What is Tai Chi?

What is Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese mind-body practice that combines meditation with slow, gentle, graceful movements, deep diaphragmatic breathing, and relaxation to improve physical and psychological well-being. 1

Core Components of Tai Chi

• Tai Chi (also called taiji or tai chi chuan) originated from China as an internal Chinese martial art practiced for self-defense, meditation, and health 1
• It involves a series of choreographed postures that are practiced in sequence as a continuous flow of movement 1
• All schools of Tai Chi share the common practice of these flowing, dance-like movements performed in a mindful state 1
• Tai Chi integrates physical movement with breath control and mental focus, creating a holistic mind-body exercise 2

Relationship to Qigong

• There is considerable overlap between Tai Chi and qigong practices due to their shared focus on using internal energy of the mind to move the body 1
• Both are mind-body practices that optimize energy within the body, mind, and spirit with the goal of improving health and well-being 1
• While qigong has both dynamic (active) and meditative (passive) techniques, Tai Chi is characterized by its flowing sequence of movements 1

Health Benefits

• Tai Chi is strongly recommended for patients with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis due to its holistic impact on strength, balance, fall prevention, depression, and self-efficacy 1
• It may reduce falls in older adults, with studies showing it to be more effective than strength and range-of-movement exercises in clinical trials 1
• Tai Chi has demonstrated benefits for:
  • Balance and strength 3
  • Cardiovascular and respiratory function 4
  • Flexibility and immune system function 3
  • Mental health outcomes including reduced depression, anxiety, and stress 2, 5
  • Quality of life in patients with chronic conditions 1

Clinical Applications

• Tai Chi is recommended as part of management for patients with chronic multisymptom illness, particularly those with symptoms consistent with fibromyalgia syndrome 1
• Studies show Tai Chi can improve physical functioning, disability, quality of life, pain, fatigue, sleep quality, and mood in patients with fibromyalgia 1
• Tai Chi may have positive effects on the immune system, health-related quality of life, functional capacity, and mood in cancer patients 1
• The long-term practice of Tai Chi can attenuate age-related decline in physical function, making it particularly suitable for middle-aged and elderly individuals 4

Practice Considerations

• Tai Chi is considered a low-intensity exercise that primarily benefits affective and psychosocial domains with mixed positive effects on physical domains 6
• For specific goals like weight loss, moderate to vigorous intensity exercise interventions are generally more effective than low-intensity exercises like Tai Chi alone 6
• Tai Chi can be prescribed as an alternative exercise program for selected patients with cardiovascular, orthopedic, or neurological diseases 4
• Participants can choose to perform a complete set of Tai Chi or selected movements according to their needs and abilities 4

Tai Chi represents a valuable complementary health approach that bridges physical activity and mindfulness practices, offering multiple benefits with minimal risk for most populations.