Let’s talk a bit about flexibility: why it’s good for your health and how Tai Chi and/or Qigong can help.
According to the September 25, 2024 issue of the Cleveland Clinic newsletter, flexibility helps with balance and range of motion, and can also protect you from injuries. Many exercise “routines” focus on muscle building to help us to be toned, stronger, and faster. What is often missing is a focus on flexibility which helps us become more balanced, stable, and “looser”.
So what does actually being flexible mean? Good question! Can you easily move your joints and muscles in different directions? Can you reach, bend, and/or stretch without feeling uncomfortable, tight, or constricted? Improving flexibility means elongating the muscle, working on mobility, and improving range of motion. When you do this, your posture improves and your risk of falling and/or your risk of injury decreases.
When we discuss flexibility, we are talking about how “moveable” certain body components are. Basically, we are talking about joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia (soft body tissues).
What about some not so obvious benefits of remaining flexible? You decrease your muscle tension and improve your circulation. When your muscles are less tense, your range of motion and ability to deal with pain improves.
As you age, flexibility is important in order to stay independent and mobile. We would all like to continue to enjoy the activities of daily living with minimum, preferably no, stiffness or pain. Sitting for prolonged periods, being ill, being sedentary, and stress usually play a large part in decreasing flexibility. Not surprisingly, one of Cleveland Clinic’s recommendations to improve and maintain your flexibility is….you guessed it…. Tai Chi!
Stiff and unbending is the principle of death. Gentle and yielding is the principle of life.
— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
There are no weights or resistance bands used in Tai Chi and/or Qigong. However, the unsupported arm exercise strengthens your upper body. Tai Chi and Qigong strengthens all extremities, as well as the core muscles of the back and abdomen. By improving proprioception, muscle strength, and flexibility, Tai Chi improves our ability to recover from a stumble, instead of falling. It also reduces our fear of falling!
Physical Flexibility
Tai Chi and Qigong can help improve both upper- and lower-body flexibility. According to Harvard, Tai Chi works by “training sensory neurons in the inner ear and stress receptors in the muscles and ligaments”. Both exercises help improve flexibility and activate muscles from the core to the entire body. Your strength, balance, and endurance are also improved.
For many centuries, Tai Chi and/or Qigong instructors have been helping students train their bodies and minds in “yielding, softness, and balance”. As you reduce tension and stiffness, you feel and become more limber.
Keeping your ankle, hip, and knee joints mobile is vital, especially for those suffering from arthritis. We know that balance and mobility is important for everyone, especially as we age. It is even more important for those with certain medical conditions, such as Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, etc.
Studies, unfortunately, have been limited by small sample sizes, no one particular form of Tai Chi used, and a difference in Tai Chi instructors’ skills and teaching style. That being said, studies have shown that practicing Tai Chi regularly improved shoulder mobility and hip flexibility. Hip flexibility and extension is essential for walking, running, standing, and moving well. Another study, showed how practicing Tai Chi regularly improves balance and gait. Importantly, a flexible body can help one obtain mental flexibility as well.
Mental Flexibility
As your mind and body move through the fluid, rhythmic movements of Tai Chi, new circuits are created in your brain. These new circuits increase your cognition and clarity. Your thinking also becomes more flexible and your moods become more stable. Tai Chi and/or Qigong help ease the symptoms of depression and/or anxiety, and other mental health disorders.
Bottom line
Tai Chi is adaptable, for those who are very fit to sedentary, in a wheelchair, use a walker, recovering from surgery, and can even be done by those who are bedridden. One only needs to make a commitment to practice frequently, daily being the best way to maintain flexibility.
All research and authorities talk about “regular and consistent” practice. Not just once a week in the classroom. Once you stop practicing, flexibility will NOT continue.
It’s time to invest in your mental and physical health. Even 15 minutes a day will help!
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