it is a martial art that harnesses the power of effective movement by releasing tension from the body and allowing the whole self to move as an integrated mind-body unit.
And while it’s often associated with a practice aimed at older adults, studies have confirmed that young people can also benefit from trying tai chi, which “provides cardio, strength training, and meditation benefits.” in one practice,” says Chock. Here, experts share more about the positive results of tai chi, how it compares to other forms of movement, and give tips for getting started.
How Tai Chi Benefits Mental and Physical Health
Whether you practice in a park, studio or community center, slow, intentional movements and postures are easy to achieve and the positive effects on health and well-being are supported by research.
“One of the benefits of tai chi is its versatility.” Dr Michelle Loy, an integrative medicine specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, told Yahoo Life. “The movements can be adapted or practiced while walking, standing or sitting. Due to the combination of gentle movements, meditative state and breath work, it is not surprising that tai chi has physical, mental, emotional and cognitive benefits.
In addition to the improvements made to muscular strength, flexibility and balanceclinical studies have shown a number of other unexpected health benefits, including:
•Pain reduction for people with fibromyalgia
•Lowering arterial pressure in patients with prehypertension
•Control blood sugar levels for type 2 diabetics
•Slowing down progress of Parkinson’s disease
•Improve memory in the early stages of dementia
•Reduce stress, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders
Loy notes that studies done with adolescents show specific improvement in their self-concept And psychological well-being.
“These benefits have been seen in young, middle-aged, and older populations,” says Loy, who notes that tai chi has also shown benefits in people with chronic illnesses such as “mild. ..
