Tai Chi Chuan: A Slow-motion Exercise With Remarkable Benefits

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jun, 2023 ) :Tai Chi Chuan is a perfect exercise that effectively alleviates stress, anxiety, and depression, while simultaneously improving strength, endurance, coordination, and balance.

Talking to APP here on Sunday, Trainer Muhammad Ishaq told that Tai Chi is a healing exercise that combines movement, meditation, and controlled breathing. "It is often referred to as a form of traditional Chinese medicine and believed to have curative properties for various ailments", he added.

Ishaq emphasized that Tai Chi focuses on how the body functions rather than how it appears, offering a means to age gracefully with fewer complications. He said that the practice also enhances balance and attention span while boosting the immune system.

Shedding light on his research that is published in an international journal "Effects of Tai Chi Chuan Exercise on the Physical and Mental Health of the General Public," Ishaq revealed that 286 participants were engaged in one-hour Tai Chi sessions twice a week for two months and as a result of exercise, participants experienced significant improvements in health.

He explained that the exercise improved in physical measurements such as blood pressure and general health, and mental aspects like role-emotional, vitality, and mental health.

Ishaq stated that Tai Chi involves slow-motion, low-impact movements that challenge the misconception that it is only suitable for older individuals or lacks effectiveness as a form of exercise. "A 100-year-old man and a ten-year-old boy can practice it together," he added.

Ishaq revealed that despite its popularity among 30 million people worldwide, Tai Chi Chuan remains relatively unnoticed in Pakistan. To address this, he emphasized the need to promote the practice at schools and colleges.

He also recommended to incorporate the 18 basic Tai Chi movements into daily routines and highlighted the importance of hiring qualified trainers, maintaining a disciplined routine, getting 6-8 hours of sleep, and following a balanced diet for a healthy lifestyle.

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