Exercise and Healthy Living Exercise ideas and health and wellness programs.
Introduction
to Tai Chi
~ by Barb Reuss
"I
don't exercise. If God wanted me to bend over, he'd
have put diamonds on the floor." ~
Joan Rivers
Would
your group benefit from better balance? A low stress
physical activity? An exercise program that has been
shown to improve mental well-being for thousands of
years? Then you should try Tai Chi. For many of us,
the thought of Tai Chi conjures up images of groups
doing slow movements in a park setting. Maybe we think
of a yoga-oriented program. The reality is that Tai
Chi is an exercise program that can greatly benefit
people of all ages. And its gentle, non-impact style
makes it a perfect program to introduce to your group
of seniors.
Below
you will find some information about Tai Chi and several
introductory activity ideas.
If your group is not familiar with Tai Chi, begin
by sharing the following information. Then, ask your
group if they are interested in trying Tai Chi.
ABOUT
TAI CHI
What
is Tai Chi?
Tai
Chi, pronounced, "tie chee," is a gentle
exercise program composed of slow, deliberate movements,
meditation and deep breathing. No official records
have been found to document the exact origin of Tai
Chi. However, according to Chinese legends, a man named
Zhang San Feng founded the art in the late 1500s. According
to the story, Zhang was taking a stroll one day when
he came upon a fight between a magpie and a snake.
Zhang was struck by the way the two creatures moved
during the fight. He began to study and imitate the
movements of other animals.
Tai
Chi has been practiced in China for hundreds of years
and is especially popular among seniors. Tai Chi was
first introduced in the U.S. in the early 1970s and
has become a very popular form of exercise in this
country as well.
Like yoga, Tai Chi is focused on balance in the body,
mind and spirit. Its principles state that:
Chi,
or life energy, must be able to flow freely in
the body.
Opposite
forces should be harmonized (think yin/yang).
Humans
should be united with the natural world. (Many
Tai Chi movements imitate nature and animals.)
Benefits
of Tai Chi
Studies
have shown many benefits of Tai Chi, including:
Slowing
the effects of aging
Increasing
balance and reducing falls
Reducing
stress
Improving
overall fitness, coordination and agility
Better
posture, flexibility and range of motion
Some
believe that Tai Chi can be beneficial for people
with chronic pain, gout, heart disease, high blood
pressure, arthritis, osteoporosis, headaches and sleep
disorders. Tai Chi might also improve the immune system
and the central nervous system, which makes it especially
good for people with a chronic illness, anxiety, depression
or any stress-related conditions.
The
deep breathing of Tai Chi regulates the respiratory
system and can be helpful in treating respiratory
ailments such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.
It stimulates the abdomen, which aids digestion and
helps relieve constipation and gastrointestinal conditions.
And the slow, low-impact, weight-bearing exercises
can slow or prevent the development of osteoporosis.
Many studies indicate that elderly people who practice
Tai Chi are much less prone to falls, a serious health
risk to people in this age group. (See related
articles at the end of this article.)
How
Does It Work?
The
movements in Tai Chi combine balance, flexibility,
aerobic and toning exercises through slow, graceful
actions. Tai Chi has three major components - movement,
meditation and deep breathing.
Movement - All movements are done very slowly. You should
try to be flowing and graceful when doing Tai
Chi. Tai Chi improves balance, agility, strength,
flexibility, stamina, muscle tone and coordination
because all of the joints and major muscle groups
are needed for its slow, gentle movements.
Meditation - Research shows that meditation soothes the mind,
enhances concentration, reduces anxiety and lowers
blood pressure and heart rate.
Deep
breathing - Breathing is an important part of Tai Chi and
should be done in a smooth and regular pattern
- in other words, no big gulps or exhales. Instead,
use a gentle pace of breathing.
What
Does a Tai Chi Session Entail?
Tai
Chi sessions begin with warm-up exercises. The instructor
then guides the class through a series of Tai Chi movements
that together comprise a "form"
(or "set"). Sessions designed for seniors
typically focus on 10 forms and the class lasts from
20-30 minutes.
Each
form has a nature-based name that describes its overall
action - such as "wave hands like clouds"
or "grasp the bird's tail." The teacher
encourages the class to perform all of the movements
in a slow, meditative manner and to focus on deep
breathing. At the end of the class, there is usually
a wind-down exercise, relaxation and meditation.
LET'S
TAI CHI!
To
get your group involved, you can ...
Find
a local instructor to come in and lead a class.
Check with a community center, senior center or
YMCA in your area.
Purchase
a Tai Chi instruction video or book and practice
it yourself so you can better lead your group in
the exercises. There are Tai Chi books and videos designed specifically for
seniors.
Check
out online resources, such as Everyday
Tai Chi, exercise sets with detailed instructions
and pictures.
Try
some sample Tai Chi warm-up exercises. Stand
with feet shoulder-width apart, arms down at sides
with palms facing in.
Raising the arms: Relax and slightly bend your
knees. Turn palms to face back, take a deep breath
in and draw arms up to shoulder height and width.
Turn palms face out to front, exhale and draw
arms back down to sides. Repeat eight times.
Opening
the chest: Breathe in, draw arms up to shoulder
height and shoulder width with palms facing down.
Turn palms to face each other and pull hands away
from each other until arms are extended out to
sides, keeping the elbows slightly bent. Exhale
and draw hands together to shoulder width. Then
turn palms to front and draw arms back down to
sides. Repeat eight times.
Make
up your own "forms." Once you
are comfortable with the warm-up exercises,
have your group design their own forms. Think
of a theme, such as flowers, birds, the weather,
etc. Ask each participant to make up one movement
and give it a name - like "the robin flying the coop"
or "the opening rosebud" movement. Put
all the movements together and perform your own
Tai Chi routine. Tip: Learn
one step at a time. Make sure participants are comfortable
with one pose before you move on to the next. Here
are some movement names to get you started:
Grasp
the bird's tail
Part
the horse's mane
White
crane spreads its wings
High
pat the horse
Wave
hands like clouds
Curve
bow to shoot tiger right
Repose
monkey
White
snake puts out tongue
Touch
the needle at the bottom of the sea
6. Put it to music. Tai Chi is often performed
to music. If you are planning
your own routine, you will want some appropriate Tai
Chi music, such as the music available from the Silk
Orchestra. Check your local music store or the
audio-video section of your local library.
Subscriber Login
Purchase Online
Would
your group benefit from better balance? A low stress
physical activity? An exercise program that has been
shown to improve mental well-being for thousands of
years? Then you should try Tai Chi. For many of us,
the thought of Tai Chi conjures up images of groups
doing slow movements in a park setting. Maybe we think
of a yoga-oriented program. The reality is that Tai
Chi is an exercise program that can greatly benefit
people of all ages. And its gentle, non-impact style
makes it a perfect program to introduce to your group
of seniors. 
Benefits
of Tai Chi