Anti-Aging Exercise Tai-Chi

Tai chi for older people can provide a number of health benefits by combining balance work, meditative breathing, and low-impact movements. Some activities, like walking, swimming, and yoga, can be enjoyed for many years, and tai chi has become a favorite way of exercise amongst seniors.

Once you’ve made the decision to improve your health by staying active, you might be confused by all the types of exercise available, we recommend Tai chi, an activity that can improve your quality of life, it is easy to start, and has many emotional and physical benefits.

Before starting any exercise program, speak with your physical therapist or your healthcare provider.

Anti-Aging Exercise Tai-Chi
Anti-Aging Exercise Tai-Chi

What Is Tai-Chi?

Tai chi involves continuous, slow movements. It is an ancient Chinese martial art that benefits both your mind and body. Unlike yoga, where you might hold a particular stance for several breaths when doing tai chi, you will flow through each phase without pausing.

There are different forms of tai chi, most movements involve a series of motions named after animals. We propose doing tai chi over grass, carpet, or another secure padded surface to protect your joints. You can do tai chi in a group or alone, but unlike other activities and sports, there is no competitive element to this movement.

Reduce anxiety and stress

Studies have shown the practice of tai chi as a relaxing method that can benefit not only your mental health but it helps to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. Also, tai chi could reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, high blood pressure, or even coronary heart disease.

Tai chi it’s a suitable form of exercise for all ages. It may also help you manage symptoms of some chronic diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or fibromyalgia. The researchers found it to be inexpensive and safe and include improvements in cognition.

Anti-Aging Exercise Tai-Chi

It helps to sleep better

Tai chi can upgrade sleep for older adults, too. In a recent study with older adults with cognitive impairment, researchers found that tai chi classes were associated with better sleep. The individuals who practiced it experienced significant improvements in their quality of sleep compared to those that didn’t do anything.

Because tai chi also includes meditation and focused breathing, the researchers noted that tai chi may be superior to other forms of exercise to get a better sleep night. The same group also experienced an improvement in overall mood, reduce anxiety levels, and a decrease in depression feelings.

Improve weight loss

Regularly practicing tai chi can result in weight loss. If you don’t know how to start, there are a lot of YouTube videos that will help you start practicing this kind of exercise while social distancing. Tai chi can be practiced from a seated position, which is a great strategy for warm-up, exercise your arms, and fall prevention.

During your tai chi sessions and to get better results in weight loss, try to stretch your back, ankles, knees, shoulders, and neck, walk around for 10 minutes while moving gently your legs and arms, and move comfortably within your range, keep in kind to warm-up before starting. In addition, you can take a hot shower to get the blood moving or even give yourself a massage.

Improve balance

Doing a regular routine of tai chi can help you improve your motor function and balance. Researchers encounter a decrease in the number of falls in older people and with Parkinson’s disease, also, improvements in their capacity to exercise and reported an overall improvement in their quality of life.

Tai chi can also help you to increase leg strength and overall balance, you can choose the position that works best for your level, and many health organizations offer tai chi classes for adults as it is low-impact, safe, reduce fear of falling in older adults, and can be done at any age.