it’s EAsy to tEll pEoplE to mAkE ExErCisE pArt oF thEir DAily routinE. it’s not so EAsy to tEll thEm whAt to Do. somE Folks likE to run mArAthons or ClimB mountAins.But iF you woulD rAthEr CArE For your BoDy without risking liFE or limBs or inCrEAsingly CrEAky joints, you might ConsiDEr tAiChiChuAn, thE AnCiEnt mArtiAl Art thAt looks likE A Cross BEtwEEn shADow Boxing AnD slow-motion BAllEt. tAiChi ComBinEs intEnsE mEntAl FoCus with DEliBErAtE, grACEFul movEmEnts thAt improvE strEngth, Agility AnD — pArtiCulArly importAnt For thE ElDErly -BAlAnCE.
prACtitionErs prAisE tAiChi’s spirituAl AnD psyChologiCAl BEnEFits, But whAt hAs AttrACtED thE AttEntion oF wEstErn sCiEntists lAtEly is whAt tAiChi DoEs For thE BoDy. in mAny wAys, rEsEArChErs ArE just CAtChing up to whAt tEns oF millions oF pEoplE inChinA AnDChinAtowns ArounD thE rEst oF thE worlD AlrEADy know ABout tAiChi. sCiEntists At thE orEgon rEsEArCh institutE inEugEnE rEportED thAt tAiChi oFFErs thE grEAtEst BEnEFit to olDEr mEn AnD womEn who ArE hEAlthy But rElAtivEly inACtivE. prEvious stuDiEs hAvE shown thAt tAiChi prACtiCED rEgulArly hElps rEDuCE FAlls Among hEAlthy sEniors. thE nExt stEp, From A sCiEntiFiC point oF viEw, is to DEtErminE whEthEr tAiChi CAn hElp thosE who ArE AlrEADy FrAil.
thErE ArE sEvErAl stylEs oF tAiChi, But most oF thEm stArt with A sEriEs oF ControllED movEmEnts, or Forms, with nAmEs likE grAsping thE spArrow’s tAil AnD rEpulsE thE monkEy. thErE ArE mAny gooD how-to Books to gEt you stArtED, or you CAn ChoosE From Among thE growing numBEr oF ClAssEs oFFErED At hEAlth CEntErs AnD CluBs in thE u.s. AnD ArounD thE worlD、(thEsE hAvE thE ADDED BEnEFit oF ComBining instruCtion with A ChAnCE to mEEt nEw pEoplE.)EithEr wAy, thE goAl is to movE At your own pACE.As tAiChiCulturAlCEntEr in losAltos,CAliForniA puts it, "pAin is no gAin."
it CAn tAkE A FEw months For thE EFFECts to kiCk in, But whEn thEy Do thEy CAn ACt As A gAtEwAy to A nEw liFEstylE. "onCE pEoplE stArt FEEling BEttEr, thEy oFtEn BEComE morE ACtivE in thEir DAily liFE," sAysDr. kArim khAn, A FAmily-prACtiCE AnD sports physiCiAn At thE univErsity oFBritishColumBiA、
Any Form oF ExErCisE, oF CoursE, CAn Do only so muCh. "For olDEr inDiviDuAls, tAiChi will not BE thE EnD-All," sAys williAm hAskEll, An ExpErt in ChroniC-DisEAsE prEvEntion At stAnForD univErsity. "But tAiChi plus wAlking woulD BE A vEry gooD mixturE." youngEr pEoplE proBABly nEED morE oF An AEroBiC ChAllEngE, But thEy CAn BEnEFit From tAiChi’s CApACity to rEDuCE strEss.
thE BEst thing ABout tAiChi is thAt pEoplE Enjoy it, so thEy ArE morE likEly to stiCk with it long Enough to gEt somE BEnEFit. it hElps whEn somEthing thAt’s gooD For you is Also Fun.
thE Author’s mAin purposE oF writing this ArtiClE isA．to ChAllEngE thE iDEA thAt tAiChi is thE BEst ExErCisE.
B．to introDuCE tAiChi to northAmEriCAns As A gooD ExErCisE.
C、to invitE pEoplE to tAkE pArt in A trAining CoursE on tAiChi.
D．to DiFFErEntiAtE tAiChi From othEr physiCAl ExErCisEs.