About Tai Chi Exercises For Kids

You've probably heard about the benefits of tai chi for older adults. Seniors who practice tai chi improve their overall well-being, and ease symptoms of aging like hypertension and osteoarthritis, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. But the mental focus and joyful movement involved in tai chi exercises are great for kids, too. With a few modifications, kids can use tai chi to discipline their minds, build strength and maintain flexibility.

Key Concepts

Taoist philosophy---the ancient wisdom that underpins the art of tai chi---views a child's ability to be in the moment as an ideal state. "The child is in harmony with the world," wrote the sage Lao Tzu, in the famous Taoist text the "Tao Te Ching." Introducing kids to tai chi at an early age is one way to encourage them to relieve the stress of long hours spent sitting in school, and to build a lifelong habit of exercise and meditation.

Concerns

When introducing tai chi to kids, it's important to show them individual exercises, rather than the tai chi set or form. If you've seen people doing tai chi in your local park or community center, you've probably seen the tai chi set---a series of continuous movements that can take anywhere from 8 to 20 minutes to perform. This continuous practice is too complex to teach young kids. Teach short sequences and individual movements one at a time to keep things light and fun.

Features

If you're a parent or a teacher, several books, programs and DVDs are available to help you teach tai chi to kids. Tai chi moves are patterned after the movements of animals. Encourage kids to mimic monkeys, tigers, cranes, horses and dragons as they perform each type of exercise. Because kids are in the habit of using their imagination, it's easy for them to visualize and feel a ball of energy building in their hands as they do exercises like "playing with the ball of energy," notes Cari Shurman, Founder and Creator of Tai Chi for Kids, on her website.

Tips

Even though tai chi is a slow practice, don't make kids slow down too much at first, notes Bill Douglas, Founder of World Tai Chi Day, on the World Tai Chi Day website. Before you start a tai chi session, ask the kids to lie down and breathe deeply. As they breathe in, tell them to tense their feet. As they exhale, they relax the feet and sink into the floor. Using the same breathing technique, get the kids to tense, then release one body part at a time, working up to the face. Have them close their eyes so they can feel the energy rushing through their bodies as they tense and relax. Once they've done the relaxation exercise, they'll be more focused as they practice tai chi, Douglas advises.

Benefits

Tai chi has significant benefits for adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a 2001 study published in the "Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies." Study authors Maria Hernandez-Reif, Tiffany Field and Eric Thimas of the University of Miami School of Medicine found that after 10 tai chi lessons over 5 weeks, the study participants were less anxious, less hyperactive, better behaved and had fewer instances of daydreaming and inappropriate emotional reactions.