Does your BodyWork?

Tai Chi Physical and mental benefits

Relieve stress.
Sharpen reflexes.
Increase flexibility.
Decrease blood pressure.
Increase feelings of well-being.
Improve balance and co-ordination.
Increase energy, stamina and agility.
Improve muscle definition and strength

Tai Chi is sometimes described as “meditation in motion” or “Chinese yoga.”
Originally developed in China as a form of self-defence, this graceful form of exercise has existed for about 2,000 years.
It is becoming increasingly popular around the world both as a basic exercise program and as a complement to other health care methods.

What is Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is a non-competitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise.
To do Tai Chi, you stand and perform a defined series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner.
Each movement or posture flows into the next without pausing.

Who is Tai Chi For?

In China, around 10 million people practice some type of Tai Chi every day making it one of the most popular forms of exercise in the world.
In simple terms, Tai Chi is for everyone!
Studies have shown that even people in their 70's and 80's can learn a simplified series of Tai Chi and benefit tremendously. Study subjects show a marked decrease in injurious falls, reductions in blood pressure and improved measures of balance and confidence.
If Tai Chi can do this for geriatric beginners, think of what it can do for someone who starts a few decades sooner and stays with it!

Health Benefits

Health benefits include increased flexibility, greater balance and reduced stress.
Tai Chi is safe for people of all ages and levels of fitness. Tai Chi can improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.
Because the movements are low-impact and put minimal stress on your muscles and joints, Tai Chi is appealing to many older adults. For these same reasons, if you have a condition such as arthritis or you're recovering from an injury, you may find Tai Chi useful.
Although the practice of Tai Chi is very old, it hasn't been studied scientifically until recently. Preliminary research shows that practicing Tai Chi regularly may also:
Increase bone mineral density after menopause.
Improve blood circulation in the legs.
Reduce anxiety and depression.
Improve physical functioning in older adults, from more ease in dressing to increased comfort in climbing stairs.
Because Tai Chi is slow and gentle, it has virtually no negative side effects

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis can feed the downward spiral into frailty. The knowledge that ones bones are brittle will likely increase the fear of falling since the chance of fracturing a fragile bone during a fall is higher. Fall prevention becomes critical, since if a fracture occurs, this will typically precipitate a steeper decline.
Studies have clearly shown that exercise can help prevent osteoporosis. Tai Chi is a weight bearing exercise with a significant muscle strengthening effect in people. It is clear that Tai Chi is helpful to prevent osteoporosis.
Tai Chi participants tend to report an improvement in balance. An increase in balance leads to increased confidence in walking, which in turn, leads to a reduced fear of falling, reversing or slowing the spiral into frailty.
The most recent study on the benefits of Tai Chi in an osteo-arthritic population found that after just 12 weeks, women aged 55 and older reported less pain and stiffness and showed improved physical functioning. The study, published in The Journal of Rheumatology in September of 2003, reported this group of women as having 35% less pain, 29% less stiffness, and 29% improvement in physical functioning, compared to women who did not do the Tai Chi exercises