5 Health benefits of Tai Chi & Qi Gong

Tai Chi is not just a martial art, it’s a way of life that also embraces nature and the spiritual side of humanity. When people think of Tai Chi, they may naturally think of dodging kicks and using Chi energy to move people across the room. However, there is another side to Tai Chi that is not particularly based on self-defense. This side of Tai Chi is about achieving inner zen through breathing techniques that flow throughout your body.

Although Tai Chi originates from China, the closest thing in the western world is currently yoga. Unsurprisingly, yoga originated in India which is a neighboring country of China which proves the pair have a lot in common. One of the main benefits of training Tai Chi is that you can go at your own pace. This means you don’t have to be a strong, young, athlete to train. Because of this, it is often popular with those who aren’t as mobile or active as others due to the idea of improving your mobility and health over a period of time at your own speed.

Although yoga is still popular in the west, Tai Chi is less mainstream. Do not let the eastern language or terminology put you off though. If you can get your head around it and stick with it, Tai Chi can be incredibly rewarding. Perhaps the main difference between Tai Chi and yoga is the spiritual connection that is deeply rooted in Tai Chi. Whilst some forms of yoga are also spiritual based, Tai Chi is exclusively spiritual-based which means a big difference.

This means Tai Chi is more than just a workout routine and also offers an enhanced mental state. In brief, a lot of traditional martial arts are deeply rooted in spirituality and teaching life lessons. These days a lot of modern martial arts can be seen as more barbaric and violent. However, before the UFC arrived this was not always the case. In fact, most traditional martial arts still teach lessons in humility and self-improvement. With this said, Tai Chi also offers a spiritual journey that may offer more benefits when compared with conventional yoga.

Below we will assess the health benefits of training Tai Chi. You may be a little surprised to find out that many of these claims are also scientifically proven. This shows the art is more than just hearsay and there’s certainly more than an element of truth behind its workings. With this out of the way, here are five health benefits that are on offer by practicing the ancient art of Tai Chi.

Flexibility

Unsurprisingly, Tai Chi can massively improve your flexibility. A lot of Tai Chi poses are similar to those found in yoga. For instance, the si liu bu stance involves squatting downwards with one leg bent forward with the other leg stretched out sideways. This move will greatly improve flexibility in your lower back, calf, groin, and thigh muscles. Of course, Tai Chi isn’t just beneficial for the legs either. The great thing about Tai Chi is that it literally targets all areas and can be considered a gentle, full-body workout. For instance, if you want to stretch your neck or arm muscles, then Tai Chi also has you covered in those areas too.

Basically, if you train Tai Chi for several months, your flexibility is bound to improve. However, if you train it for years then your flexibility will be even greater. With this in mind, it can be a great consideration for those who are naturally unflexible. Similarly, if you are starting to get older, Tai Chi can be a relaxing way to improve your flexibility. As muscle health is greatly important as you age, Tai Chi offers a solution to old, less flexible muscles.

Balance

This is somewhat related to flexibility. Generally, your balance is reinforced by being flexible which offers a stronger foundation. Again, this is beneficial to those who are getting older as it protects against falls. In brief, there are certain stances that require balance such as sticking one leg forward or to the side. This relies on using your other leg as the only base which will train and enhance your balance as a result. One benefit of improving your balance is that it strengthens your core as a result. You may not know this, but when balancing you are tensing your muscles and using them slightly.

This is what allows you to balance as it basically relies on your muscles working together to avoid falling over. In short, like flexibility, if you train Tai Chi long enough then your balance will also improve over the months or years of training. A side effect of improved balance is also better coordination. Some people naturally lack coordination. However, through enhanced balance, you can also see gains in hand-eye coordination and other physical aspects.

Breathing

One of the main benefits of Tai Chi is improving your aerobic capacity. As mentioned above, a large part of the art is based on flexibility and balance. To perform these feats you will need to control your breathing to be as optimal as possible. For example, if you imagine a swimmer, they need to create power and coordination to swim as efficiently as possible. This is similar to balancing and flexibility in Tai Chi. To balance as well as possible, you will need to control your breathing.

