No doubt many of you have heard about Tai chi walking, for exercise and to help keep those pesky pounds at bay. I’m always watching those pesky pounds that appear from nowhere and decide to sit themselves on the middle of my stomach, I mean what a cheek!
Tai chi has been around the block for years and becoming more and more popular with us mature, fine wine adults. It is a gentle way to exercise using graceful movements. Once more tai chi is free to do. There are no gym membership fees, no exercise equipment, or special clothing, just your own motivation and time to get yourself into the tai chi mode.
What Exactly Is Tai Chi?
Tai Chi is often referred to as “meditation in motion.” It is a combination of slow elegant flowing movements and deep breathing. It is nothing like high-impact exercises where you end up looking for bits of your body parts that feel as if they have become detached from your torso after the exercise has finished. No, high impact workouts are for the younger more energetic age group. It is definitely not something I would even consider now, those days of flinging myself all over the place at a pace I can only describe as…fast and furious, are over!
Tai chi is performed slowly and smoothly. It has health elements such as improving balance, coordination, and it tones muscles.
Why Is Tai Chi So Popular with Older Adults?
It is important to try and maintain balance and keep mobile. Tai chi can help by:
- Improving balance and reducing the risk of falls
- Strengthening leg muscles
- Increasing flexibility
- Enhancing posture
- Reducing stress and anxiety
- Promoting better sleep
- Encouraging gentle daily movement
Getting Started at Home
To begin, all you need is:
- Comfortable clothing
- Flat, supportive footwear (or bare feet if preferred)
- A small clear space
- A few minutes each day
There is no need to memorise all the different moves, simply practising a handful of simple exercises can provide benefits. Take each day at a time and before you know it, the exercises will become automatic, just like when you have passed your driving test and you no longer think about how to change gear, it becomes automatic.
Have a look at the video below, tai chi beginners that I started to use with Don Fiore, the video is from 6 years ago but it’s a great way to get into tai chi.
No excuses lovelies, time to indulge in some healthy stuff!