BODY

Tai Chi: A Great Exercise Option for Beginners

January 15, 2022
Tai Chi A Great Exercise Option for Beginners

SHARE

Tai Chi Exercises for Beginners: The Focus, Health Benefits, and More

If you’re searching for a way to...

• Reduce stress
• Strengthen your mind
• Focus on breathing and balance; and
• Build physical strength and stamina

…practicing Tai Chi could be perfect for you.

Even for beginners, taking the time to learn basic Tai Chi exercises can be beneficial in many ways.

Before you jump right into your first Tai Chi class, we will explain the:

• Focus of basic Tai Chi exercises
• Health benefits
• And more

Table of Contents

Is Tai Chi Good for Beginners?
What Is the Focus of Basic Tai Chi Exercises?
What Are Some of the Health Benefits of Tai Chi Exercises for Beginners?
Can Beginners Do Tai Chi Exercises at Home?
At Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi We Welcome Tai Chi Participants of All Abilities

Is Tai Chi Good for Beginners?

Tai Chi is known to be a great low-impact form of martial arts. Known as “meditation in motion,” Tai Chi is good for beginners for many reasons.

Although Tai Chi consists of multiple movements, the exercises are all low-impact and involve slow movements and breaths that are easy to follow.

Are you new to Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is a great exercise option for beginners because:

• Almost anyone can do it, even those with restricted mobility
• The movements are easily adaptable; and
• No equipment is necessary, especially early on

Almost Anyone Can Participate

Tai Chi is a great form of exercise for a large range of individuals, including:

• Athletes
• Serious gym-goers
• Elderly
• Those with limited mobility
• People with physical disabilities
• And more

The slow, low-impact movements are safe and easy to learn. Not only are they gentle on your body, but they require a lot of slow breathing and minimal movement to be effective.

Movements Can Be Adapted to Specific Fitness Levels

Because of its slow and gentle nature, Tai Chi is easily adaptable to many different body types, health conditions, and fitness levels.

The major focus of Tai Chi is bringing your mind inward to feel and connect to your internal energy. With mental focus and adaptable movements, almost anyone can benefit from Tai Chi, despite how much (or little) you have been active in the past.

Those who are at a higher fitness level can also reap great benefits from Tai Chi exercises for beginners such as:

• Athletes
      ⚬ Tai Chi can help athletes better connect to their inner energy to boost their performance and get in the right mindset for a victory.
• Serious gym-goers
      ⚬ Tai Chi can help those who are used to the heavy weights to slow down through mindfulness, helping to reduce injury in the gym.

No Equipment Is Required to Begin

Tai Chi requires no equipment and minimal space. The movements aren’t big, so as long as you have enough space to fully stretch your arms around all sides (even if you’re wheelchair-bound), you can practice Tai Chi and modify movements to fit your condition.

For Tai Chi beginners, comfortable clothing and minimal space are all that you need.

Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi focuses on positively influencing the condition of your brain while leading you toward…

• Self-love
• Self-care; and
• Self-connection

… no matter if you are a beginner or long-time Tai Chi goer.

With classes offered both in-person and online, you can learn basic Korean Tai Chi exercises no matter where you are—with no fancy or expensive equipment or prior experience required.

What Is the Focus of Basic Tai Chi Exercises?

The main focuses of basic Tai Chi exercises is an emphasis on:

• Energy circulation
• Breathing and balance; and
• Mindfulness and concentration

The hope is that throughout your Tai Chi practice, you are able to bring your focus inside of your body and truly feel your energy.

This energy moving through your body can cleanse you of imbalances and toxic energy.

When the main focuses of Tai Chi are achieved, many people experience:

• A harmonious state of body and mind
• A more healthy and strong body; and
• A peaceful mind

Energy Circulation

Focusing on your energy can prove to be the hardest part of Tai Chi for beginners.

During Tai Chi practice, individuals are prompted to move their bodies in slow, gentle, and graceful movements while focusing on breathing to stimulate chi.

What is chi?

In East Asian cultures, chi (or qi) is the life force or energy of the body and the universe. It flows throughout our body, and the movements you practice in Tai Chi help to best circulate that energy.

Energy that is flowing is vibrant with lifein traditional East Asian medicine, stagnancy is believed to be the root of illness.

Breathing and Balance

The focus on slow breathing and balance during the practice of Tai Chi is important to help calm the mind and body. For Tai Chi beginners, this can be difficult to do.

Keeping your breathing in line with the Tai Chi movements (while also being aware of your balance as you shift your weight throughout your body to change positions) can take a lot of mental work.

Tai Chi forces you to focus intently on each and every movement. This helps keep you grounded, bringing balance throughout your body, down to your feet.

Mindfulness and Concentration

Because Tai Chi has a large emphasis on focusing on each movement with intention, it can have positive impacts on your brain and the way you see and deal with things in life.