Typically, newcomers will fail at this which means everything else becomes much harder, and improving your breathing control is not an easy task. With this said, it’s very important to improve your breathing which will also naturally improve as you consistently train Tai Chi. The idea of breathing in Tai Chi is to do it as naturally as possible whilst going through the stances. As stated, newbies will often huff and puff, whereas more experienced practitioners will be far more controlled with shorter, more efficient breaths.

The great thing about improving your breathing is that it also crosses over into other areas of life. For example, panicked breathing is often why people drown when they go into cold water. This mimics the breathing of a Tai Chi beginner. However, if you can control your breathing and supply oxygen correctly around your body then this becomes less of a problem. Not only used for swimming, but controlled breathing is also important in various parts of life and helps you overcome physical and mentally stressful situations. In Tai Chi, this is referred to as Qi Gong.

Improved strength

As mentioned previously, strength is also correlated with improved balance and flexibility. Whilst being flexible and balancing, you rely on using your strength to keep certain, specific poses that require strength. This means that your strength will also improve over time. Strength in Tai Chi is quite different from conventional strength such as that found in weightlifting. For example, whilst you will get a strong core when doing Tai Chi, you won’t get bulging muscles either.

This can be beneficial as when weightlifting you may be more susceptible to picking up injuries, especially when using heavyweights. As Tai Chi focuses on your own body weight and subtly improves your strength over time, there is no worry of obtaining a weight-related injury. Once again, this proves that Tai Chi is a great way to work out for the elderly and keep your body in good shape.

However, it isn’t just your muscles that are improved from Tai Chi. Similarly, your bones will get stronger too. This is a result of the strength and conditioning that Tai Chi offers. Because of this, Tai Chi also reduces arthritic and joint pain. This isn’t just down to improved bone strength, it may also be due to reducing inflammation which is also linked with Tai Chi improving your immune system.

Mood and fighting depression

One of the non-physical benefits of Tai Chi is that it will also improve your mood and help combat depression. Basically, like yoga it will teach you to be mindful and live in the moment. Often, it is argued that depression comes from dwelling on the past or looking negatively toward the future. This means that it’s a good habit to live in the moment, which is tougher than ever in the age of social media.

By doing Tai Chi, you are focused directly on the present. This is done by focusing on breathing, balance, and flexibility and trying to remain still which empties your mind of other, intrusive thoughts. Some people even go as far as to claim they get a high by doing this as it completely cleanses their mental state.

The spiritual side of Tai Chi cannot be understated enough. Although it has obvious physical benefits, historically a key part of Tai Chi has been based on the enlightenment of Tai Chi students. Even if your day is stressful, by practicing Tai Chi your mood will typically improve. At least for the time being, you will feel better about life in general. It is a nice tool to have when thinking about life away from training, as you’re now equipped with the ability to reach mindfulness and reduce stress and negativity. With this said, it’s not surprising that practicing Tai Chi also reduces your blood pressure.

As higher blood pressure is linked with stress and Tai Chi reduces stress, the result is a decline in higher blood pressure. Perhaps another link to this is an improved immune system and healthier sleeping habits which also may be due to reduced anxiety.

Final Thoughts

Tai Chi is great for developing your physical and mental health at the same time. Like many forms of martial arts, the two are intrinsically linked together and work in harmony. The likes of improved strength, flexibility, and breathwork are all some of the main physical benefits. However, improved mood and immunity are also some of the less visible positives. Overall, this means that Tai Chi is a fantastic form of exercise for all. If you haven’t guessed by now, a lot of these benefits are also geared towards those later on in life. Just because you can’t run for miles or lift heavy weights anymore, it doesn’t mean that you can’t actively combat the physical decline of your body either.

In conclusion, Tai Chi offers many benefits both on a physical and spiritual level. If you can get over the initial terminology and approach the art with an open mind then you may find that you really enjoy it. With this said, you may not want to waste any more time and sign up for a local Tai Chi as soon as possible to reap many of the benefits on offer.

Check out this book if you’d like to learn more about Tai Chi.