The proper question to ask yourself may not be why you should practice tai chi, but why not.
New York Times; By JANE E. BRODY; Published: September 27, 2010.
A recent article published in the New York Times outlines the health benefits of practicing Tai Chi very clearly. The writer reviews some of the recent health research into the benefits of Tai Chi and concludes “why not”!
As a form of exercise Tai Chi is low impact, gentle and calming. Usefully perhaps, it requires no special equipment or clothing and can be done anywhere. Typically you will see people doing Tai Chi in parks but you can just as easily practice in your living room or bedroom. Once you have learnt the basics you can practice on your own and in fact your instructor will encourage this and explain that it is through practice that real learning occurs.
The kind of health benefits established by modern research into Tai Chi includes: better balance and prevention of falls, lowering of blood pressure, boosting of immune system as well as reducing stress. Though the article comments on the difficulty of comparing Tai Chi to other forms of health related exercise it clearly rates Tai Chi as an effective way of improving our personal health.
For more information including many links to the research conducted by health professionals have a look at the article on the NYT website and decide for yourself. Is it worth doing? Why not!
New York Times Article Permalink
 Roy Hanney – is a university lecturer living and working in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. He practices taiji, qigong and yoga with a particular passion for Chen Style Taijiquan. In his spare time he makes films, authors websites and makes video art. He blogs about his encounters with Qigong and Daoist healing arts at his website: http://www.qigonginchina.com |
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