3 Seniors Class

Sifu Carlan Steward leading the senior class.

Sifu Carlan Steward and his students in the Seniors-Only Tai Chi Class

It is now a well established fact that doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists recommend Tai Chi, or a combination of Tai Chi and Qi Gong, as an excellent form of exercise for seniors. Before getting to the tai chi and Qi Gong practice, let’s look at what seniors need in their exercise program to diminish the effects of the aging process.

Research shows seniors need three types of exercise, aerobic exercise, stretching and strength training.

Why strength training? The process of sarcopenia takes place as we get older. That is the body’s tendency to lose muscle mass and have it taken over by fat tissue. We need strength training to retain the muscle mass and keep a good ratio of muscle to fat in the body, and to retain our balance and strength.

Increased aerobic capacity makes the body more efficient in burning fat and carbohydrates for fuel. Increased aerobic capacity also means we have stronger lungs. It is a well known fact that one of the major risks to seniors during hospitalization, or after a surgery, is the build-up of moisture and heat in the lungs that can lead to pneumonia, etc. The stronger the lungs are before going into the hospital, the better chance for a smooth recovery after treatment.

Why stretching? As people grow older they tend to become stiff in their movements. Stretching of the muscles and tendons is needed to prevent this stiffening from occurring.

How much exercise do we need? The Mayo Clinic says one half hour per day minimum, 5 days per week on average. Research evidence shows that when not used a muscle of a 65 year old begins losing size and strength in 36 hours. The same muscle of a 25 year old does not begin to lose size or strength for 72 hours. Does this not support the Mayo Clinic’s recommendation?

What is the best pace for senior exercise? Evidence shows seniors should avoid the heavy huff-and-puff type of exercise and should exert themselves at a moderate pace. A moderate pace is one at which the person can carry on a conversation as they exercise but would be unable to whistle or sing a song.

Outline of Benefits of Tai Chi:

Why has Tai Chi and Qi Gong been found to be an ideal exercise that meets the above requirements for senior exercise?

Tai Chi and Qi Gong are practiced at a slow pace with the emphasis on breathing, relaxed strength and balance. This slow paced practice along with the constant flexing of the legs creates the aerobic effect that seniors need but at a safe pace.

The stretching occurs at a deeper level than simple hamstring stretches, etc.

The strengthening occurs from learning to manage the body weight and the weight of the arms by holding them away from the body for periods of time. This emphasizes muscle and tendon strength and without the risk of injury that goes with weight lifting.

The practice includes constant visualization which help to retain memory and keep the mind active and challenged.z

An additional benefit of Tai Chi and Qi Gong practice is that it reduces the effects of stress on the system. Stress can be very destructive to the body and mind if not successfully managed.

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The Society of Senior Advisors reports on research showing that as we approach the senior years there is a reversal in our body. When we are younger, aggressive aerobic activity such as jogging burns fat. This process reverses when we become seniors and we need to participate in more gentle exercise because the aggressive approach will actually burn muscle instead of fat.

At the same time, the senior needs more frequent exercise than the younger person. It has been reported by researchers on aging that if they immobilize a muscle of a 25 year old, the muscle will begin to diminish in size and strength within 72 hours. At age 65 the muscle will begin to diminish in 36 hours. Does not this suggest that seniors need to exercise more often than when they were younger?

The Society of Senior Advisors also reports that as we age it becomes increasingly important that we try to learn new things and develop as much “idea density” as possible. That is, we need to dig below the surface and develop a depth of knowledge in things. The only requirement is that the subject be of a positive nature, such as art, music, literature or dance, and that it be sufficiently difficult to challenge the mind. The Society reports that this is an important step in preventing conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Senile Dementia. They report that lack of mental stimulation is the second most common cause for these conditions, the first being repeated head trauma. The Society reports that research has shown that positive mental stimulation not only protects us from the loss of brain cells but actually causes new brain cells to be generated.

Our Seniors-Only Tai Chi program is designed to work for people with all manner of health problems. Each participant has a chair behind them so if their medications or a particular condition makes them more prone to becoming dizzy, they can take one step back and sit down. Each class starts with my teachers Daoist Sin Tien Wu Chi System of Chi Gung. This consists of gentle standing exercises to stretch and strengthen, breathing exercises to relax the pressure in the chest area, and visualizations to increase awareness of how the joints hold our bodyweight. We then move to my adaptations of gentle exercises from Wang Ji Wu and Wang Xiang Xi’s practices. These are gently rotational and weight shifting movements we use to retrain the big muscles around the hips to carry the weight and take the pressure from the knee joints.

After about a half hour we take a five minute break and relax with a cup of tea, water or coffee.

The second half hour is the tai chi practice. I narrate every movement of the tai chi form so it is not necessary for the people to memorize anything. They are welcome to memorize the form but I describe the movements anyway so others do not have to. The mental effort required to follow my instructions is the same mental effort required to memorize a form and satisfies the level necessary to keep the mind active and strong.