Overall fitness is not easy to achieve. This is because there are so many elements involved. For example, speed and agility, flexibility, breathing, hydration, nutrition, mindset, rest and recovery, and even sleep all play a role in being fit.
What if you knew one type of exercise could help you achieve many of your fitness goals all at once? Well, there is, and it’s one of the most accessible exercises available: tai chi.
First, what is tai chi? Tai chi is an ancient form of exercise that was developed in China as a martial art thousands of years ago. Some say it is based on the motions of a crane and a snake doing battle with each other, with the snake’s non-aggressive, evasive motions taking precedence.
Today, tens of millions of people practice tai chi. This noncompetitive martial art uses slow, flowing movements that have been found to have positive effects on both body and mind.
Read on to learn about seven health benefits of tai chi that can help improve your overall fitness.
1. Strength, flexibility, and balance
Tai chi benefits strength—particularly lower-body, upper-body, and core strength. In addition, it improves the flexibility of both the lower body and upper body, as well as our balance. In fact, tai chi has been shown to help reduce the risk of falls thanks to the influence it has on improving our perception of our body’s location in space, a key factor in good balance.
2. Cognition
A Harvard Medical School report has shown that tai chi can help improve cognition. The study found that participants who practiced tai chi show improved executive function—that is, multitasking, time management, and decision making. Amazingly, one study showed that people with signs of cognitive decline were able to slow or stop the development of dementia by practicing tai chi, while those who did other forms of exercise were less likely to slow or stop dementia. Another study showed that people who practiced tai chi experienced an increase in brain volume compared to those in the other groups studied.
3. Weight loss
Tai chi also aids in losing weight. One study found that people who practiced tai chi showed greater weight loss than those who participated in an exercise regimen that included walking and strength training. Along with the weight loss came improvements in cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well. Interestingly, even after only three months of practicing tai chi, reductions in body weight and triglycerides lasted approximately nine months.
4. Immune strength
The immune system is another area that can be strengthened through tai chi. UCLA researchers found that people who did tai chi for about four months had a stronger immune response to a shingles vaccine than those who did not do tai chi. In fact, by the end of approximately six months, those who had practiced tai chi had double the immune response of those who did not.
5. Pain relief
Tai chi is ideal for those who might have pain from overdoing it with other forms of exercise or for anyone dealing with chronic pain. A 2018 study showed that tai chi can reduce pain from fibromyalgia, and a group of researchers think these findings can be applied to other pain conditions as well. It is not entirely understood how tai chi reduces pain, but it is thought the pain-reducing effects may be due to improved blood flow to the muscles and joints.
6. Stress management
As the Mayo Clinic has pointed out, tai chi can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. One attribute of the exercise that may contribute to stress relief is the meditative state people achieve when practicing tai chi. Stress relief can also be attributed to the slow, deep breathing involved in tai chi.
7. Sleep
Several studies have shown that tai chi can reduce insomnia and decrease the number and duration of awakenings during the night. In one study, even after just 12 weeks of doing tai chi, the sleep benefits were still measurable two years later.