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Tai Chi in the time of COVID and beyond

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day is celebrated every year on the last Saturday in April. Beginning at 10 a.m. in each time zone across 80 nations, Tai Chi enthusiasts and newcomers of all styles, skill levels, and ages move together in traditional patterns called "forms."

In this time of social distancing and masks, Tai Chi emerges as a healthy alternative to close contact sports and crowded gyms. Tai Chi doesn't require special equipment, and according to ancient wisdom, Tai Chi can be practiced in a space large enough for an ox to lie down in. Tai Chi can be practiced indoors or outdoors in the fresh air, on your lawn, at a park, or at the beach. You can go solo or socially distanced with friends. There are also socially distanced group Tai Chi classes being offered at Chinese martial arts schools in the area such as White Dragon Martial Arts in Oceanside.

The slow, gentle movements of Tai Chi put minimal stress on muscles and joints, making it a suitable exercise for older adults. Other health benefits of Tai Chi include increased flexibility and better balance, which help to prevent falls.

The legendary claims of the health benefits of Tai Chi have been researched for the past two decades by the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Harvard Medical schools, as well as other respected institutions. The overwhelming majority of these studies have shown that practice of even the most basic Tai Chi movements has positive effects on many health conditions including heart disease, chronic lung disease, obesity, and Alzheimer's.

Dr. Peter Wayne, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of "The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi," conducted research on the effects of Tai Chi practice on cardiovascular and lung disease. One of the studies compared two groups of subjects. One group did Tai Chi with calming music while the other did fast paced aerobic exercises.

At the end of the study, his team was not surprised to find that the heart rate of the aerobic group participants increased to double that of the Tai Chi group during exercise. But what they also found, surprisingly, was that the Tai Chi group had greater improvements in walking distance than the aerobic group participants.

Of particular relevance in this time of COVID-19 are the results of a study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, that investigated the effects of Tai Chi on physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality, mental health, and immunity.

Two groups of volunteers were injected with the shingles vaccine. One group practiced Tai Chi while the other group received health education. At the end of the study, the Tai Chi group had significantly higher levels of immunity than the health education group. Also, the Tai Chi group participants improved in physical functioning, vitality, and mental health.

The Mayo Clinic has called Tai Chi "a gentle way to fight stress." The mental health benefits of Tai Chi include decreased anxiety and depression, and improved mood. These were in addition to the physical benefits of improved aerobic capacity, increased energy, and improved stamina.

Getting started in Tai Chi is easier now with the simplified version called Tai Chi Cao (pronounced "Sow"), which was created by China's National Physical Culture and Sports Committee. Tai Chi Cao can be translated as "exercise" or "calisthenics." This is the most commonly seen Tai Chi practiced by people in parks and open spaces in China and all over the world. For those who want to journey beyond just the basics, there is a universe of styles and martial aspects of Tai Chi to explore.

People who practice Tai Chi call themselves Tai Chi players. The Chinese verb "to play" also means "to have fun with." The Tai Chi player takes pleasure in the journey and rejoices in each destination on a lifelong path to harmony, balance and health.

 

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