Modified Tai Chi for Health

Can help Arthritis, Diabetes, Back Pain, Osteoporosis and the prevention of injuries from falls. The Tai Chi for Health programme has been designed for older adults, by Dr Lam and a team of medical and Tai Chi experts.

The Benefits Include:

• Improved fitness
• Increased muscular strength
• Better balance and mobility
• Better flexibility
• A reduced risk of falls
• Relaxation and stress relief
• Increased cardio-respiratory fitness

Why Tai Chi?

What Can Tai Chi do for you?

Originating in ancient China, tai chi is an effective exercise for health of mind and body.  Although an art with great depth of knowledge and skill, it can be easy to learn and soon delivers its health benefits.  For many, it continues as a lifetime journey.  There are many styles and forms of tai chi, the major ones being Chen, Yang, Wu, another Wu (actually two different words in Chinese) and Sun.  Each style has its own unique features, although most styles share similar essential principles.   These essential principles include the mind being integrated with the body; fluidity of movement; control of breathing; and mental concentration.  The central focus is to enable the qi or life force to flow smoothly and powerfully throughout the body.  Total harmony of the inner and outer self comes from the integration of mind and body, achieved through the ongoing practice of tai chi.

Medical and fitness authorities stress that effective exercise for health should include three components: cardio-vascular fitness or stamina, muscular strength, and flexibility.   Cardio-vascular fitness means better heart-lung capacity.  A good supply of blood and oxygen is essential for maintaining your health and for healing any disease.

Strengthening

By strengthening our muscles, we keep our joints stable and protected.  Of course, we need our muscles to move and when we move, the muscles pump fluid and blood throughout the body, improving the functions not only of the organs and joints but also the entire body.

Flexibility

Flexibility improves our range of motion, making us more functional.  Being flexible keeps our joints, muscles and entire body more healthy and allows us to be more active.

Learning Tai Chi from a DVD

Books are invaluable in learning, but DVDs have advantages over books for learning tai chi, so long as they are well constructed.

Naturally the ideal way to learn is by having the best teacher, the best book and the most appropriate DVD. but we can’t always have everything at one time.  If you cannot find a suitable teacher, you’ll learn more from a well-produced DVD than a bad teacher. Universities have used DVDs to teach their students and many major international corporations have used DVD successfully for training their staff.

Dr Lam’s  DVDs are carefully planned and professionally produced.  Where appropriate, each program has included advice from medical and other experts of the appropriate fields.  The products have been tested to ensure they are “learner friendly”, and useful for improving health and tai chi skill.

Advantages of DVDs

• You can repeat the same movement as often as you require.
• You might not find a teacher that suits you, but you can sample many DVDs.
• There are often certain difficulties in changing your teacher, but you can change your DVD anytime.  It is easier to compare DVDs than teachers.
• It gives you the opportunity to work with some of the best instructors.
• You can see inspiring performances from good DVDs.
• You are free to choose your favourite teaching style.
• They can also be used as a learning aid alongside face-to-face teaching.
• You can go over points from your class that you have forgotten.
• A well produced DVD took much time, energy and expertise, you can gain the benefits of the resulting work with very little cost.

Which DVD is suitable?

All DVDs will help you improve health.  Even the beginners sets can bring you improved health and years of enjoyment in exploring their depth.   Try Tai Chi for Arthritis, 12 Lessons with Dr Lam – virtual private lessons with Dr Lam.  It is a safe and effective set anyone can learn, proven by scientific studies to improve health and quality of life.  Anyone with or without arthritis will benefit from learning it.

Browse our range of products

• Health Series- designed to improve health and quality of life, shown by medical studies to be safe and effective.  Arthritis, Diabetes and Osteoporosis foundations support the programs.
• The Beginners Series - designed for beginners with little or no prior tai chi experience.  You will feel almost like you’re in one of Dr Lam’s classes.
• The Intermediate Series- recommended for people with approximately one year’s experience in tai chi, to improve your skill.
• The Advanced Series – recommended for people with approximately two or more years’ experience in tai chi. They are more challenging.

If you are having trouble finding a DVD which suits your needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me (hazelthompsontaichi@gmail.com) and we can work out which programme best fits your personal ability and health.