Research has shown that Tai Chi (and meditation) has a powerful effect on the brain. Here is what we know from various studies:

• Tai Chi’s focus on mindfulness has proven to increase brain volume in aging seniors who practice Tai Chi regularly.
• The mental concentration required in Tai Chi helps exercise the brain, resulting in thicker cortical walls. The thinness of your cortical wall is linked to cognitive decline.
• Practicing Tai Chi regularly improves neuroplasticity—the process of your brain rewiring itself in response to your experiences. This process is important for emotional stability to help cope with life’s stressors.

What Are Some of the Health Benefits of Tai Chi Exercises for Beginners?

Tai Chi exercises provide great health benefits for everyone—whether you are a Tai Chi beginner or have been practicing for a while.

Similar to other physical activities, regularly practicing Tai Chi can help to:

• Improve your mood
• Reduce stress
• Build physical strength and stamina
• Promote better sleep
• Boost cognitive function
• And more

Stress Reduction

We live in a fast-paced world. Our everyday lives are busy and often chaotic. This constant on-the-go lifestyle can lead to a lot of stress—which can lead to other issues.

The slow pace of Tai Chi can help to reduce this stress.

The calming, breath-focused, slow movements of Tai Chi bring a sense of calmness throughout the body, giving you a much-needed mental break from the chaos.

Increase in Energy and Stamina

Our energy can decrease throughout the day when we’re constantly focused on the outside.

There’s a saying: “Where the mind goes, energy follows.” If your mind is in your body during Tai Chi, your energy will gather inward.

Tai Chi enables you to feel the energy inside of your body and bring your mind inwardhelping to increase your energy and stamina.

The gentle movements made with your arms and hands are meant to mimic moving energy throughout your body. Focusing on the breathing, movements, and balance that comes with Tai Chi helps increase both your physical and mental efforts, recharging your body’s energy.

Better Sleep

Many people struggle with sleep issues, and poor sleep can negatively impact many areas of your life.

The slow, focused movements of Tai Chi can help your muscles and brain to relaxhelping you experience better, deeper, and longer sleep.

Physical Health

We all know that moving your body and practicing some form of physical exercise is good for your physical health. Tai Chi is no different.

While going to the gym for physical exercise to help you build external muscles, Tai Chi can help build inner, lean muscles. You can incorporate both into your life to build internal and external strength together.

Not only can a regular practice of Tai Chi help with stress, sleep, and energy, but it can also help to improve:

• Balance
• Agility
• Muscle strength
• And more

Improved Cognitive Function

It is not uncommon for cognitive function to slowly decline as we age, even for healthy individuals.

The practice of Tai Chi—focusing on movements, being aware of your energy and your mind, and learning and making new connections—can help your brain’s function to improve.

In terms of cognitive function, Tai Chi can help with:

• Multitasking
      ⚬ As we age, being able to juggle multiple tasks well can be more difficult. Tai Chi can help you to calm your mind, helping you to better complete tasks.
• Time management
      ⚬ The aging brain can also have difficulty processing new information quickly, leading to issues with time management. Tai Chi can help improve your concentration.
• Decision making
      ⚬ Being able to focus on the details to best make decisions can also be impaired with age. Tai Chi can help you to have better focus and clarity as you make important decisions.

Can Beginners Do Tai Chi Exercises at Home?

Are you new to Tai Chi?

Are you nervous to enter a studio?

Are you afraid you won’t find a class beneficial?

Tai Chi for beginners can be intimidating. As with most things, if you’ve never done it before, you could be nervous to start.

Although the environment of Tai Chi classes can be...

• Inviting,
• Empowering; and
• Beneficial

... you might still feel like a studio isn’t right for you.

Luckily, because Tai Chi is for almost anyone and requires no equipment, even Tai Chi beginners can practice at home. However, beginners often feel like they aren’t getting the full advantage of Tai Chi when practicing from home, or they want the community and support from others.

If this is the case for you, finding a studio nearby might be easier than you think.

Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi offers both in-person and online classes. With classes offered at over 100 studio locations (even for beginners), you might be able to find one close to you. Check out memberships and pricing for both in-person and online Korean Tai Chi classes here.

At Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi, We Welcome Tai Chi Participants of All Abilities

Are you interested in learning Tai Chi exercises for beginners?

Maybe you’re a seasoned athlete who is looking for a way to exercise your mind.

You might be a senior hoping to improve your cognitive function.

You may just be interested in movement, mindfulness, and relieving stress.

Even if you’ve never practiced Tai Chi before, Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi will welcome you with open arms. Our instructors are knowledgeable about Tai Chi and equipped to teach basic Korean Tai Chi exercises to get you comfortable with the practice.

Are you ready to enhance your physical and mental health? Contact us today to see how we can help.