Tai Chi is getting popular as one of the most effective methods for maintaining good health and the best form of self-defense. It is a form of gentle exercise, suitable for seniors with health issues.
Just like Yoga, Tai Chi has many styles. Most of the moves are done with your feet. For seniors, low-impact Tai Chi moves are beneficial as they are helpful for gaining stability, improving posture, and better immunity.
Is Tai Chi Good For Seniors?
Tai Chi is one of the best forms of exercise for seniors due to its slow and low-impact moves. Each movement helps you relieve stress and relax your mind. For seniors, this is the most suitable exercise because you don’t need any special equipment and you can do it in comfortable clothes.
Many seniors have been enjoying this form of exercise as it meets the needs of seniors with various health issues.
Benefits of Tai Chi For Seniors
Tai Chi moves can help seniors stay fit without stressing about injuries. Including Tai Chi in your routine can help you relax, stay fit and keep your blood flowing.
The benefits of Tai Chi for seniors are unlimited. Here are some major benefits:
- Relieves stress
- Improves balance, flexibility, strength, and posture
- Maintains blood flow
- Promotes deep breathing
- Improves immune system
- Strengthen muscles in the legs
- Reduces back and knees pain
- Improves memory and cognitive functions
- Reduce depression
- Improves quality of life
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Reduces chronic pain
- Relieves insomnia
- An excellent exercise for arthritis patients
- reinvigorate your social life
Tai Chi Exercises For Seniors
No matter whether your goal is to improve your posture, strength, or overall mental and physical health, there are effective Tai Chi exercises for all seniors. Some of the simple and easy exercises for seniors are:
Body Warm Up
Before starting any exercise, you should warm up your body. A warm-up helps you to relax your muscles and avoid injuries. The same is the case with Tai Chi. In order to warm up your body before Tai Chi, try this:
- Stand with your legs wider than hip distance apart.
- Relax your arms or put them on your hips.
- Slightly bend your knees.
- Now, put shift your weight from the left knee to the right knee.
- Slowly put 70 percent of the weight on your left knee and do the same with your right knee.
- Repeat 3 times.
Torso Twist
In order to warm up your waist area torso twist is a good way. Torso twist is basically an abdominal exercise that is really good for your core. Here are the steps to do it:
- For this move, put your both hands on your hips to feel how much your body is turning. Don’t turn from your hips. Turn from your torso.
- Slightly bend your knees.
- Take a deep breath and feel your spine. While exhaling, twist your torso. Naturally, your hips will move a little with your torso.
- Inhale again and repeat the twist to another side.
Drawing The Bow
Here comes the fun exercise. Drawing the bow opens your chest and lungs. It also stimulates your blood circulation and improves cardiovascular health. Moreover, it will also help you to build strength in your upper body. Here are the steps for drawing the bow
- Stand with your feet and your right foot should be slightly wider than your hip width.
- Twist your head a little and your torso to the right side.
- Now, inhale and lift your both arms to the height of your chest (right side). Your left elbow will bend with your fist over your chest.
- Pretend that you are drawing a bow and lift your forefinger and thumb pointing towards the sky just like an arrow.
- Squat now and bend your knees as deeply as you can.
- By looking beyond your right hand, deeply inhale and then slowly exhale. Now lower your arms and return to the normal position.
- Repeat the same with your left side
Windmill
Have you ever seen how a windmill works? If yes then you will do this move easily. This low-impact exercise is the best tai chi move for seniors who want to improve their flexibility and posture. Here’s how to do a windmill:
- Stand with flat feet on the ground, slightly wider than your shoulders width apart.
- Relax your shoulder muscles and hang your arms loosely by your sides.
- Move your both hands in front of the body and point your fingers toward the floor.
- Deeply inhale and raise your both arms through the center of your body towards your head.
- Now stretch as much as you can towards the ceiling and arch your spine backward (slightly).
- Exhale and bend your back slowly towards the ground. Move your hands with pointed fingers like a windmill.
- Loosely hang your arms and return to the normal position.
- Do this at least 3 times.
The Hand Exercise
This Tai Chi exercise for seniors helps them to improve flexibility in their fingers, arms, and shoulders. Here’s how to do it:
- Stand with flat feet, a little bit wider than your shoulders width apart.
- Bring your arms in front of you (straight) parallel to your shoulders and ground.
- Now flex your both hands and feel the stretch. Then slowly rotate your both wrists to the right and switch to the left.
These Tai Chi moves are suitable for all seniors even with limited movement. These simple exercises can help them improve flexibility, balance, and posture and is good for curing chronic pain.
FAQs
Is Tai Chi only for seniors?
No, Tai Chi isn’t just for seniors. Rather it is very good and effective for people of all ages (not for infants). This exercise offers benefits for people of all ages. It helps you improve your physical as well as mental health. This exercise has both fast and slow movements, making it easy to learn for practice.
What is better for seniors, tai chi or yoga?
Both Tai Chi and yoga have many similarities. Both are low-impact, gentle, and practiced by millions of people around the world. Two of them are effective for your mind and boy. However, both exercises have different moves and steps. But both can have similar advantages.
Is Tai Chi beneficial for curing insomnia?
As you get older, your sleep pattern might get affected. For all those seniors who are suffering from insomnia, this exercise is a very effective and drug-free solution. Practicing Tai Chi every week can help you improve your sleep cycle and relieve stress.