Several elements of tai chi make it particularly appealing to older people.
First, most of the exercises are done standing.
You can do Tai Chi in your regular clothes.
It doesn't matter where you want, indoor or outdoor.
Tai Chi exercises do not strain the skeletal system and muscles.
In case of necessity, you can even do it while sitting on a chair.
Tai Chi training is a gradual training, never challenging. Ta Chi improves your performance in activities you routinely do in daily life, such as walking, shopping, carrying bags, and climbing stairs. Moreover, it does this without any pressure.
Health Benefits of Tai Chi
A quick search on the internet will reveal hundreds of articles promoting the benefits of Tai Chi practice.
Generally when people practice Tai Chi
Balance,
Power and strength,
Durability,
Aerobic capacity,
Agility,
Flexibility,
Speed,
They develop essential athletic qualities such as proprioception .
Tai chi has also been clinically proven to be effective as a rehabilitation for people with cardiopulmonary disorders and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It can significantly reduce chronic pain for conditions such as fibromyalgia and improve neurological function in people with Parkinson's disease. It is also useful as physical therapy and pain management for osteoarthritis, encouraging joints to become more flexible and useful than they could be at a younger age.
Tai chi also provides mental benefits, such as improved cognition, mood, and focus, as well as reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. Improved sleep quality is another boon.
How Does Tai Chi Reduce Fall Risk?
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of practicing Tai Chi for seniors is its ability to reduce their risk of falls.
In terms of balance, you can think of Tai Chi as a multi-component, drug-free treatment. It’s known that strength, flexibility, and coordination alone are not enough to prevent falls, but awareness and especially executive function are also critical. What does that mean? Basically, it’s your ability to seamlessly shift your mental focus to focus on different tasks.
Tai chi improves executive function by placing less focus on the goal and more on transitions. For example, if you are walking down the street and have a heated argument with someone, you are more likely to stumble. But Tai chi trains you to be aware of everything that is happening so that you can notice your breathing, your mental processes, and your physical sensations and movements all at once. With regular Tai chi, you are less likely to fall when your mind is elsewhere or you are under mental stress.
Additionally, there is some evidence that Tai Chi increases bone density, so if you fall, you are less likely to suffer a debilitating fracture. This aspect of Tai Chi is vitally important, considering that bone density decreases in older people, especially in postmenopausal women. Often, older people tend to cut back on their physical activity due to fear of falling, but this only speeds up the inevitable. It is a vicious cycle. However, in older people who practice Tai Chi, this anxiety is replaced by self-confidence and a zest for life.