The Health and Mental Benefits of Tai Chi for Seniors
As a senior, staying active can become a challenge. As your body ages, you may not be able to keep up with some of the exercises you did in your youth. What you need is a low impact form of exercise that can help keep you active.
Tai Chi is a great candidate if you’re looking for low impact workouts that can improve your balance and energy, especially as a senior. Tai Chi can:
- Improve your strength and balance, reducing your risk of falls
- Improve cognitive function
- Prevent or manage arthritis
First of all, what is Tai Chi?
Tai Chi is an exercise for both physical and mental health. It’s based on a philosophy of integrating the mind and body, using slow, deliberate movements and breathing to generate mindfulness, energy, and a sense of serenity. Originally, Tai Chi was a martial art, also known as Shadow Boxing, and hundreds of years of practice has led to the development of several styles.
Tai Chi has its origins in ancient China, but Western medicine has been busy studying the practice and modernizing Tai Chi by incorporating medical science to deliver health benefits sooner. Tai Chi is a field with a great depth of skill and knowledge, but one that can also be quickly learned in order to enjoy its health benefits. One of the most important things about Tai Chi is that it is internal: you use it to build strength from the inside out.
It can be done by people of any age, which is why so many active senior communities have introduced Tai Chi sessions. Senior retirement communities like All Seniors Care Living Centres are always looking for new ways to help promote senior health and activity. From chair yoga to dance classes, Tai Chi is just one of the ways active senior communities continue to promote senior health.
Tai Chi is increasingly popular among seniors as a form of exercise and mindfulness. You should find out how Tai Chi meditation is benefiting seniors and whether it might be right for you.
One of the most important benefits of Tai Chi is how it can improve muscular strength, fitness, and flexibility. Tai Chi is all about thinking about your movements deliberately, which can improve your sense of balance. Stronger muscles can also support and protect joints.
The benefits of Tai Chi are not limited to physical strength, either. Tai Chi can be instrumental in reducing anxiety and stress, as well as depression. The mindfulness aspect of Tai Chi can be a great way to clear your mind and ease your anxieties.
Tai Chi is easy to start. There’s no special equipment you need and once you learn the basic techniques, you can even practice it on your own. Tai Chi is a great way for seniors to stay active without having to travel or make a big investment in equipment.
If you live in an active senior community, ask about bringing in Tai Chi lessons, or make a point of attending sessions already going on. Tai Chi can do wonders for your health.
