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Free Online Tai Chi Classes For Seniors

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Best For Beginners: Master Moy Lin Shin Demonstrates Taoist Tai Chi

Tai Chi for Seniors Eps 1

Fung Loy Kok Taoist Tai Chi

  • Duration is fairly short

  • Not much information on next classes to take

In this 13-minute tai chi class, Master Moy Lin Shinthe founder of Taoist Tai Chidemonstrates the 108-move set, which is the foundation of tai chi. Each move corresponds to a name in the set.

Some of the more common ones include the Opening of Tai Chi, Grasp Birds Tale, Brush Knee, Step Up, Parting Wild Horses Mane, Fair Lady Works Shuttles, Cross Hands, and more. The narrator points out the moves as they walk you through the practice.

Like many tai chi classes, the Taoist Tai Chi class covers the history of the course topic and gives tips on how to move and breathe through the sequence. You will learn about the flow of tai chi as the instructor shows you how to move from one posture to the next without pausing. This class is an excellent introduction to the practice of tai chi.

The 13-minute Taoist Tai Chi Arts class is free.

Leap Services Tai Chi Practice

If someone is struggling with backaches, especially in the cases of seniors, this online tai chi class can be a good choice. LEAP Services Tai Chi and Qi Gong practice offer simple exercises that you can perform safely at home. This is best for seniors because of its easy-to-understand demonstration where one person stands and two are seated. This makes understanding the mobility difficulty easy.

While the class is 24 minutes long, they offer a 10-minute break in between lessons. You can access the class on YouTube for free and if youd like to continue, you can subscribe to the YouTube channel that can get you access to more gentle tai chi and yoga lessons.

However, the movements demonstrated can be too simple and the classes may not offer enough information and knowledge about the flow of Tai chi.

Visit the YouTube video here.

Practicing Tai Chi For Health Benefits

There are numerous benefits of practicing tai chi. Many of the benefits youll get from regular physical activity apply to regular tai chi practice, such as:

  • Improved physical fitness
  • Boosted cognitive function

In some cases, tai chi has been found to help individuals with specific health conditions like COPD. One study found sun-style tai chi helped improve COPD symptoms. Theres also research to suggest that tai chi can be helpful in managing fibromyalgia.

You might think tai chi is mainly practiced by older adults, but there are benefits for young people as well! Research suggests tai chi can help young adults sleep better.

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Best For Seniors: Gentle Tai Chi And Qi Gong Leap Service

Toronto Rehab Brain and Spinal Cord LEAP Service

  • Too easy for intermediate levels

  • Movements are basic

  • Lacks in-depth information about tai chi

Tai chi is an excellent activity for seniors of all levels, and video classes make it easy for seniors to do these simple exercises at home.

The Gentle Tai Chi and Qi Gong LEAP Service course is a top pick since it shows three people demonstrating different options for each exercise, with one person standing and two seated. The instructor takes the modifications further by having each person, including both seated students, modify moves for different mobility levels. This allows you to choose from three different examples.

The total time for the routine is 24 minutes. But there is a natural break about 10 minutes into the class, which allows participants to stop and be finished or continue with the rest of the routine.

The Gentle Tai Chi and Qi Gong LEAP Service class is free on YouTube. If you like the course, you can subscribe to Cara Kirchers YouTube channel that has other tai chi and yoga videos appropriate for seniors.

Lower Risk Of Falling

Tai Chi

According to an article in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, practicing tai chi can reduce your risk of falls by up to 50 percent. Why is it so effective at fall prevention? Several factors are involved. Not only does the activity help with core stability, which can improve your balance, but it also improves proprioception .

It can also prevent falls by boosting your confidence. That’s because feeling uncertain on your feet is one of the biggest risk factors for falls. Researchers in the Journal of Aging Research have noted that seniors who practice tai chi feel more confident in their daily movements, making them less likely to fall.

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How To Start Tai Chi At Home

Ready to dive into tai chi at home? Luckily the only tai chi app youll need to get started is YouTube. Heres a short tai chi video thats perfect for beginners.

Once you have an idea of what tai chi looks like in practice, you might be ready to start a longer class. Thankfully, there are full tai chi classes for free online that you can start using right now! Even though tai chi is a gentle exercise, its still important to warm up before jumping into things. This is important to help prepare your body for stretching and focus your mind. Dr. Paul Lam goes over this extensively in his video below on How to Do Tai Chi At Home for Beginners.

There are plenty of tai chi YouTube videos for you to explore, but if youre looking for more then check out the Tai Chi for Health Institute. They offer a variety of online lessons and specialized programs ranging from Tai Chi for Beginners to Tai Chi for Arthritis.

