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Tai Chi

What are the Disadvantages of Tai Chi?

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Tai Chi is an easy and calming martial arts, but there could be disadvantages to it.

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Tai Chi, a gentle form of martial art, often described as “meditation in motion” is one of the best and safest forms of exercise. It provides a way for anybody of any age to exercise and remain healthy even through disabilities or health problems. 

Many practitioners of Tai Chi have shown a variety of health benefits both physical and mental. Tai Chi’s slow deliberate movements emphasize relaxation and breathing while keeping your body in constant motion. 

Physical benefits include increases in:

  • Flexibility
  • Mobility
  • Stamina
  • Agility

While mental health benefits include a reduction in:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression

The benefits don’t stop there, it can help with high blood pressure, improve mood, and increase your reflexes which can reduce the risk of falling in older adults.

Although Tai Chi is an amazing way to remain healthy in mind and body it is not without some disadvantages. Join me as we go through some of the disadvantages of Tai Chi so you can better decide if they are enough to dissuade you from practicing this gentle martial art. 

Mastering Tai Chi

It’s difficult to learn Tai Chi on your own, there are online tutorials that can guide you in your journey but having a teacher and other students to practice with will result in faster learning. If there are any poses you may have a hard time with, having other students motivate you is great for learning Tai Chi. A teacher can also help you adjust poses and positions to best suit your limits and make practicing Tai Chi more enjoyable.

Tai Chi takes time to master, like many exercises and hobbies tai chi need practice to make perfect. You will not be perfect on your first try, and that’s fine many people have a hard time mastering Tai Chi. However it’s not necessary to master Tai Chi in order to receive its benefits.

Discipline, for as Little as 10 Minutes a Day, Can Develop Muscle Memory 

Practicing Tai Chi for as little as 10 minutes per day can develop the muscle memory needed to learn the Tai Chi poses. Which is enough to gain its health benefits. Though in order to learn properly you may need to make time for a few classes per month. While some may struggle with making it to some classes, others may struggle to practice at home because they have nobody around them. For all the benefits Tai Chi has, one still needs to put in the time even if it’s just the aforementioned 10 minutes per day. 

Don’t forget to take breaks, practicing Tai Chi can be addicting. You need to gradually build up the length of your practice sessions, and their frequency. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes for most days. For the beginner, consider practicing for as long as you can comfortably walk at a steady pace. If you can only do 5 minutes at a time, that’s ok, take breaks when necessary. Tai Chi is not a sprint, you can rest and do another 5 minutes, take your time.

Tai Chi Is Still an Exercise, It Just Happens to be Low Impact

Tai Chi is still an exercise, which can leave some first time practitioners unexpectedly tired. In the beginning Tai Chi can leave some people sore. But as your body becomes accustomed to the movement and poses, this won’t be an issue. Practicing with a teacher can minimize any unwanted strenuous movement as they can guide you through the poses and adjust according to your mobility.

If you feel like Tai Chi is something you want to practice, feel free to join us at Heartwell Park in Long Beach CA on Sundays from 9:30am to 10:30am, we practice near the duck pond.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

Top 5 Questions You Should Ask Before Starting Tai Chi

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Many people’s first experience with Tai Chi is seeing others practicing it outdoors in a park. Tai Chi, with its slow deliberate movements, emphasis on relaxation, and breathing is being practiced by countless people for more than just fitness. 

Many practitioners of this martial art have shown a variety of mental health benefits which include reduction in:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Blood pressure

Physical benefits like an increase in:

  • Flexibility
  • Balance
  • Agility
  • Stamina

Tai Chi has also been shown to aid in

  • Improvement in mood 
  • Reduce the risk of falling in older adults
  • Improvement in reflexes

Although Tai Chi is very inclusive and available to most people, we understand if you have some reservations about starting to practice this martial art. 

Below we outline 5 questions we recommend you should ask yourself, your primary care provider, or our staff at SOHMA integrative medicine in Long Beach CA prior to joining a Tai Chi class. Whether it’s our free Tai Chi for beginners at Heartwell Park in Long Beach (by the duck pond) or an online option like the 8 part series Tai Chi for beginners on YouTube.

