Benefits of Tai Chi
Answers to All Your Questions
Will Tai Chi improve my Health?
Tai Chi is a holistic approach to wellness (including mind, body, and spirit) and concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of Tai Chi has proven exceptional in maintaining optimum health (especially in the sense of relieving stress and maintaining homeostasis). Researchers have found that Tai Chi practice shows favorable effects on the promotion of balance control, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness.
For more on Tai Chi and your health, you can visit The Online Tai Chi and Health Information Center funded by the U.S. government at www.americantaichi.net
In 2003, the National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world and a subdivision of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, awarded a grant to the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association to build a website titled “The Tai Chi & Consumer Health Information Center”. The information center was officially launched in 2004 and has since then been providing scientific, reliable, and comprehensive information about various health benefits of Tai Chi – for arthritis, diabetes, fall prevention, pain reduction, mental health, cardiovascular diseases, fitness, and general well-being.
Will Tai Chi help with Stress Reduction?
A recent article from the New York Times calls Tai Chi a Stress Reducer and continues by saying: “There is no question that tai chi can reduce stress.” For complete article, see: www.nytimes.com
According to Mayo Clinic: “Like other complementary and alternative practices that bring mind and body together, tai chi can help reduce stress. During tai chi, you focus on movement and breathing. This combination creates a state of relaxation and calm. Stress, anxiety and tension should melt away as you focus on the present, and the effects may last well after you stop your tai chi session.”
Do I need to be at a certain athletic level to start Tai Chi?
No! Tai Chi and Yoga practice can be started at any point in our lives. We can start at any age and at any physical level. Tai Chi and Yoga is accessible to everyone. Many people see seniors practicing Tai Chi in the park but what many do not realize is that Tai Chi is a great practice to start at any age.
Does Tai Chi Help with Weight Loss?
Despite its slow and gentle pace, Tai Chi burns around 280 calories per hour, which is more calories burnt than surfing and nearly as many as downhill skiing (350 calories per hour). For additional data on Exercise & Calories Burned per Hour, see: www.nutristrategy.com
According to WebMD: “Because tai chi is low impact, experts say, it’s a good choice for people carrying extra weight, who often have knee and hip limitations. If you can’t walk or do traditional exercise without pain, tai chi may be gentle enough to get you moving. And with regular practice, they say, you will begin to burn calories and lose weight.”
For complete article, see: www.webmd.com
And for more information on Tai Chi and weight loss, please see: www.worldtaichiday.org
Is Tai Chi for Me?
Tai Chi, with its gentle graceful pace and low impact movements, can be learned and practiced by virtually anyone. According to Mayo Clinic: “you can practice tai chi regardless of your age or physical ability — tai chi emphasizes technique over strength. In fact, because tai chi is low impact, it may be especially suitable if you’re an older adult who otherwise may not exercise.”
What's so great about Tai Chi?
Once learned, Tai Chi can be practiced pretty much anytime anywhere. It takes as little as 10-20 minutes without any equipment; It can be performed in the conference room during work break or even at the airport waiting for your flight.
Are there proven results?
Tai Chi has stood the test of time, millions upon millions of people practice Tai Chi to keep themselves young in body and mind and have been doing so for thousands of years. Tai Chi unifies body, mind, and energy and nurtures every part of ourselves. This unification of body, mind, and energy is what gives Tai Chi its widely held reputation as an efficient health system that can help us to maintain health and emotional and spiritual balance, amid the stresses of daily life. Or, in other words, better quality of life.