Walk on the Mild Side
It’s not just for grannies. Sheena Yap has the scoop on the many health benefits of tai chi.
No one doubts that Hong Kong can be a neurotic, stressful place. Fortunately for everyone trying to balance their career, their family and their fun, there is a medication-free alternative to our mental and physical fatigue—tai chi. Sure, the first thing that comes to mind may be that slow-mo exercise practiced by groups of elderly folks in parks around the city each morning. But people young and old can derive benefits from practicing this art.
Tai chi, also known as tai chi chuan, is often described as meditation in motion. Unlike many martial arts portrayed in movies, tai chi does not focus on training for muscular strength. Based on the concept of yin-yang, the exercise instead aims to balance the energy flow in your body. By promoting inner harmony through its flowing graceful movements, it can help reduce stress and improve health.
William Ng is a qualified instructor of tai chi who has performed for the likes of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. In recent years he has seen a growing number of people turn to tai chi for its health benefits. “Life in Hong Kong is a rush, but tai chi can help you relax,” he says, emphasizing that the exercise is non-competitive and self-paced. “It can help you focus your thoughts and attain peace of mind; its philosophy of harmony can even influence and shape your attitude towards life.”
Meditation is one of the most important aspects of tai chi, so beginners may find the practice challenging at first. Ng understands that it can be difficult to quiet the mind and seek stillness within motion in a short period of time. “It is not easy to get used to it, but as the phrase goes: ‘practice makes perfect,’ so try to meditate often and you will eventually achieve the serenity and inner peace,” he says.
In addition to positive effects on mental health, tai chi can benefit you physically. “Each posture and movement of tai chi creates an energy flow, which can coordinate chi [breath], improve the alignment of your joints, and stimulate blood circulation,” Ng notes. Tai chi is particularly effective in improving your mobility, flexibility and balance. A 2005 paper published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing shows that the low-intensity exercise has great potential for health promotion. It can improve your physical fitness and concentration, as well as enhance your muscle strength. By helping to develop balance and confidence, it can help older people avoid falls that can possibly lead to serious health issues. In fact, researchers have found that intensive practice of the exercise can promote cardiovascular fitness and reduce the risk of heart attacks. Its gentle movements can also burn more calories than surfing, and zap almost as many calories as downhill skiing. Perhaps during this auspicious year of the tiger, it is time to take up tai chi.
Basic Concepts
Chi: The breath of life. Balance, strength and good circulation can influence one’s health. Through increasing the range of movement in the joints, tai chi suppposedly enhances circulation in the body, thereby improving health.