Tai-Chi By: Carles R. Coulter

Agenda: Intro with video Brief History and benefits of Tai-Chi Demonstration Talk about Demonstration Instructional Class on Tai-Chi All together participation with closing about each other experience during the evolution

Video

What did you think about the Video? What could be some benefits about Tai-Chi? What could be some draw backs?

History: Tai Chi has been able to trace its origin all the way back to the 12 th century to the Taoist monk Zhang Sanfeng. It is considered a therapeutic exercise which originated as a martial art. It is a slow moving martial art based on the Eastern belief that a life force (chi) or energy circulates throughout the body by way of pathways called meridians

Tai Chi appears to have physiological and psychosocial benefits and also appears to be safe and effective in promoting balance control, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness in older patients with chronic conditions. However, limitations or biases exist in most studies, and it is difficult to draw firm conclusions about the benefits reported.

So why do Tai- Chi? Chronic illness is the “leading cause of death and disability in the USA, accounting for 70% of all death” (Fetherston & Wei, 2011, p. 156). Tai Chi can aid in helping with chronic illnesses, such as arthritis, stress, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and an array of similar issues. In those with Type II diabetes, Tai Chi reduces blood glucose and improves insulin resistance index, lowers triglycerides, and glycated serum proteins, in addition to higher fasting plasma insulin levels (Fetherston & Wei, 2011).

Chi is used for hypertension and cardiovascular disease (Fetherston & Wei, 2011, p. 158). Besides increasing the muscular system Tai Chi has been known to increase your breathing and oxygen in take. “For example, a meta-analysis by Taylor-Piliae and Froelicher (2004) found that maximum oxygen uptake during tai chi varies between 40–55%, depending on the style and duration of the intervention, and that women have been found to derive more positive effects than men, with people who previously had sedentary lifestyles gaining the most benefit from tai chi” (Fetherston & Wei, 2011, p. 158). As with any physical regimen, each individual person should talk to their doctor to make sure that it is not too much physical fitness at once, especially for the elderly and sick.

There are many spiritual and mental attributes that Tai Chi provides an individual such as “The mind-body approaches to health are gaining in popularity, particularly amongst people seeking self-management health strategies that have the potential to address multiple health needs across both physical and psychological spectrums; one of the most popular of these approaches is tai chi” (Fetherston & Wei, 2011, p. 156). With hypertension one of the mental contributors for causing hypertension is stress and how one reacts to various stresses. Tai Chi throughout time has been known for breathing and relaxation technique such as Qigong, which involves coordinated breathing, movement, and awareness used for exercise, healing, and meditation.

Demonstration: Pay attention to the movement and the breathing and think about these questions. Why do you think breathing is so important? Do you think that Tai-Chi incorporates the Mind, Body, and Soul?

References: FETHERSTON CM & WEI L (2011) Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness3, 155–164 The benefits of tai chi as a self management strategy to improve health in people with chronic conditions