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Over 50's
We taught our
qigong
& tai chi syllabus to the over 50's for 7 years at Age
Concern in Newcastle and Age Concern North Tyneside.
Our students had a variety of health conditions.
We had referrals from Freeman Hospital, medical students visited the class
regularly and the classes were featured in the local newspapers.
Benefits
One of the referrals from Freeman Hospital was a rheumatoid arthritis group
containing about 15 patients.
The tai chi tuition was so successful that the group disbanded within a
year.
Most of the students returned to work and the rest joined the main tai
chi class.
Worth a try?
The Age Concern students mentioned above just did
our 'normal' exercises; they did not receive
bespoke, individualised therapy/advice.
They simply tried the qigong and tai chi exercises.
And their health improved...
The risk of heart failure
was more than double for men who sat for at least five hours a day outside
of work and didn't exercise very much, compared with men who were physically
active and sat for less than two hours a day.
(Dr. Deborah Rohm)
Daily exercise
Dr Michael Greger (author of How Not To Die)
recommends 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day.
The three doctors who wrote The Okinawa Program maintain that
tai chi - with its ancient origins and incredible health benefits - is the
ideal workout for modern people.
12 weeks
There have been a number of medical trials to assess the health benefits of
tai chi. They determined that daily practice between lessons has helped a
lot of people improve their health.
It can take up to 12 weeks for the health benefits of daily tai chi practice
to have an effect.
Exercise
People think that tai chi training is going to
involve some sort of one-to-one therapy. This is not correct. A tai chi
class is an exercise class. It addresses:
• Balance
• Alignment
• Muscular tension
• Coordination
• Mobility
• Moderation
• Ergonomic body use
• Strength
• Patience
• Body awareness
Your wellbeing
Doctors often suggest tai chi to people who are overweight, stressed or
suffering from fatigue. The well-meaning doctor is hoping that the patient
will take responsibility for their own wellbeing.
Your responsibility
It is up to you to manage your own medical condition both in and out of
class.
Medical questions?
If you have any medical questions, your
doctor is the person to speak to.
A tai chi teacher is not qualified (or permitted) to give advice on your unique
medical condition.
Go see your doctor.
I've been trying to get this point over for years. It's mainly
prevalent in the qigong world. We're not doctors. If students train
regularly then they may gain health benefits but we can't pretend we can
cure them! So many times I've seen last-gap causes who are often very
over-weight and have done no exercise who have been referred to by doctors.
The reality is that we can offer assistance for those who are prepared to
train but most doctors have little idea of what is actually happening in a
tai chi class and, then again, there is such a variety of aspects taught in
the many differing classes available.
(Ronnie Robinson)
Awareness
One of the main functions of our school is to
increase the individual's awareness of their own body. This means closely
observing the way in which you breathe, stand, sit, lift, push, pull and
move.
Bad habits become evident.
Physical education
The simple qigong exercises and more complex tai chi movements are all
designed to educate the exponent. Every movement must be performed with
health in mind.
A greater understanding of balance, body mechanics and gravity will ensue.
Heal thyself
Your doctor will try their best to heal you when you have a medical problem,
but they are not with you all day long. We encourage students to learn how
to best use their own body.
By understanding your body, physics, alignment and balance, you learn to
take responsibility for your own wellbeing. To some extent you may even be
able to heal yourself.
Page created 26 September 1994
Last updated
6 October 1997