Tai chi is a form of martial arts that focuses on slow and gentle movements paired with breathing exercises.
New research suggests that long-term tai chi practice may improve symptoms and reduce complications in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.
Not only is tai chi easy to start, but it is suitable for all fitness levels and can benefit people with certain chronic diseases.
An ancient martial art that originated in China, tai chi is a low-impact form of exercise that focuses on slow and gentle movements paired with controlled breathing. The practice boasts over 250 million practitioners around the world, and has been associated with helping manage stress, improve balance and combat pain related to lower-back issues, fibromyalgia and knee osteoarthritis. But its benefits may also include helping people with major chronic diseases. New research showed promising results related to practicing long-term tai chi and Parkinson’s disease.
The study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, looked at two groups – one group of about 143 patients with Parkinson’s disease and active tai chi training, and another control group of 187 Parkinson’s’ disease patients with no exercise. The participants were assessed routinely over the course of 3.5 years. The results found tai chi to have a long-term beneficial effect on Parkinson’s disease, with improvements in symptoms and a reduction in complications. Tai chi training also delayed the need for increasing anti-Parkinson’s therapies.
But this isn’t the first time that tai chi has shown promise with Parkinson’s disease. Prior research, including a review in 2021, showed that regular tai chi sessions had a positive effect similar to that of other exercise therapies like dancing and aerobic exercise. Additional findings have shown that practicing tai chi may be helpful for people with other chronic diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
How long does it take to learn tai chi?
There are 108 movements in tai chi that are paired with breathing exercises to connect the mind and body during the practice. You’ll often start with just a few movements and slowly work your way up from there. Your dedication to the practice and frequency and duration of sessions are all factors that will determine how long it will take you to learn tai chi, but it can take about 30 sessions to learn the basic movements.
Is tai chi good for beginners and seniors?
Tai chi is a great option for beginners because it requires no special equipment or expertise to start. It’s not as strenuous as other forms of exercise, so any fitness level and nearly any age can participate in it. Plus, given its well-researched health benefits, it is generally considered to be safe for people with different medical issues including heart disease and COPD. Some research has even found that tai chi may prevent falls and improve balance in older individuals.
All you’ll need is some comfortable clothes, sneakers and a bottle of water for your tai chi session. You can find a class near you, or even search for a virtual session or video on your phone or computer. Find some open space either inside or outdoors and follow along with the routine to practice the movements. If you stick with it for a few weeks, you’ll start to reap the wonderful mind and body benefits of a regular tai chi practice.
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The bottom line: Tai chi is a low-impact form of exercise that is beginner-friendly and safe for most populations. Prior studies have linked a regular tai chi practice with reducing stress, improving balance, managing pain and benefitting individuals with certain chronic diseases. New research shows that long-term tai chi practice can improve symptoms and reduce complications in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. You can find tai chi classes near you or search for a tai chi instructional video online to get started.
Nutrition Lab Director
Stefani (she/her) is a registered dietitian, a NASM-certified personal trainer and the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, where she handles all nutrition-related content, testing and evaluation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from NYU. She is also Good Housekeeping’s on-staff fitness and exercise expert. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living. She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family.
By Lokmat English Desk | Published: June 27, 2024 01:38 PM2024-06-27T13:38:48+5:302024-06-27T13:45:59+5:30
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Following workouts aimed at fitness and weight loss, many people experience significant fatigue, often leading them to consume large amounts of food afterward.
To sustain energy during and after exercise, it’s crucial to consume specific foods.
That’s why many celebrities also prioritize eating bananas before workouts. Here’s why it’s essential to consume bananas before exercising…
According to a 2018 study published in the Journal of Food Quality and Safety, bananas are rich in carbohydrates that convert into glucose, providing a significant energy boost for workouts.
Exercising often leads to significant sweating, which can deplete potassium levels in the body. Potassium deficiency can contribute to muscle fatigue. Eating bananas is essential because they are rich in potassium, helping to replenish these levels effectively.
Bananas are known for their easy digestibility, which means they are quickly absorbed and unlikely to cause digestive issues during exercise.
Bananas are beneficial due to their provision of carbohydrates, potassium, and vitamin B6, which help alleviate muscle and body fatigue following a workout.
Bananas provide fiber and electrolytes, aiding in hydration and sustaining energy levels in the body over time.
Moderate or vigorous exercise may lower the risk of ALS, a fatal disease, for men but not women, new research finds.
The study, published Wednesday in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, followed 373,696 Norwegian people for about 27 years.
Participants recorded their physical activity, ranging from sedentary to moderate to intense. During the follow-up period, 504 people developed ALS.
There is no known cure for ALS. Alamy Stock Photo
Adjusting for lifestyle factors that can affect the risk of ALS, like smoking and body weight, researchers found that male participants who reported moderate levels of physical activity had a 29% lower risk of ALS while high levels of physical activity meant a 41% lower risk.
The study only found an association between physical activity and the risk of ALS in male, not female participants.
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Previous studies have suggested high physical exertion is a risk factor in the development of ALS. Alamy Stock Photo
Researchers also analyzed participants’ resting heart rates, an indicator of overall fitness, finding that those with the lowest rates had a 32% reduced risk of ALS compared to participants with higher rates.