Is Tai Chi Hard On The Knees

No. In fact, when done properly, Tai Chi can actually be a treatment for knee pain and other knee issues! There are many Tai Chi movements that can improve and even reverse knee pain and injuries over time if you are trained by a good instructor.

Tai Chi involves many movements that place an emphasis on transferring weight, bending and moving the knees in conjunction with the hips, all of which can help build strength and flexibility in the right places so as to facilitate healing in the knees. However, just like with any exercise, its important to be careful and make sure that you have a good instructor who can show you proper form. This is especially true if you already have a pre-existing knee problem!

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What Do I Have To Do To Prepare

Your first step should be having a talk with your doctor. Although this exercise is very accessible, you want to get the green light before you start.

Otherwise, preparing is simple. No special equipment is required. When it’s time for your first class, you just need to wear loose clothing. Regular practitioners recommend avoiding snugly fitting clothes like leotards. That’s because a tighter fight is thought to restrict the energy flow through the body.

Tai chi uniforms are available, but they’re often unnecessary. And in many classes, you may actually look out of place in one. So check out what the other students wear before you purchase anything.

You should wear soft, comfortable shoes. Special tai chi shoes can help prevent foot problems, particularly for seniors with diabetes. Talk to your instructor about the best option for you.

Tai Chi For Seniorsbalance And Stability

Tai Chi for Seniors

Perhaps the single group for which Tai Chi is most beneficial is seniors, and this is for several reasons. Tai chi has been shown to boost both energy levels and overall fitness, as well as help manage chronic pain and arthritis symptoms.

Seniors who take Tai Chi classes report enjoying a greater sense of balance and stability after taking the lessons for just a few months, which can reduce the risk of injuries from falls by nearly 50 percent. Overall, seniors find that Tai Chi helps them to better manage their bodies and minds as they age, making it an invaluable form of exercise.

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Styles Of Tai Chi Good For Seniors

Tai Chi is a very gentle type of exercise regardless of the style that you choose to pursue. There are many different styles of Tai Chi, but the four primary styles are listed below:

  • Chen This is one of the oldest styles of Tai Chi. It is more focused on Tai Chi as a martial art and a method of self defense. It is more intense than some other styles, but still very gentle and a good option for seniors who want a more invigorating workout that is also practical as a martial art.
  • Sun In contrast, Sun Tai Chi is one of the newest styles. This style is very smooth, graceful, and high-stanced . Dr. Paul Lam developed a special Sun Tai Chi style for people with arthritis. This specialized version is less taxing on the joints and was developed to spur a healing response for practitioners.
  • Yang This Tai Chi style is one of the more popular and easily accessible styles when it comes to finding classes and learning materials. It is characterized by movements that are flowing and gentle which are great for seniors who want a low-impact workout.
  • Wu The Wu Tai Chi style is very similar to the Yang style. The primary difference is that the movements with this style are smaller and less dramatic than those in the Yang style.
  • Getting Started With Tai Chi Exercises For Seniors

    If you or a loved one could benefit from tai chi, look for classes in your area. Many senior facilities offer these classes or you can sign up at other exercise centres. No special equipment is needed, and any comfortable loose-fitting clothing is appropriate for the exercises. This makes it an affordable alternative for many retired persons.

    Classes are often offered two to three times per week, but each person can go as they feel able. DVDs are available for the person who is homebound, even though it is recommended to work with a professional for a few sessions to ensure you know the proper posture and safe techniques.

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    Which Age Groups Benefit Most From Taking Tai Chi Classes

    Chronic Pain, Fall Prevention, Pain Relief

    There are numerous forms of exercise that may benefit various age groups or ranges, and Tai Chi is an excellent example. This form of exercise offers several different major benefits depending not just on age, but also on several other possible conditions or pain areas you may deal with.

    At Just Breathe Tai Chi, were proud to offer virtual Tai Chi classes and several related programs to people of all ages. And while our services are absolutely available to anyone who might need them, here are some of the typical age ranges or related groups that tend to benefit most from Tai Chi.

    Enlightening Online Tai Chi Classes You Need To Join Right Now

    Free Tai Chi Self Defense Classes For Bronx Seniors

    Keep your strength, mood, and stress levels in check with tai chi exercises that you can learn from these YouTube channels.

    Whether you’re eight or 80 years old, tai chi is a gentle form of exercise that just about any sound person can do. Tai chi has been around for centuries however, it has gained popularity in recent years because of its many health benefits.

    This form of martial art can decrease stress, improve strength, boost mood, and even help you sleep better. So, take a look at these six soothing tai chi online classes, and we can find our inner chi energy.

