I first heard about Tai Chi on TV when watching a martial art competition.
By this time, I had gained some interest in martial arts to enhance mental and physical strength.
From my research, I found out that Tai Chi is a form of soft martial art that emphasizes mental strength and physical discipline.
Practitioners strive to reach mental harmony through various exercises that I will talk about in this article.
Over time, I have trained in various martial arts, among which in Tai Chi.
In this article, I will explore its exercises to see if they are good for me (and you too).
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Tai Chi Exercises
Tai Chi has various exercises that anyone can adopt with ease.
Unlike external martial arts, where vigorous movements are required, Tai Chi enables people with limited mobility to do a bulk of the exercises and enjoy similar benefits to the body.
Here are a few of them and how they help the body.
Meditation
Meditation is one of the core exercises of this art. You spend time in a yoga-like position connecting to your inner soul and higher energies.
It has several benefits.
First, you are able to gain a new perspective in stressful situations, which goes a long way to solving your problems.
It also increases self-awareness and enables you to focus on the present.
Physically, it helps lower your blood pressure and stress-related headaches, joint and muscle aches.
Tai Chi Movements
Tai Chi 108 movements that basically help you attain physical stability (such as standing with one leg or being stable when you jump).
They also help enhance the flexibility of your joints, especially the hip and shoulder joints.
However, unlike external martial arts, the exercises are not very aggressive, and the complex ones build upon earlier ones.
Therefore, people with bone and joint conditions such as arthritis and gouts can still benefit from this exercise.
Qigong Exercises
Qigong is a variety of breathing exercises that are paired with Tai Chi movements.
Their purpose is to enable energy to flow through the body.
A deep breath helps avail lots of oxygen into the lungs, which increases the oxygen levels in the blood and enhances your muscle abilities.
There has also been evidence that breathing exercises can help relieve symptoms of colds and other respiratory issues.
Other Benefits of Tai Chi
Apart from enhancing your agility, balance and flexibility, Tai Chi helps increase your muscle energy and stamina.
It also helps relieve joint pain as well as improve the range of motion.
Besides, it may help deal with anxiety and depression (with regular exercises) and enhance the quality of sleep.
Some people have also reported improved mood and ability to concentrate in school.
You can perform Tai Chi exercises at home after work or school.
However, I would recommend that you first go to a certified Tai Chi instructor to get started.
In conclusion, I would say that Tai Chi is a good exercise.
It has both mental and physical benefits without requiring the practitioner to do aggressive exercises.
However, you should be consistent in your exercises to achieve these benefits.
I found these exercises addictive and do them daily, especially after a hard day’s work.
Try them too and share your experience.