What if I have Disabilities or Health Problems?

When taught and practiced properly Tai Chi is one of the safest form of exercises that exist for anyone who may be be suffering from disabilities of other health conditions, that being said it is important for you to talk to your primary care provider and ask if they feel like there is any potential risk that they can foresee with you when deciding to practice Tai Chi. An example can be exercising too soon after a surgery, as maybe you have to let your body heal before beginning Tai Chi.

The movements done while practicing Tai Chi should never feel forced, therefore even if you feel like you may have limited mobility you can and should modify the movements to fit the range of motion you are comfortable with.

Is Tai Chi safe to learn?

With Tai Chi being practiced by people of all ages, it is okay to presume that Tai Chi is a safe form of fitness. Because there are no high impact movements such as jumping, and movements are slow and soft there is minimal strain to your joints and muscles. Since all the movements are deliberate and careful there is little to no chance of falling. This is why you tend to see many older adults participating in Tai Chi classes. Though everyone is welcome to join regardless of age or fitness level.

How can I get started?

If you are looking to get started with Tai Chi, but you are unsure about how to get started let me start off by saying, getting started in Tai Chi is less complicated than you may think. Even though Tai Chi has its origins in ancient China, and is a martial art It’s not required to learn about Chinese history or philosophy to get started. Unlike other martial arts out there like karate or boxing, Tai Chi is easier on the individual with limited mobility whether it’s due to age or injury. As well as being more inclusive Tai Chi does not require special uniforms, protective gear or special equipment that can be expensive to buy. All you need to get started is a pair of sneakers, comfortable clothes, a little bit of time  a week and an open mind.

Where can I learn Tai Chi?

Now that you have decided that you want to give Tai Chi a try, where do you go from there? With all the resources that exist in the modern age, finding a Tai Chi class or a video with the introduction to Tai Chi is fairly easy. As mentioned before, we offer completely free Tai Chi classes for beginners every Sunday at Heartwell Park in Long Beach CA by the duck pond from 9:30am to 10:30am. But this isn’t the only resource we have. 

You can also get started by watching our 8 part Tai Chi for beginners course on YouTube where I give you step by step instructions on getting warmed up, how to perform each movement as well as what each movement is called. Even though this is a great tool to learn the basics I recommend joining us for the class so that you can receive feedback, and guidance from everyone there, though I understand that not everyone is able to go out and join us at the park right now.

Do I have the time to practice Tai Chi?

Depending on your schedule you may think to yourself that you don’t have the time to dedicate to learning Tai Chi. You’d be surprised however, as you can gain health benefits with as little as 10 minutes a day. Though in order to learn proper technique and form it is recommended to participate in a class if possible, if not you can do your best by following instructional classes online like the ones mentioned earlier.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

Tai Chi for Senior Citizens

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As you get older many activities that would normally be simple and easy become difficult and  sometimes even dangerous. There isn’t much that we can do to stop the aging process but we can make ourselves feel younger and stronger. A great way to do this is by exercising and staying in shape. I’m not suggesting something unreasonable, quite the opposite.

My suggestion is to take up our free Tai Chi class.

Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art that combines meditation and spiritual focus with low impact movements which allow 99% of the population to practice including many senior citizens. This is because the movements are very gentle and the martial art focuses on muscle control, flexibility, balance, stability, and meditation.

It has been well documented that practicing Tai Chi improves mobility and balance in older people. Regular practice can also help reduce pain from osteoarthritis and other joints as well as significantly reducing the risk of falling among older adults. In this article we will take a look at debilitating conditions that can be managed with as little as a couple of months of continuously practicing Tai Chi.

Arthritis and Various Pains

For seniors, it is difficult for your body to respond the way it used to and unfortunately physical problems begin to manifest through no fault of your own. Joints begin to lose their cartilage which causes several forms of arthritis, that if left unchecked, can lead to the loss of mobility in your hands and legs due to the pain it causes when trying to move.