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    Does Tai Chi Strengthen The Core

    Yes, one of the key elements of Tai Chi that makes it so beneficial for seniors is that it effectively strengthens the core. The movements done in Tai Chi are excellent for strengthening and training the muscles in the abdomen and back. Core strength is vital for balance and postural support, so performing exercises like Tai Chi that gently cultivate greater core strength is particularly good for seniors. Good core strength and balance are two things that can lower the risk of falls for seniors.

    Tai Chi is a very low-impact exercise. It demonstrates that its possible for seniors to improve core strength without doing a high-impact exercise that might put them at risk of falling or hurting themselves in some other way. Tai Chi is an excellent exercise for increasing the strength of the core to diminish your risk of falls in daily life without putting you at a greater risk of falling during your workout!

    Best Online Tai Chi Classes For Beginners To Alternate Therapy & Spiritual Wellness

    Swarnakshi Sharma

    Tai Chi is known for its gentle and deliberate movements to improve body, mind, and soul connection along with better balance, breathing, and flexibility. Practicing Tai Chi should be done alongside a professional and here Im listing the best online Tai Chi classes for beginners.

    The Chinese martial arts practice has, in recent years, become a meditation practice to improve your spiritual awareness while lowering anxiety and stress. The low-impact movements can be easily modified to fit your needs and are safe to perform. However, if youre a beginner to holistic practice, it is recommended that you start under the supervision of a professional instructor.

    In this blog, Ive listed some of the best free online Tai Chi classes. Lets take a look at them!

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    Other Tai Chi Exercises To Do At Home

    There are other supplementary exercises you can do at home that will complement your tai chi practice.

    If youre looking to increase your strength, you can try resistance training at home. You can help increase your balance and flexibility by practicing yoga. If its increased cardio that youre after, try getting in 20-30 minutes of brisk walking per day either on a treadmill or outside. If youre able, you can try running or cardio exercises such as jump rope.

    Are you ready to start practicing tai chi at home? Now that you have some basic information about how to get started, just pick a YouTube class and follow along! Be sure to check out our home exercise equipment if youre looking for more ways to stay fit without hitting the gym. If you’d like to exercise more at home but aren’t sure where to start, then read our guide on Resistance Training At Home to learn the basics of strength and resistance training.

    Tai Chi Online Classes

    Tai Chi for Seniors

    If youre ready to expand your knowledge of spiritual energy and how it helps increase awareness and healing, then Tai Chi Online Classes can be a good choice for you. This online tai chi class is a month-to-month subscription class that can get you access to training videos, courses, and more.

    The beginner class offers warm-ups, the tai chi 108-movement set, basic sets, stances, and more. In the Year Two classes, you can get access to in-depth Tai chi principles and advanced level movements. An advantage of this class is that you get direct access to a tai chi instructor and exclusive access to a private online community.

    However, Tai Chi Online Classes can be more expensive than other online tai chi classes and can be too advanced if youre a beginner. It only offers a one-year subscription option at $400. Another subscription option gives you lifetime access to Year One and Year Two videos but that comes at $500.

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    Final Verdict

    Online Tai Chi classes mentioned in this blog can help you learn the flow of energy, stay motivated, and heal at your own pace. I hope this list can help you find the best online tai chi class for you.

    Take Care!

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    Who Should Take Online Tai Chi Classes

    While online tai chi classes are truly beneficial for all ages and skill levels, they are especially helpful for seniors or those with chronic health conditions, as the movements are slow and low-impact.

    Additionally, anyone who is looking to increase their flexibility, strength, and balance could benefit from online tai chi classes. If you are looking to gain lots of muscle or participate in high-intensity, heart-pumping exercises, tai chi is probably not the best form of exercise for you.

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    Dr Paul Lams Tai Chi For Health Programs

    The Tai Chi programs you find here are centered around specific health benefits. Tai Chi for Heart Conditions focuses on preventing and recovering from most heart conditions and building immunity. Tai Chi for Memory is designed specifically for people with memory loss, Alzheimers, or similar conditions. Tai Chi for Rehabilitation is a therapeutic tool for recovering from a stroke, heart disease, injury, surgical procedure, tiredness, and stress. Tai Chi for Arthritis targets pain relief, fall prevention, and better quality of life. Tai Chi for Energy combines Chen and Sun styles for a unique synergy that gives more energy than the sum of two styles.

    Highlights-

    You can join the global online community and access exclusive monthly content.

    You can access these courses using computers, tablets, and mobile phones from anywhere there is an internet connection.

    You can connect with other Tai Chi practitioners, ask questions, and share stories.

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