Ezy Tai Chi: a simpler practice for seniors - ICAA

1 18 The Journal on Active Aging May June 2004 Ezy tai chi : a simpler practice for seniorsPracticing tai chiprovides older adultswith benefits in mentaland physical health,mobility, and modified versionoffers a programmingalternativeby K. John Fisher, ; Fuzhong Li, ; and Machiko Shirai, The Journal on Active Aging May June 2004 19 This article provides an overview of an 8-form tai chi . This simpler practice wasmodified from the contemporary 24-formversion by Fuzhong Li, one of the authorsof this article. The work presented in thisarticle is based on the authors practicaland research experiences in tai chicovering two decades, and from discussionswith tai chi masters, specialists andpractitioners in China and the UnitedStates. As a form of exercise, tai chiincreasingly appeals to the growingproportion of older adults that looks foralternative and convenient ways toexercise for health.

2 Originally developedfor martial arts purposes in China morethan 300 hundred years ago,1thispractice has been used as a traditionalexercise to improve fitness, health andlongevity2for individuals of all ages. Taichi s low-to-moderate intensity andbeneficial effects on strength, flexibility,breathing and balance3,4,5make itespecially attractive to mature , tai chi is a series of individualmovements, or forms, linked together toflow smoothly from one to performed with continuity, thesemovements involve body and trunkrotation, flexion and extension of thehips and knees, weight shifting, posturalcontrol and alignment, with andwithout arm synchronization of diaphragmaticbreathing and mental concentration isalso integral to tai chi . This element ispurported to promote harmony betweenbody and mind.

3 So tai chi involvestraining the mind, as well as the body,which is why it is often referred to as moving meditation. 7In addition to the physical movementand meditational features of its practice , tai chi is intended to cultivate qi(pronounced chee),an internal force orvital energy the nature of which is notfully understood. According to Chinesemedical theory, tai chi movements allowqi to circulate throughout the body viachannels or meridians. These energypathwaysconnect organs, joints andmuscle groups. Along meridians arepoints used in tai chi as foci to directContinued on page 20the flow of qi and control body balancemechanisms through the constantinterplay of yinand (inactivity)and yang (activity)areopposite, but complementary, forces ofnature that need to be in balance foroptimal functioning ( male/female,static/moving, active/passive, tension/relaxation, or forceful/yielding).

4 Thedynamic relationship between yin andyang underpins all movements of tai chi . Shifting body weight creates acontinuous reciprocity of yin and yang states in tai chi . The resultingequilibrium of yin and yang throughthe integration of qi and controlledmovement is said to sustain health,prolong life and bring about to produce health benefits, taichi is gaining popularity among few tai chi programs havebeen modified to suit the physical andmental needs of this population manyof whom face the challenge of decliningphysical function. In addition, littleattention has been paid to issuesassociated with facilitating the deliveryand instruction of tai chi to populationsof most need. To address theseproblems, scientists from the OregonResearch Institute in Eugene, Oregon,have introduced a simpler version: EzyTai Chi.

5 Simplified tai chiSeveral styles of tai chi exist, somehistoric/traditional and some of morerecent origin. Today, the yang style isprobably the most ,10 Ezy TaiChi reduces the number and complexityof the 24-form yang style1of tai chi tojust eight forms. These movementscontain all the natural characteristics ofthe conventional 24-form, but with theadvantages of a less complex movementsequence for ease of performance andrecall. (See Table 1 on page 24 for thenames of these movements.)Ezy tai chi consists of six postures pluscommencing and closing forms, allderived from the contemporary 24-formsimplified tai 8-form versionfollows a gradual, simple-to-difficultprogression. The movement executionbegins with upper-body motion (involving arm, shoulder and trunkmovements) and minimal demands for postural control, then moves to forms with increasing postural demands involving whole body-limbcoordination.

6 (To view illustrated EzyTai Chi instructions, go to page 22.)As in all forms of tai chi , breathing isimportant and linked closely with themovements ( inhaling when raisingarms and exhaling when pressing armsdown). This sinks the qi to the dantian(pronounced dan-tee-ann), or energycenter located in the lower abdomenslightly below the navel. Breathingduring Ezy tai chi should be natural,rhythmic and full, but not should originate from thediaphragm, and the inhale-exhalerhythm should comfortably coordinatewith the flow of preferably done whilestanding,Ezy tai chi can also beperformed in a chair by participants whohave a problem with standing or whodepend on ambulatory supports ( , cane or wheelchair). Whenperformed in a seated position, thesemovements work the full range ofmotion for the arms , shoulders andtorso.

7 For example, individuals withstanding difficulty may still benefit byengaging in upper-body-basedmovements such as curving back arms ,which focuses on upper limbs and trunkrotation, and even lower-limbmovements, such as lifting legs (similarto that of standing on one leg),whichworks on hip flexion and stable posturalalignment. The Ezy tai chi sequence can take lessthan three minutes to complete,depending on an individual s mobilitylevel. Compared to the 10-form,1220-form,13and the contemporary 24-formtai chi, this modified version lends itselfto being adapted to underservedpopulations, such as those who are20 The Journal on Active Aging May June 2004 Ezy tai chi : a simpler practice for seniorsContinued from page 19alignment and weight this preliminary session,participants may move onto performingeach single movingexercise.

8 Moving practice increases selectiveattention and allows individuals toexperience appropriate alignment forbalance and to coordinate rotations oflimb and trunk. During this element,participants perform 8 10 repetitions ofeach movement under a slow, self-controlled speed. After some successfulinitial practice of these static andmoving movements, participants shouldbe ready to start linking each of the EzyTai Chi postures in a sequential,continuous manner. Each daily sessionshould consist of a minimum of five setsof Ezy tai chi , along with repeatedpractice of each movement. Participants may practice tai chi in ahigh, medium or low stance, dependingon their age, physical limitations andtraining ,14 With a low stance,the body is in a semi-squatting position,with knees bent almost 90 , whichplaces most demand upon the largemuscle groups of the thighs.

9 With ahigh stance, the knees are bent at anangle of only slight discomfort. Forolder adults, a high stance isrecommended for two reasons: It does not impose extraneous body weight on the lower extremities; and It facilitates both anatomic alignment and flexibility for posture maneuvers. In contrast, the low stance imposesmore body weight on the legs theknees, in particular. This stance is alsophysically demanding on the quadricepsfor older adults and others who haveweak lower-limb muscle strength and/or physical impairment ( hipreplacement). Ezy tai chi : health benefitsThe 8-form Ezy tai chi providestraining likely to improve musclephysically or functionally challengedand for whom a lengthy learning periodwould be problematic. The fewer, simpler movements and shortersequence likely make the learningexperience less demanding on olderadults and potentially more enjoyable.

10 From a teaching standpoint, instructorsof Ezy tai chi avoid the need tosimplify the lengthy routines of manyother tai chi forms. Movements fromthis modified version can be taught and performed as single movements, orin combination ( two or threemovements), before participants practicethem as a complete routine. As a result,instructors can focus more on teachingbasic fundamental movements,including footwork, body position, eye-hand coordination, and breathing. All these characteristics of Ezy Tai Chiare likely to encourage learners to persistin practicing these movements andenhance their commitment to tai chi asa lifelong exercise. Ezy tai chi session formatA general plan for an in-class practicesession of Ezy tai chi may involve thefollowing components: a 10-minutewarm-up, 25 30 minutes of practicingmovements/postures, and a 5-minutecool down.