5 Practical Health Benefits of Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a form of Chinese exercise rooted in martial arts. However you won’t see too many Tai Chi practitioners doing backflips and breaking boards. This is because Tai Chi focuses more on slow, relaxed movements that develop mental stillness, internal coordination and a physical quality that lends itself to any area of martial training.
It’s not just for fighters though! Tai Chi is perfect for seniors or anyone else looking to improve their life quality. Because, when done correctly, Tai Chi requires relaxation, mental clarity and coordination, and even cultivates these skills in those who practice it. If you’re interested in learning Tai Chi for health reasons, consider these 5 health benefits of Tai Chi.
1) Improved Coordination and Balance
Tai Chi requires practitioners to hyperfocus on how each part of their body is working together through the movements and often involves standing briefly on one foot or in a wide stance. Because of this, after practicing for a while you will find that you are more aware of your body in general. With this awareness comes an improved sense of where your body is in relation to itself and the world around you as well as improved balance, having practiced keeping your center of gravity over your feet.
2) Decrease Stress and Tension
To do Tai Chi well, one must stay relaxed. The more you practice staying relaxed, the more you will find yourself aware of tension in your body. Over time, your body will learn to feel this tension and revert back to the relaxed state developed through practicing Tai Chi. Parallel to the body, the mind also must be clear and free from stressful thoughts. As we develop clear minds during Tai Chi, this spills over into everyday life, resulting in a decrease in stress in our day to day activities.
3) Fix Your Posture
When practicing Tai Chi, it is important to practice the postures correctly. In part, this discipline will flex and stretch your joints and allow your skeletal system to begin correcting back to its natural alignment. Over time, having practiced holding the correct posture while cultivating relaxation, your body will begin to want to relax into that position, fixing your posture.
4) More Energy and Stamina
Increased energy through Tai Chi is really more of a consequence of the other benefits we’ve talked about already. As your posture improves, your muscles feel less tired at the end of the day because they haven’t had to work to hold your skeleton in incorrect positions. When you decrease the overall tension in your body, this allows your blood to circulate more easily. As you practice the Tai Chi forms, your legs and waist get stronger and the muscles in your whole body work together better. All of this leads to more energy and stamina and better flow of chi.
5) Improved Cognition
There is no denying that there is a lot to keep track of when practicing Tai Chi. Is the movement correct? Are all parts of your body moving in unison? Where is the chi flowing? Relax your body. Relax your mind. Does your breathing match the movements? As you train your brain to keep track of all of these things at the same time, you’re actually helping your brain learn to multitask and to stay focused with a lot of competing priorities. Studies have also been done showing that Tai Chi improves brain plasticity and cognitive flexibility.
These are just a few of the health benefits of Tai Chi but there are many more. Whether you are looking for ways to reduce stress in your life or want to keep your body healthy in an increasingly sedentary life, Tai Chi may be the exercise for you. Contact the team at Aiping Tai Chi Austin today and come join us for a free trial class.