Why Is Tai Ji the Perfect Exercise?
While it is easy to tell people to make exercise part of their daily routine, it is not so easy to tell them what to do. Some people like to run or climb mountains, but if you care for your body with less hurt, Tai Ji is the perfect exercise. Its goal is to improve strength and balance.
There are several styles of Tai Ji, but most of them start with a set of controlled movements. There are many good how-to books to get you started, or you can choose from classes offered at health clubs. Either way, you can move at your own pace.
Practitioners praise Tai Ji's benefits, but what has attracted the attention of Western scientists lately is what Tai Ji does for the body. In many ways, researchers are just catching up millions of people in China and Chinatowns around the rest of the world, who have already known about Tai Ji. Scientists at the Oregon Research Institute reported that Tai Ji offers the greatest benefit to older people who are healthy but relatively inactive. Studies have shown that practising Tai Ji regularly helps reduce(减少) falls among healthy old people. The next step, from a scientific point of view, is to decide whether Tai Ji can help those who are already weak.
It can take a few months for the effects of Tai Ji to kick in, but when they do they can act as a gateway to a new lifestyle. "Once people start feeling better, they often become more active in their daily life," says Dr. Karim Khan, a sports scientist at the University of British Columbia.
Any form of exercise, of course, can do only so much. "For older people, Tai Ji will not be the end-all," says William Haskell, an expert at Stanford University. "But a good way is to practise Tai Ji plus walking. "Younger people probably need more challenges, but they can benefit from Tai Ji to reduce stress."
The best thing about Tai Ji is that people enjoy it, so they can stick with it long enough to get some benefits. It helps when something that's good for you is also fun.
