Tai Chi for Balance
According to an article by the BBC last month, experts in the UK and the American Geriatrics Society believe that taijiquan (tai chi) lessons should be recommended to the elderly to prevent falls. One third of people over the age of 65 fall each year and, in Britain, 14000 people die annually as a result of falls. Dr Mary Tinetti of Yale University School of Medicine said: “Falls are one of the most common health problems experienced by older adults………Given their frequency and consequences, falls are as serious a health problem for older persons as heart attacks and strokes.”
One of the main reasons why taijiquan is so beneficial in improving balance is its focus on promoting control and strength of the posterior muscles of the back and legs. When was the last time you walked backwards? A tai chi movement called Repulse the Monkey has you do just that. Through other movements the practitioner learns how to balance on one leg, shift weight gently forwards and backwards from one leg to another, and focus on body posture. In this way strength and flexibility are improved and qi flows smoothly from head to toe. All movements in tai chi are practiced with grace, like a slow dance perfectly choreographed, outwardly gentle and inwardly powerful. Tai chi has often been called meditation in motion and those who practice it for just 20 minutes a day see not only improvements in their balance but many other benefits too.
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