According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans require 150 minutes of moderate weekly activity, including two days of muscle strengthening. There are instances where tai chi can contribute to both of these physical activity standards, depending on your style of tai chi and your fitness level.
According to Rhayun Song, PhD, dean of the College of Nursing at Chungham National University in Korea and director of the university's Tai Chi for Health Education and Research Center, this may be the case, for example, for people with chronic pain, arthritis, or limited mobility, for whom exercise would otherwise seem burdensome or out of reach.
Dr Song, a Tai Chi for Health Institute-certified Tai Chi Master Trainer since 2004, claims that how tai chi is practised—the slow, soft movements, bending knees, and using weight transfer—leads to significantly greater benefits than standard walking.
She claims that Americans with arthritis can experience "substantial gains" in their flexibility, stress, and mobility by adopting tai chi into their daily lives.
According to Song, others who are physically fit and in good health may find it a great exercise to challenge their muscle strength and flexibility while tying their mind and body together.
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Why is Tai chi Beneficial for Fitness?
It would help if you thought of tai chi as a multifaceted exercise, advises Kristi Hallisy, PT, DSc, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and a certified instructor in tai chi fundamentals. She has contributed to creating rehabilitation initiatives based on the principles of tai chi that encourage healthy ageing and fall prevention.
Benefits of Strengthening Muscles
As you stand up straight, move slowly like you're pushing against light resistance. Then, shift your weight and hold poses, such as standing on one leg or maintaining a squat position; tai chi is a full-body workout with muscle strengthening, according to Hallisy.
According to Shirley Chock, owner and executive director of Aiping Tai Chi, a tai chi school in Milford, Connecticut, tai chi can be particularly useful for regaining strength in people undergoing physical therapy after an injury as for seniors looking to improve their mobility and avoid falling.
One study with 702 participants found that 16 one-hour weekly community-based tai chi classes significantly decreased the number of multiple falls for participants by 67 per cent. The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
"I've had people take five sessions and learn the movements to change their balance, strength, and confidence with daily walking or climbing up the stairs," Hallisy adds about her patients in rehab.
Aerobic Advantages
According to research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology that involved more than 61,400 men in China, those who regularly practised tai chi reduced their risk of death by the same amount as those who started jogging. Even in healthy adults, regular tai chi practice improved cardiovascular health, particularly heart and lung health, according to another review published in the journal PLoS One (PDF).
According to research, tai chi can also help people lose weight, particularly those 50 and older. In a 2021 study, 550 adults at least 50 years old were randomly assigned to tai chi for three one-hour sessions, aerobic exercise with strength training three times per week, or no exercise at all for 12 weeks. The tai chi group performing standard aerobic exercise lost weight around their waist. Tai chi practitioners, however, lost 0.7 more inches than brisk walkers who also did strength training.
Benefits of Mental Fitness
Additionally, it's a mental exercise that involves learning deep breathing techniques, mindfulness, and intentional movement for everyone.
You develop your ability to be in the moment, aware of your surroundings, and in tune with your body through practice. This facilitates coordinated movement, according to Chock. It is advantageous to all levels of fitness.
Does Tai Chi Qualify as Part of My Weekly Physical Activity, Then?
According to Hallisy, it's a "mild to moderate aerobic workout," however, this varies on the practitioner's technique and level of fitness. Tai chi has some martial arts-related lineages, which can considerably increase the intensity.
According to Chock, focusing on the difficulty of balance and building muscle strength from a tai chi session can be an adequate full-body workout for an older adult with low fitness.
Nevertheless, suppose a person routinely engages in HIIT workouts multiple times per week, does a large amount of strength training, and engages in slower-paced tai chi exercises. In that case, they might need to increase the intensity for sufficient strength or aerobic workouts. However, Chock asserts that a harder, faster-paced kind of tai chi, such as Chen tai chi, may provide a demanding workout.
It's also important to remember that even those with great fitness levels may like a slower-paced, calmer variation of tai chi for a day off between challenging cardio exercises.
How to Include Tai Chi in a Weekly Exercise Program
No of your age or level of fitness, here are four suggestions for getting started with tai chi:
1. Choose the best style for you.
Choose the appropriate form for you to practise before you begin tai chi. The Yang style is the most widely used type today and is characterised by slow, steady motions, among others, according to Lam. The Chen style is the earliest variety.
To adapt the practice for people with different physical abilities, most styles have modified versions that include remaining seated for some or all of the class, using a chair or the wall for extra balance when necessary, or keeping both feet firmly planted on the ground.
2. Put safety first if you have limited mobility or physical fitness.
Choose a gentle form you can comfortably practise for about 10 minutes each day if it's your main workout due to a prior injury or issues with balance and stability, advises Lam.
3. Do Not Let Age Discourage You
The fact that tai chi is regarded as a gentle form of exercise shouldn't deter younger Americans from taking it up, according to Chock. From 12 years old to 90 years old, her students span the age spectrum. She claims that while the classes different age groups choose and their results may vary, the practice has the same basic advantages of stress reduction and mindfulness.
4. Maintain Your Practice Consistency
The secret to getting results is regular practice: According to Lam, people should practise tai chi for at least 10 minutes daily to establish a routine, but ideally, they should practise for 20 to 30 minutes daily. Hallisy says it can be used as a stand-alone resistance training exercise for people with lower fitness levels or as part of a complete workout routine that includes cardio and weight training.
Within a few months of practice, you'll see improvements in your leg strength, balance, flexibility, and posture.
Clinical trials have shown that results can be seen in as little as six weeks to three months, according to Hallisy. However, you must continue practising tai chi regularly to maintain increased mobility.
"If you keep at it long enough, you'll discover that the mind's intention guides the movements. According to Chock, the goal is to reduce physical and mental stress.
The key, according to Song, is whether the activity is engaging enough to hold participants' attention for that long and secure enough for them to continue. In general, she continues, more movement results in greater fitness and health advantages.
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