Tai chi is a Chinese martial art practiced for its health benefits and as a form of self-defense. Tai chi involves slow, gentle movements performed while you meditate and breathe deeply. It is believed that tai chi encourages the flow of vital energy through the body and can help you achieve balance.
Benefits
Tai chi is a low-impact, weight-bearing form of aerobic exercise. It can help improve your fitness, strength, coordination and flexibility as well as reducing the symptoms of arthritis and the risk of falls in older people. You can improve your sleeping patterns, encourage a sense of calm and benefit from an overall feeling of wellness.
Prevention
Tai chi may help lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin and C-reactive protein levels. This can help reduce the onset of heart disease and hypertension in individuals who practice regularly. It is also thought to prevent low bone density in postmenopausal women.
Treatment
Tai chi is thought to be an effective form of pain relief and can prevent the symptoms of arthritis from worsening. It has shown potential to help women suffering from breast cancer with quality-of-life issues, and it may help with the side effects of treatment. It is also been shown to improve balance and walking ability in Parkinson's sufferers. Adults with sleep problems and patients recovering from strokes have shown improvement with regular tai chi sessions.
Use
According to Peter M Wayne, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Tai Chi and Mind-Body Research Program at Harvard Medical School's Osher Research Center, tai chi is often used to help prevent the onset of many age-related conditions, such as flexibility issues.
Adaptability
The movements associated with tai chi are loose and free-flowing. As the muscles are always relaxed, the joints are never forced and nothing is stretched, it is ideal for individuals who may be weakened due to poor health, old age or in recovery from a specific medical condition. The exercises can be adapted easily to suit an individual's needs and can even be performed while sitting or confined to a wheelchair.
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