Tai Chi improves balance, avoids falls
Each year, approximately 30% of our adult community aged 65 and older experience a fall. Falls are the second main cause of injuries among the elderly, and the economic costs associated with non lethal falls are considerable. In addition, falls among the elderly are considered to be unavoidable and an important research subject in public health. Some studies have indicated that with advancing age, balance decreases more sharply than other physiological functions, especially among people over the age of 60 years, in whom the ability to balance is significantly impaired and leads to an increased risk of falls; this directly influences the elderly’s physical and psychological health. Many studies have shown that physical exercise can improve motor function, the ability to balance, the ability to walk, and the stability and posture of the body.
Tai Chi exercises consist of a series of sequential, graceful, and balanced movements that are executed in a slow, meditative, and relaxed manner. With its mild-to-moderate intensity, Tai Chi improves cardiopulmonary capacity, muscle strength, postural control, spinal flexibility and balance. The evidence is that Tai Chi as an intervention that can improve the balance and reduce falls in the elderly.
Compared to high impact exercises like Aerobics, Gym work and Running. A Tai Chi class being performed in slow motion is gentle and graceful it’s hard to imagine that tai chi can burn off a single calorie or strengthen muscles. But this exercise program is far more dynamic than it looks working out between 250 and 300 muscles in the body.
The slowness that you see from the outside can be deceptive tai chi is roughly the equivalent of a brisk walk (depending on the intensity at which you perform it). Studies have found it similar to more vigorous forms of weight training, With its integrative approach that strengthens the body while focusing the mind, tai chi addresses a range of physical and mental health issues—including bone strength, joint stability, cardiovascular health, immunity, and emotional well-being. Tai chi is especially useful for improving balance and preventing falls a major concern for older adults.
Studies have shown tai chi to reduce falls in seniors by up to 45%,
Tai chi helps improve balance because it targets all the physical components needed to stay upright with leg strength, flexibility, range of motion, and reflexes all of which tend to decline with age.
Interestingly, one of tai chi’s biggest benefits to stability isn’t physical but emotional.
Anyone who’s had a fall or who has instability has what we call a ‘fear of falling Ironically, a fear of falling is one of the biggest predictors of a fall. By making you firmer on your feet, tai chi takes away that fear, Tai chi also makes you more aware of both your internal body and the external world, giving you a better sense of your grounding on your feet so you won’t fall as easy while you are out and about in your daily routine.