Study author Dr. Anders Myhre Vaage, of Akershus University Hospital in Norway, notes that the diagnosis of ALS in high-profile athletes has spurred the thinking that strenuous physical activity is an environmental risk factor that leads to the development and early onset of the disease.
One study found that NFL players are four times more likely to develop and die from ALS than the general adult male population.
Research has also shown that ALS risk genes are activated by exercise, adding to the growing debate about the relationship between physical activity and ALS.
“There have been conflicting findings on levels of physical activity, fitness and ALS risk,” Myhre Vaage said. “Our study found that for men, living a more active lifestyle could be linked to a reduced risk of ALS more than 30 years later.”
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What is ALS?
ALS causes the nerve cells that control muscle function, including breathing, to deteriorate. Alamy Stock Photo
ALS, also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, for the Hall of Fame baseball player who died of it in 1941, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. With ALS, the nerve cells that control muscle function deteriorate, and patients gradually become unable to walk, move, eat, speak and breathe, leading to partial or total paralysis and death.
There is no known cure for ALS — the average life expectancy after diagnosis is two to five years.
The Norwegian study subverts previous research that links strenuous activity to ALS. Alamy Stock Photo
Myhre Vaage hopes the study’s findings lead to more research on ALS risk factors.
“Our findings show that, for men, not only do moderate to high levels of physical activity and fitness not increase the risk of ALS, but that they may be protective against the disease,” he said. “Future studies of the connection between ALS and exercise are needed to consider sex differences and higher or professional athlete physical activity levels.”
Other research suggests that the type of physical activity is an important factor in mitigating ALS risk. For example, one study proposed that golfing and gardening put men at three times greater risk of developing ALS.
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That study found that golfers and gardeners are especially prone because of frequent exposure to pesticides, which prior research has tied to the disease’s development.
Famous people who have been diagnosed with ALS
Steve McMichael, pictured when playing for the Bears, was diagnosed with ALS in 2021. Getty Images
According to the ALS Association, someone dies from ALS and someone is diagnosed with it every 90 minutes — and celebrities are not immune to its punishing effects.
Footballer Dwight Clark and physicist, cosmologist and author Stephen Hawking have lost their battles with the disease, while singer Roberta Flack, sportswriter Sarah Langs and former Chicago Bears football player Steve McMichael are still fighting.
Did you know you may lose up to 8% of your muscle mass every decade after your 30s, and the speed of muscle loss increases after your 60s? But you can keep hold of that muscle—as well as staying strong and mobile and keeping aches and pains away—if you make strength exercises part of your routine. It doesn’t have to be complicated, either.
Personal trainer and founder of the women’s fitness franchise VICTRESS MVMT Stacy Orsborn says one simple exercise will help you maintain and build muscle mass, and keep your joints healthy no matter your age—the squat.
The benefits of squats for improving strength and mobility
“The squat is the best strength exercise I’d recommend as you get older because it’s all-encompassing,” says Osborn. That’s because it’s a compound movement, so it simultaneously engages different muscles, including the quads, glutes and the core. “Any type of compound lifting where you’re using the entire body structure is great,” says Osborn.
The squat is an exercise which will help you maintain your ability to perform everyday movements such as sitting down and getting up from a chair. “Prioritizing strength exercises as you get older is extremely important when it comes to quality of life,” says Osborn. “Having the strength to get up from the floor is very useful as you age.”
How to do a bodyweight squat
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly out.
Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, keeping your chest up and pushing your knees out so they don’t cave in.
Pause once your hips are in line with your knees (or as low as your mobility allows).
Push through your heels to stand back up.
“Think about having a string on your tailbone and a string on your knees, both of which are pulling upwards as you descend,” says Osborn.
Osborn also recommends that you inhale and brace your core before you lower, then exhale as you rise.
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If you’re struggling to maintain good form, this could be because of a lack of mobility in other parts of your body. “Ankle mobility issues could potentially affect your form,” says Osborn, such as squatting low enough.
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A lack of core strength can also have an effect. “Any weakness in your core could see your chest collapsing,” says Osborn. Try this beginner’s core workout if this is something you struggle with.
Take a look at our full guide on how to squat for more form tips.
How to modify and progress squats
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Squatting onto a chair is a great place for beginners to start.
(Image credit: n.k.junky / Shutterstock)
The squat is easy to adjust to your level of strength and mobility, and you should aim to gradually increase the difficulty as you improve.
“Bodyweight air squats, or squatting to a chair or a bench might be enough for beginners,” says Osborn.
If you’re struggling to reach full depth—lowering your hips below your knees—in a squat, try squatting to a chair, box or bench that’s at knee height. When your butt taps the chair, immediately push through your heels to stand back up.
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“From there, we would progress to the kettlebells or dumbbells,” says Osborn. “Then from there, make it a little bit harder by increasing weight over time.”
If you have a gym membership, Osborn says barbell squats are a great exercise to aim for. “Back squats work more of the posterior chain [the muscles located down the backside of the body] and the front squat works more of the core,” says Osborn.
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