Older adults should prioritize Tai Chi Chuan as their primary health-preserving

Tai Chi is commonly seen in our daily lives, but do you know why more and more people are falling in love with it? It's because Tai Chi holds significant health-preserving value, offering both physical exercise and mental tranquility. The movements in Tai Chi are slow, but there's a reason for this slowness. Research indicates that Tai Chi is as beneficial for the heart as jogging, but it consumes less energy, making it suitable for anyone, including those who are ill. Practicing Tai Chi requires concentration, during which practitioners must adjust their mindset and relieve stress.

The philosophy of Tai Chi originates from Taoist teachings. Taoist theories such as Yin-Yang, the natural way of Tao, internal alchemy, and health preservation have decisively influenced the creation and development of Tai Chi, shaping its fundamental orientation.

The health-preserving and fitness mechanisms of Tai Chi can be summarized in three aspects:

Brain Health
Tai Chi requires mental focus, synchronized body movements, and continuous flow, providing excellent exercise for the brain. The practice of relaxing the entire body and combining movement with stillness benefits the regulation of excitement and inhibition in the cerebral cortex.

Physical Training
Tai Chi emphasizes maintaining an upright and comfortable posture, which helps prevent and alleviate symptoms of cervical spondylosis. It focuses on using the waist as the axis, offering significant benefits in preventing and treating back and waist diseases. Tai Chi also stresses the integration of the entire body, enhancing the function of joint ligaments and cartilage. The practice of shifting between solid and empty stances improves balance and flexibility. The rhythmic contraction and relaxation of muscles and joint movements promote venous blood return to the heart. Additionally, Tai Chi requires the unity of form and spirit, ensuring that the mind, hands, feet, and eyes are coordinated, which helps exercise the optic nerves and improve vision.

Breath Training
Traditional Chinese medicine advocates that "Qi is the commander of blood, and Qi can generate blood." Tai Chi emphasizes "using the mind to move Qi and using Qi to move the body." Practicing Tai Chi gradually deepens breathing, stimulating the diaphragm and enhancing the movement of the chest and abdomen. This provides a "massage effect" on the internal organs, accelerating the circulation of Qi and blood in the body—an effect that cannot be achieved through medication.