As you get older many activities that would normally be simple and easy become difficult and sometimes even dangerous. There isn’t much that we can do to stop the aging process but we can make ourselves feel younger and stronger. A great way to do this is by exercising and staying in shape. I’m not suggesting something unreasonable, quite the opposite.
My suggestion is to take up our free Tai Chi class.
Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art that combines meditation and spiritual focus with low impact movements which allow 99% of the population to practice including many senior citizens. This is because the movements are very gentle and the martial art focuses on muscle control, flexibility, balance, stability, and meditation.
It has been well documented that practicing Tai Chi improves mobility and balance in older people. Regular practice can also help reduce pain from osteoarthritis and other joints as well as significantly reducing the risk of falling among older adults. In this article we will take a look at debilitating conditions that can be managed with as little as a couple of months of continuously practicing Tai Chi.
Arthritis and Various Pains
For seniors, it is difficult for your body to respond the way it used to and unfortunately physical problems begin to manifest through no fault of your own. Joints begin to lose their cartilage which causes several forms of arthritis, that if left unchecked, can lead to the loss of mobility in your hands and legs due to the pain it causes when trying to move.
Tai Chi has been known to be as effective as physical therapy in reducing pain in the knees caused by arthritis and joint pain, although ideally combining both would yield the best results. The reason Tai Chi is so effective is because the movements used help joints retain their range of motion so that they don’t become stiff. Many other forms of exercise may cause too much pain in people suffering from arthritis but due to the low impact, gentle and slow movements in Tai Chi it doesn’t cause unnecessary pain.
Balance and Lowering the Risk of Falling
Falling is one the most common forms of injury for senior citizens. In many cases the lack of mobility is the problem, but not the sole reason. Your ability to shift focus and tend to different tasks becomes affected as you become older as well. This is the reason why you may lack the reaction time to prevent yourself from losing your balance.
Tai Chi helps to train you to be more aware of your surroundings. As well as noticing your breathing rhythm, your mental processes and your movements all at the same time.
Finally, there is evidence to show that exercising and remaining active improves bone density, so in the event that you do fall, you are less likely to suffer major injuries.
Cardiovascular Health and Recovery
As an exercise, Tai Chi may not seem like it is an intense form of aerobic exercise, but this martial art has been shown to improve your cardiovascular system and as an aid in recovering from strokes.
With a focus on breathing and relaxing, Tai Chi helps with high blood pressure, which puts less stress on your heart while exercising and strengthening it.
Many stroke survivors show weakness in parts of their body as well as a loss of balance. This is where Tai Chi can retrain your body to regain strength and balance safely. While using a new found presence of mind to become fully aware and have a better sense of control.
Mental Health
For seniors, taking care of mental health is incredibly important. Practitioners of Tai Chi have found that it not only helps them sleep without the use of sleep aids that may leave you groggy and at risk of falling, but also reduces stress, anxiety, depression and self-esteem. all of which reduce the risk of accidents and help you become more independent.
If you feel like you want to make a change in your life for the better and regain some of what may have been lost to time, we invite you to join us at Heartwell Park in Long Beach CA, we practice by the duck pond, where we have completely free Tai Chi classes for beginners.
Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine
Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health.
Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.
We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.
