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Tai Chi/Qigong

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Mind-Body / Recovery

Older Adults Enjoy Tai Chi and Aquatic Exercise

The most popular exercise activities for adults aged 65 or older include tai chi and aquatic exercise, according to Tracking the Fitness Movement (2009 edition), a report released by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA). Even though the fitness industry has been impacted by the economy, and sales of fitness equipment have taken a hit, the SGMA study shows that interest and participation in fitness activities by older adults remain very strong.

Qigong Sampler

Would you like to practice a simple style of exercise that is reputed to strengthen your immune system, prolong your life span, increase your energy, uplift your spirit, vitalize your sexual functioning, enhance your general health, relax your body and calm your mind? For thousands of years, millions of Chinese have highly valued qi (or chi, pronounced chee), which can be activated through the practice of qigong.

Tai Chi Can Help Lower Glucose Levels

A regular tai chi exercise program can help people better control their diabetes and lower glucose levels, according to a University of Florida study.

Mind-Body Research Update

Recently, as co-chair of a medical conference on the metabolic syndrome and dyslipidemia, I seized the chance to slip a short discussion of yoga-based lifestyle research into a long day of clinical trial expositions that mostly focused on lipid-lowering drug studies. I felt somewhat meek describing a number of relatively small studies, all done on small budgets, while most clinical trials being discussed were 50- to 200-million-dollar studies sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry or the National Institutes of Health [NIH].

Tai Chi Improves Type 2 Diabetes Control

Tai chi exercises can improve the control of type 2 diabetes, suggests a small study, published ahead of print in theBritish Journal of Sports Medicine. The research team assessed the impact of a 12-week tai chi program on the T helper cell activity of 30 patients with type 2 diabetes and 30 healthy people of the same age.

Yoga and Tai Chi for Kids

It is something of a modern paradox: Although kids today seem wiser to the ways of the world, their bodies are more unhealthy and deconditioned than ever. There are many demands on children’s attention these days; but, unfortunately, very few of these involve healthy levels of interactive play or connection to nature.

Tai Chi and Qigong Practice Boosts Flu Vaccine

Studies have shown that a discipline of consistent meditation improves immune system response. Now, new research suggests that tai chi and qigong practice may offer similar immunity-enhancing characteristics

Sample Class: Body-Mind Fusion

Fusion classes typically combine two or
more formats, equipment choices and
training methods. Sometimes these cross-
training opportunities can yield more benefits
than practicing a single discipline. This
sample class draws from the influences of
yoga, Pilates, tai chi and the Feldenkrais
Method®. Feel free to replicate the class exactly,
or use it to stimulate your creative
…

Wet workout

When you think of using the pool for fitness, you probably imagine swimmers doing laps. Although swimming is a fantastic workout, it's time to rethink the pool as another frontier of fitness, a liquid athletic training ground, if you will.So say goodbye to aqua aerobics, and make way for a new generation of water-based classes.This summer, instructors across the country have been exp…

Qigong for Health

Have you heard of qigong (pronounced chee kung)? This gentle Chinese practice dating back several thousand years is finding its way into mainstream American culture. If you are busy, qigong is perfect for you since it requires no apparatus, props or special clothing and can be performed within the space of an office cubicle. What’s more, the exercises can be done sitting, sta…

Mulan Quan: Tai Chi for Women

While there are numerous tai chi styles, only one is designed exclusively for women. Mulan quan (or chuan) is a modern form of tai chi created for women by a female tai
chi master, Sifu Mei Fing Ying. Literally translated, mulan quan means “wooden orchid fist”; the style, however, is named after Hua Mulan, a brave young woman who took her aging father’s place in…

Tai Chi: Moving Slow in a Fast World

In an era in which Americans are primarily concerned with losing weight and gaining muscle mass, it is no wonder that the slow-moving martial art of tai chi has been a bit of a hard sell.

Qigong Relieves Depression in Older Adults

Many older adults contend not only with ailing physical health but also with depression, which lowers self-esteem and can wreak havoc with quality of life. Leading medical professionals, hoping to reduce costs and lower the risk of adverse side effects, are interested in alternatives to mainstream treatments, such as psychotherapy and prescription drugs. A new study suggests that qigong p…

Qigong for Health: a Research Update

Mind-body fitness is rapidly becoming a valuable and profitable service for fitness professionals to offer clients in clubs, gyms and private settings. While yoga and Pilates are hot favorites, the gentle art of qigong (pronounced chee kung)—a Chinese practice dating back several thousand years—is also finding its way into mainstream American culture. As consumers discover…

Tai Chi vs. Brisk Walking for Older Adults

When older adults lose muscle tone and their balance starts to deteriorate, a simple mishap like tripping over a rug or losing their footing as they go to the bathroom during the night can turn into a tragedy. Among Americans who break a hip when they are 50 or older—about 300,000 people per year—24% die within 12 months, according to the National Osteoporosis Founda…

How Does Practicing Tai Chi Improve Balance?

The mind-body benefits that result from consistent practice of tai chi continue to impress researchers. Older adults who did tai chi only three times a week experienced significant improvement in balance, lower-body strength and stance stability. In addition, subjects reported better quality of sleep, concentration, memory and self-esteem, as well as higher overall energy levels, accordin…

Tai Chi or Jogging for Lower-Body Conditioning

Long-term practice of tai chi can improve muscular strength in the lower body, particularly around the knees and ankles, as much as long-term jogging, according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (2006; [40], 50–54). This is good news for older adults looking for gentle movement alternatives that provide powerful conditioning benefits.
Researc…