Tai Chi , the Perfect Exercice

As one matures, rugby and MMA are not the exercises of choice for obvious reasons. Yet we still need to find some type of exercise that will promote good mental and physical health.

Tai Chi or very Taijiquan could be the ideal exercise for not only the 50+ crowd but indeed for all ages.

Everyone knows Tai Chi as the slow motion movement that people do in the park, yet there are several hidden facets to this form of exercise that I will endeavour to share with you over the course of a few content items.

Taijiquan literally translates into "great ultimate fist", pointing to the sometimes hidden fact, that at is base, this living art form is martial in nature. When taijiquan was first introduced into Western society the concept of learning to perform a movement slowly to be sure to be able to achieve identical task rapidly didn't really catch on, yet the public still found the effects of this form of exercise worthy enough to continue its spread into the consciousness of mainstream society.

in fact, the slowness and detail of the movements are one of the driving factors that make taijiquan so effective, in so many ways. From a physiological mentality, when one slows down a movement it has the effect of isolating the specific muscle that is being activated. Thus taijiquan is an completely excellent form of isometric exercise that strengthens the legs and increases overall balance. Interestingly, taijiquan is also great for the respiratory paradigm as one tries to slow down their breath to match each yin or inward motion with an inhale and each yang or outward motion with an exhale. As we endeavour to deliberately slow our form down we necessarily must expand our lung capacity to match the inward and outward flow of motion. This deep form of breathing drives oxygen into the system fuelling the cells and increasing the detoxification efforts of the body as the flowing inward and outward pulsing motions enhance the effectiveness of the lymphatic system.

The practice of Taijiquan also helps to center the player from emotional and mental perspectives. We strive to exceptionally relax and learn to just go with the flow. We train to look for and find our center of being. This practice shows its usefulness in daily life when the universe throws you a curveball. A taijiquan player has trained to join whatever energy has been thrown at him and he has the ability to neutralize it, very than react in the usual fight or flight response. So regardless if you have been in an accident or lost your wallet, you will be able to stay centered and calm, seeing the position with clarity very than through the dark filters of the ego.

Taijiquan is also a rather safe exercise modality that actually decreases your likely-hood of injury as opposed to the majority of gym or competitive exercises that often lead to injury. We have a saying at our club - "If it hurts, don't do it." While this sage advice is self-explanatory to the taijiquan player, it is occassionally regarded as a cop-out to resistance trainers.

To condense the benefits of taijiquan into one article is impossible. Suffice it to say, that to practice this living art form leads to better physiological health, emotional well-being, mental clarity and possibly even spiritual growth. That being said, perhaps it is time to find a good teacher and give it a try.