Dr Michael Greger (author of How Not To Die) recommends 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day. It doesn't have to be in one go. Little and often is better...
The three doctors who wrote The Okinawa Program maintain that tai chi - with its ancient origins and incredible health benefits - is the ideal form of exercise for modern people.
Friday
A sanctuary
Ideally, a tai chi class should be a good place to be: a pure place. There is no meanness or petty behaviour, no malice or sarcasm. Good humour, camaraderie, polite manners, consideration, respect and fun result in a pleasant training environment.
Taking lessons
Students in a tai chi school are encouraged to interact with one another in a healthy, friendly manner, free from the competitive norms found in wider society.
There is a supportive atmosphere of trust and care. The training hall is a safe place to be.
Interaction with the instructor is of particular importance, as this commonly entails the passing-on of knowledge, bespoke physical corrections and the exploration of deeper philosophical issues pertinent to the training.
Mind, body, spirit
Tai chi practice possesses a spiritual component. This may be enhanced through Taoism and Zen, along with meditating, qigong, form and application.
An earnest student of tai chi becomes calmer, more harmonious. They have a sense of deep connection with all things. People seek to move in accord with events, rather than against.Mobile
Being strong is fine, but mobility and coordination are way more important. How often do you really need to use your strength? You coordinate your body from the moment you get out of bed.
Tai chi teaches: healthy skeletal alignment, balance, agility, ambidextrous use of the limbs, gait (manner of walking), leverage and ergonomic body use.
You learn how to move freely, spontaneously and comfortably.
Metabolism slows down 90 percent after 30 minutes of sitting. The enzymes that move the bad fat from your arteries to your muscles, where it can get burned off, slow down. The muscles in your lower body are turned off. And after two hours, good cholesterol drops 20 percent. Just getting up for five minutes is going to get things going again. These things are so simple they’re almost stupid.
(Gavin Bradley)
Energised
Modern life saps energy. People are often exhausted, unhappy, frustrated... They are frequently emotionally, physically and psychologically unbalanced. Feeling drained is commonplace.
Getting angry is normal. This is not a healthy way to live... Tai chi teaches people how to find balance in their lives and use their mind/body in a manner that is conducive to being energised.
Prevention
Although many modern people seek to use tai chi as a means of curing illness, this is not where its strength lies. Tai chi is best employed whilst healthy, not sick.
When a healthy person does tai chi they are more apt to remain healthy. It takes far less effort to prevent something than to cure it...
Intelligent exercise?
Tai chi is different. It works the body without exertion, physical stress or taxing the joints. There is very little risk of injury. You will not get out of breath.
In tai chi, much of the work will be performed by the mind. Students must improve their memory, perception, awareness, insights, mindfulness, presence, nervous system, acuity and intelligence.
To perform the art correctly, you must engage your whole being. Tai chi is a fun, balanced way to exercise.
The Chinese public first became aware of taijiquan in about 1750. Until then it had been practiced in secret for hundreds (if not thousands) of years.
Taijiquan offered many of the same skills as other styles of Chinese martial art, but with a twist. It contained none of the strenuous training methods and proved to be exceptionally good for your health.
Thursday
Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion." There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health.
Tai chi differs from other types of exercise in several respects. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi addresses the key components of fitness — muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and, to a lesser degree, aerobic conditioning.
(Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publication, May 2009)
Tai chi is the one exercise that can universally help solve our growing health crisis. It has stood the test of thousands of years. We have a generation of baby boomers with increasing health problems; old people who are sick, in pain, fearful, and cranky; a middle class that is increasingly incapable of affording most of the drugs that are prescribed for their ailments; children that are flaccid, diabetic and asthmatic. People of all ages are addicted to drugs, alcohol, sugar, cigarettes, and caffeine. Stress follows almost everyone like a shadow.
(Bruce Frantzis)
Social support
Students in a tai chi school are encouraged to interact with one another in a healthy, friendly manner, free from the competitive norms found in wider society.
There is a supportive atmosphere of trust and care. The training hall is safe place to be. People come to relax, to learn, to have a good night.
Long-term exercise
According to the book The Blue Zones it is important to think of exercise in terms of what you can reasonably do long-term.
The ideal form of exercise is moderate enough that you can do it for the rest of your life. It needs to be joint-friendly, provide a gentle workout and be sustainable.
This sounds rather like tai chi, doesn't it?
1950's China
Faced with a major health crisis, the People's Republic of China turned to the old/classical Yang style tai chi for a solution. Just think about what that means...
Yang style tai chi's reputation for health was so well founded that the government of China thought to employ the art officially as a means of improving wellbeing.
Tai chi proved to be a very effective form of preventative healthcare and the art was introduced to schools nationwide.
Ideal exercise
The Okinawa Program was a 25 year study into longevity and healthy living. It led to other studies such as The Blue Zones, 50 Secrets of the World's Longest Living People and How Not To Die.
The three doctors who wrote The Okinawa Program maintain that tai chi - with its ancient origins and incredible health benefits - is the ideal form of exercise for modern people of all ages.
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