Tai Chi (also known as Tai Chi Chuan, T'ai Chi Ch'üan or Taijiquan), is a Chinese martial art form, which was originally taught in 1820. It is because of the health benefits of Tai Chi that it is popularly being promoted and practiced in the world today. There are 3 primary subjects of Tai Chi – health, meditation, and martial art – and you do not need to subscribe to the Chinese philosophy to enjoy its health benefits. Just understand the following 2 concepts:

Qi  - This is an energy force believed to flow through our body.

Yin and Yang – These are 2 opposing elements, which are believed to keep the universe in harmony.
 

Tai chi promotes both – the smooth and unhindered flow of Qi through our body and the balance of Yin and Yang.

Tai Chi and its medical benefits

Over the years, scientists have been studying the effect of Tai Chi on our health and they come up with a number of evidences, which prove that this martial art form helps you improve your living condition even while you may be suffering from a lot of diseases. Read on to know more about this:

Arthritis

Tai Chi provides relief to patients of arthritis by reducing the pain in their joints and improving their physical strength and movement of limbs. According to a Korean study, eight weeks of Tai Chi classes combined with further eight weeks of practice at home not only improved the flexibility of limbs in arthritic patients but also slowed down the impact of this disease on their body.

Low bone density

Low bone density can also be tackled with the help of Tai Chi. There is evidence that this martial art form helps menopausal women gain control over their depleting bone density and women who are in initial stages of osteoporosis, like Osteopenia, benefit from practicing it.

Breast cancer

In case of breast cancer, Tai Chi has shown potential to enhance the quality of life for the suffering women. Their functional capacity, e.g., muscular strength, flexibility of limbs, and normal daily activities, improves considerably if they practice this martial art form after being treated for breast cancer.

Heart disease

A study was conducted at the National Taiwan University, where it was found that practicing Tai Chi for a year helped a sample group of 53 people improve their capacity to exercise more, lowered their Blood Pressure, and improved the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin in their bodies.

Hypertension

Hypertension is a major cause of health problems in the world today. Tai Chi works wonder here as well, as it reduces BP, thereby, reducing hypertension too.

Sleep problems

In case you are not able to sleep properly, start practicing Tai Chi. Studies show that about 16 weeks of Tai Chi brought considerable improvement in the duration and quality of sleep.

Here are some quick pointers for you to believe Tai Chi is good for your health: 

• There is very low risk of injury.
• It can be practiced anywhere and anytime.
• You do not need a lot of space to practice Tai Chi.
• You can do Tai Chi at your own pace.
• It is versatile enough to hold your interest for longer durations.

Conclusion

Tai Chi is a martial art form, which you can use to improve the quality of your life, even if you do not face any of the above health conditions. So, just get going and enjoy the health benefits of Tai Chi.

Image Courtesy: health.harvard.edu