Tai Chi has been known to be as effective as physical therapy in reducing pain in the knees caused by arthritis and joint pain, although ideally combining both would yield the best results. The reason Tai Chi is so effective is because the movements used help joints retain their range of motion so that they don’t become stiff. Many other forms of exercise may cause too much pain in people suffering from arthritis but due to the low impact, gentle and slow movements in Tai Chi it doesn’t cause unnecessary pain.

Balance and Lowering the Risk of Falling 

Falling is one the most common forms of injury for senior citizens. In many cases the lack of mobility is the problem, but not the sole reason. Your ability to shift focus and tend to different tasks becomes affected as you become older as well. This is the reason why you may lack the reaction time to prevent yourself from losing your balance.

Tai Chi helps to train you to be more aware of your surroundings. As well as noticing your breathing rhythm, your mental processes and your movements all at the same time.

Finally, there is evidence to show that exercising and remaining active improves bone density, so in the event that you do fall, you are less likely to suffer major injuries.

Cardiovascular Health and Recovery

As an exercise, Tai Chi may not seem like it is an intense form of aerobic exercise, but this martial art has been shown to improve your cardiovascular system and as an aid in recovering from strokes. 

With a focus on breathing and relaxing, Tai Chi helps with high blood pressure, which puts less stress on your heart while exercising and strengthening it.

Many stroke survivors show weakness in parts of their body as well as a loss of balance. This is where Tai Chi can retrain your body to regain strength and balance safely. While using a new found presence of mind to become fully aware and have a better sense of control.

Mental Health

For seniors, taking care of mental health is incredibly important. Practitioners of Tai Chi have found that it not only helps them sleep without the use of sleep aids that may leave you groggy and at risk of falling, but also reduces stress, anxiety, depression and self-esteem. all of which reduce the risk of accidents and help you become more independent.

If you feel like you want to make a change in your life for the better and regain some of what may have been lost to time, we invite you to join us at Heartwell Park in Long Beach CA, we practice by the duck pond, where we have completely free Tai Chi classes for beginners.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

5 Health Benefits of Tai Chi

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Elderly people practicing Tai Chi
Elderly Asian people practicing Tai Chi together

Tai Chi has been known to be a helpful activity for people of all ages. But why is that? Some say that it’s because the combination of meditation and low impact exercise allows nearly anyone to see an improvement in their physical and mental health.

In today’s article we are going to give you examples of five benefits of Tai Chi. We have a completely free Tai Chi class you can join to start feeling the benefits for yourself. 

Stress Reduction

The first benefit we are going to talk about is the ability for Tai Chi to reduce stress. Although it cannot get rid of the burden, it is noticeably helpful in relieving built up stress. First off stress can manifest in many different ways. In some cases stress can look like symptoms of other conditions such as headaches, insomnia, muscle pain, or fatigue.

Reducing your stress can be achieved slowly and steadily with Tai Chi. It can help you find the quiet and calm you may have been looking for by combining slow movement from the Tai Chi poses and the deep controlled breathing you enter a state of mindfulness. This helps you to relax and reduce some of the built up stress you would have been carrying

Mood Improvement

The second benefit that I want to talk about is how Tai Chi can be used to improve your mood. Improve your mood? You ask, yes as your mood can be directly linked to your mental health. Poor mental health can result in suffering from depression, anxiety, insomnia and sometimes bipolar disorder. Poor mental health also can lead to physical issues as well such as headaches, stomach aches, fatigue and in severe cases, heart disease.

By combining meditation and exercise Tai Chi becomes an efficient workout with many people seeing positive results by practicing as little as one hour per week. It has been well documented that meditation and exercise improves your mood and mental health and since Tai Chi does both, it is possibly the best option out there.

Muscle Balance, Flexibility and Agility

The third benefit is about the physical body. Many times as we age our bodies tend to lose some of their capabilities whether it be due to the act of aging, injuries, or just lack of activity.

