What is Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art. It will exercise your mind, body, and spirit and help relieve stress, improve flexibility, balance, and your overall general health. Tai Chi is a low impact, no-contact martial art for all ages.

How does Tai Chi work?

As you age, muscles put tension on your body, your bones, and your circulatory system, which can deprive them of oxygen. This can result in high blood pressure and brittle bones. Tai Chi works by helping you stretch your muscles so they put less tension on the body. This helps your body move more freely and with less effort. Tai Chi will also help strengthen your tendons and ligaments so that the body can move with less effort or strain. When there is less tension on your body, circulation is enhanced which can result in lower blood pressure, healthier organs, stress reduction, and relaxation.

Tai Chi may also have the following benefits, for older adults in particular:
•Improve balance and coordination, reducing the number of falls
•Improve sleep quality, such as staying asleep longer at night and feeling more alert during the day
•Slow bone loss in women following menopause
•Reduce high blood pressure
•Improve cardiovascular fitness
•Relieve chronic pain

Further Information

Tai Chi Boosts Immunity to Shingles Virus in Older Adults, NIH-Sponsored Study Reports, April 6, 2007 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH):
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2007/nia-06.htm

Tai chi: Stress reduction, balance, agility and more; Mayo Clinic Staff, December 7, 2005
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tai-chi/SA00087

Tai Chi; Judith Horstman, Arthritis Today, Arthritis Foundation 2007.
http://ww2.arthritis.org/resources/arthritistoday/2000_archives/2000_07_08_taichi.asp

Tai Chi and Arthritis Pain, By David N. Freeman
http://ezinearticles.com/?Tai-Chi-and-Arthritis-Pain&id=675778

Hydrotherapy, Tai Chi can ease osteoarthritis, SOURCE: Arthritis & Rheumatism, April 15, 2007, © Reuters2007All rights reserved
http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSCOL25663220070502

Research reinforces findings that Chinese exercises benefit older adults, August 29, 2006 by: NewsTarget
http://www.newstarget.com/020217.html

Tai Chi: Research has shown tai chi is useful as a form of exercise that may improve posture, balance, muscle mass and tone, flexibility, stamina, and strength in older adults. Tai chi is also recognized as a method to reduce stress that can provide the same cardiovascular benefits as moderate exercise, such as lowered heart rate and blood pressure. Copyright 2007 © American Cancer Society, Inc.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MIT/content/MIT_2_3X_Tai_Chi.asp

High Blood Pressure and Tai Chi Therapy, Bill Douglas Copyright 2005
http://www.holisticonline.com/Remedies/Heart/heart_high-blood-pressure-and-tai-chi.htm

Tai Chi--Numerous articles on use as treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy Intervention at Louisiana State University
http://pn.lsu.edu/News2.htm