How To Exercise Gently
Posted: Sunday, January 15, 2012
by The Old Gray Mare
www.DressYourHorse.com
I am penning this article on T’ai Chi Chih to increase awareness and to urge my readers to look into its movements and benefits in health and well being. At the very beginning, I want to point you to this important site: “taichichih dot org.”
Get fit, exercise mind and body, reduce your stress level, and do your workouts without breaking into a sweat.
You may resist getting serious about exercising. In fact, maybe you are like me. You use every excuse in the book or have an aversion to getting into a vigorous exercise program, knowing ahead of time that you’ll never complete it. This is a viable program to review for its healthy benefits.
Start on the road to better health, balance your “intrinsic energy” despite prior excuses. Reinforce your determination and good intentions to succeed with your current resolution to exercise. It’s time to get serious.
Many health-conscious Chinese practice T’ai Chi Chih (which is pronounced “tie-chee-chuh”). It is a combination of graceful movements and calming meditation with primary focus on your chi (circulation of energy and balance).
Oversimplified explanation of a primary difference between Tai Chi and T’ai Chi Chih is the number of movements: In Tai Chi, you can select from a greater variety of movements; there are over 100. The simpler T’ai Chi Chih has ~ 19 movements that are performed as separate transitions and one primary pose. You will love the simplicity of T’ai Chi Chih. And if you are beginning a T’ai Chi Chih program, or even a Tai Chi routine, you can expect to see viable results within several months.
Ideal for especially for older students, T’ai Chi Chih evolved in 1974 and is known simply as “effort of no effort.” Consider it easy to learn and realize benefits that take you way beyond fitness – give yourself at least five weeks of consistent practice and stick with it. You will sense a calm well-being and decreased stress level.
Here are three easy, simple-to-learn exercises to get you started:
Exercise 1: Practice “Bird Flaps Its Wings”
Stand tall with heels touching and toes splayed. Position yourself with arms down in front of your abdomen, palms facing each other, fingertips down. In one combined fluid motion, bend your knees, raise your heels and flap your arms – hence, bird flaps its wings. Assume starting position. Repeat the exercise again and then once more (3 times in total). After the third repeat and after flapping your arms, rotate your wrists in a circular movement several times. Then return to the original position and hold briefly. Relax. Repeat this 3-times movement another time or two.
Exercise 2: Practice “Daughter on Mountain”
From standing position, step left foot forward, place hands at sides with palms facing up. Shift your weight forward, bending left leg, slowly raise hands until they cross at the wrists in front of neck and upper chest. With deliberate and slow movement, circle motion both hands purposely. Place your full weight forward, straighten right leg, raising right heel. Hold position for 15 seconds and move back into original standing position. Repeat with opposite leg. Make as few as 9 repetitions for each leg and increase to 18 and then 36 times as you progress.
Exercise 3: Practice “Rocking Movement”
Place your body into a standing position with feet parallel to each other, arms at your sides. Slowly raise both arms, with palms facing up. Simultaneously, rise up on your feet (heels off the ground). Now lower both arms slowly, permit your feet to return to the floor, and raise up your toes (heels on the ground). Repeat 9 times, increase to 18 repetitions and, finally, advance to 36 times.
Practice these movements slowly and deliberately on a daily basis if at all possible. After six months, you will have lost weight, reduced blood pressure and may be able to cut your medicines in half. Stick with the program, discover a few additional movements, or even join a group. Most importantly, don’t digress from your resolution to work out gently and faithfully.
To repeat, it’s easy, simple and guaranteed to work as long as you keep up with the routine.
For more information about T'ai Chi Chih or to find an accredited instructor, visit http://www.taichichih.org/ or http://www.taichichihassociation.org/.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)I worked out on the stairs today....thanks for the tips.Hey, I'm thanking you for the tips. Did you feel you got a good workout? I'll do some tomorrow.Yes, It's like all exercise, it takes time to work up to a daily routine. As we get older the steps are harder to climb, so why not use that as the basis to get in shape is my theory...
I heard a doctor say a long time ago that getting your heart rate up twenty minutes at least three times a week would keep us in shape, once we get there.Busy writing and stuff today. Tomorrow it's website work. I need to figure some time in for me and my exercise. I'll prob not do it anyway knowing me.
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