Due to the low impact movement of Tai Chi, and it being a weight bearing form of exercise Tai Chi will engage your major muscle groups which will improve your endurance, flexibility, agility, and strength.

Asthma

The fourth benefit involves breathing. If you are one of the million of Americans who suffer from asthma, you know that trying to stay in shape can be difficult. Due to its nature, some people can’t nave extended exercise routines as this can trigger asthma attacks.

By focusing on the breathing techniques of Tai Chi, those suffering from asthma can benefit greatly. With time and practice asthmatic people see their lung capacity increase all while still getting good exercise as well.

Physical fitness

The final benefit, that we are discussing today, is that Tai Chi is a great exercise experience that can keep you strong and active without having to go to the gym. Tai chi is a gentle martial art so that any person of any age or physical fitness is capable of practicing. Tai chi also has every low bar of entry, all you need is a comfortable set of clothing and a pair of shoes without heels.

If you are looking to take a class, having a teacher to give feedback is helpful. Having classmates who you can bond with and can encourage each other is another important aspect of learning Tai Chi.

We offer completely free Tai Chi classes for beginners at Heartwell Park in Long Beach CA by the duck pond. If you are not yet convinced feel free to ask the staff at sohma about any other information regarding our free Tai Chi classes.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

Tai Chi for Muscle Flexibility, Balance & Agility

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Interested in the Tai Chi Instructor Certification Course?

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As we age, we tend to lose a bit of our bodies to time. Whether it is due to compound injuries,  poor diet, aging, or static positions like sitting for hours in front of a screen. But, there is always hope to help recover some of what was lost.

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art that has been shown to improve physical and mental wellness. Today, we will see how Tai Chi can help with putting a pep back in your step as well as what you may need in order to get started. At SOHMA Integrated Medicine in Long Beach CA we care about bringing balance and wellness in the most natural way possible, this is why we offer completely free Tai Chi classes.

What Causes our Bodies to Weaken

There are many reasons why our bodies lose balance, flexibility and agility. Some of the more common reasons are:

  • Aging
  • Injury
  • Lack of Stretching
  • Inactivity
  • Migraines
  • Nerve Damage
  • Arthritis
  • Weight

With a little bit of commitment and as little as one Tai Chi class per week, for a couple of months people have shown improvements in many aspects of their wellbeing.

Injury can cause a multitude of problems, not only does the injury leave scarring , depending on the nature of the injury it is possible that it leads to inactivity of the surrounding joints and muscles. This can lead to both loss in agility and flexibility.

Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about aging. But just because we are getting older does not mean we should not try to keep our bodies feeling as young as possible.

Sometimes we can let temptations win and make poor health decisions. Tai Chi is an excellent way of getting back on track, physical wellbeing takes a lot of mental fortitude in order to make the right choices. Oftentimes meditation is recommended to help with mental health. Tai Chi, often called meditation in motion, pulls double duty in this  case. As not only do you begin to be more active by practicing the martial art, you also help your mental health by taking calm rhythmic deep breaths that put you in a state of meditation. By choosing to actively change yourself, you will also improve your self esteem and confidence in yourself. This in turn will help make better choices about your health.

Due to the slow and low impact nature of Tai Chi as well as it being a weight bearing form of exercise, Tai Chi will engage many of your major muscle groups. This will improve endurance, strength, balance, flexibility and agility.

How to get Started Practicing Tai Chi

Getting started is easy. Do you have comfortable clothing? Do you have comfortable shoes with no heals? If you answered yes to these questions then you are halfway there.

One of the best ways to learn Tai Chi is to join a class. Having a teacher giving your feedback the positions and breathing rhythm is very helpful. While having other classmates to bond with and encourage each other is another big part of the experience. We offer completely free Tai Chi classes for beginners at Heartwell Park in Long Beach CA, usually around the duck pond.

Tai chi is an excellent exercise for anybody of any age or fitness level. If you are not yet convinced to give it a try, we welcome you to watch one of our free classes in order to help you makeup your mind. Feel free to ask the staff at SOHMA about any other information regarding our free Tai Chi classes.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.