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Health
Benefits
Tai Chi is a very low-impact functional
weight-bearing exercise. It can be a practical
fitness regime for practitioners of any age.
The practice of Tai Chi improves:
- Relaxation/Stress management
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Posture and relieves muscular pain
- Coordination
- Cardiovascular fitness
Medical studies have indicated that practicing
Tai Chi can:
- Reduce hypertension
- Reduce chances of falling
- Safely benefit people with arthritis
Tai Chi and Chi Kung are becoming increasingly
popular worldwide as forms of therapeutic exercise.
Doctors of both Western and Complementary Medicine
are recommending the practice to their patients. An
increasing number of studies are being conducted
into the benefits of Tai Chi and the biological
mechanisms behind its success. The first thing to
recognize about these arts is that their benefits
stem from both psychological and physiological
development. This "mind-body" relationship in all
facets of healing is a principle that no branch of
medicine can currently ignore. The fact that
psychological states of mind affect body physiology
is indisputable. The degree to which the two are
interwoven is at the vanguard of Western Medicine
and at the root of Traditional Chinese
Medicine.
In China, the development of
traditional medicine(acupuncture, massage, herbal),
therapeutic exercise(Chi Kung) and martial arts(Tai
Chi, Pa Kua, Hsing-i) have evolved through mutual
influence and research. The primary mechanism by
which they are seen to benefit the subject is
through the cultivation and proper circulation of
"Chi." The term, "Chi," can be interpreted as both
"breath" and "vital energy." Disease corresponds to
a weakening or interruption of the natural
circulation of Chi, and therapeutic methods are
intended to restore the natural balance of the body
and allow healing to occur. Chi has no Western
equivalent, and Western methods may or may not ever
prove its existence, however it has correlates in
the function of oxygenated blood, bioelectricity,
neuropeptides(such as endorphins) and hormones. The
common theme in these two models are the
communication of energy and information throughout
the body.
Clearly a therapeutic exercise that regulates
both mental and physical activity has great
potential. Mental stress, caused by the demands of
our strenuous environment, has a direct
physiological effect upon our body which has been
proven to be deleterious to cardiovascular health,
including hypertension, arteriosclerosis, coronary,
and stroke. It also induces depression, anxiety,
fatigue and reduces mental performance. Even the
simplest breathing and postural relaxation
techniques of Tai Chi directly address the
debilitating effects of stress. Deeper breathing
and improved posture loosens joints and muscles,
lowers blood pressure, and improves respiration,
digestion and circulation. The practice of tai chi
gradually becomes a way of life which not only
reeducates our body but also our awareness, both
relieving the effects of stress and allowing us to
adapt more easily to our environment.
As a martial art, Tai Chi was designed to
develop and maintain a high degree of physical and
mental performance. Tai Chi practice includes
cardio-respiratory conditioning, flexibility
training, isometric and isotonic strengthening, and
relaxation techniques. It is also designed to
improve coordination, body awareness, and mental
acuity. Recently, a number of studies have been
oriented toward benefits for the elderly, including
improved balance, reduced hypertension, and
relieving arthritis. While this is important news
to a large segment of the population, it has
contributed to the misconception that this exercise
is primarily oriented toward benefiting the
elderly. What is unusual about Tai Chi is that it
is suitable for any age and physical condition. It
is capable of improving and maintaining mental and
physical performance even in young, athletic
practitioners and, even more importantly, help them
maintain it as they age.
With support from both traditional and modern
medicine, Tai Chi is being proven effective for an
ever widening array of complaints. Time is on the
side of these ancient practices, Tai Chi, Chi Kung,
Pa Kua, and Hsing-i, which have survived cultural
transformations and scientific scrutiny.
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