Let's Move with Tai Chi

Brynmor
Brynmor Member Posts: 1,755
in Let's Move

With the Let's Move campaign now under way, how about trying tai chi? It’s a gentle form of movement, often described as ‘meditation in motion’. It can improve your strength, flexibility and balance, and it can help release tension and ease pain.

Fiona, who has had a form of arthritis for 24 years, enjoyed her first taste of tai chi so much that she decided to teach it. Now she leads her own class.

Meet Fiona and find out more about the difference tai chi has made to her life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrYuySA8X6I&feature=youtu.be


We hope you’ve found Fiona’s story inspiring. Why not share your own experiences and ideas about exercise here with the Online Community, either in the Comments or by starting your own Discussion in the Let's Move Category.

Comments

  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,750

    I wish I could, but I looked up some of the standard moves for Tai Chi and realised there was no way my hip would let me do most of them. So frustrating, I’d love to try it.

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,027

    Do them seated Lilymary adjust the movements to suit you. I'm sure 'every little helps'....where did I hear that before?😁

  • Mike1
    Mike1 Member Posts: 1,992

    Something else that I cannot do!

  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,750

    @Mike1 Depressing isn't it. I don't need to keep reinforcing how restricted I am now.

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764

    I listened to Fiona and was impressed with her common sense attitude and delivery.

    I won’t be joining the classes as, right now, I have exercises which I really must do keep various bits of me from wandering even further off the straight and narrow and they take up time which, to some extent, I begrudge because I have other stuff to do.. I like the idea of Tai Chi and working on the whole body and I hope that one day I can find time but right now I can’t.

    I used to use the Rosemary Conley All Body Workout DVD. It came with a section for those, like me, who needed chair exercises and I could do most albeit badly. Now I have several sheets of exercises, for various bits of me, made out by my local physio. As Fiona recommends, I also use housework as a workout but I do find that, if I’ve overdone one bit (usually the ancient TKR) I really have to do the ‘counter exercises’ to help it recover. Like Fiona I tend to find that the less I feel like exercising the more benefit I seem to get. But I have learned, over many years, to listen to my body. There’s no point in ignoring it. It’s not going to go away. So I have learnt when it’s OK to press on and when that would be just storing up problems for the next day. My body and I are a team. Not like an Olympic synchronised diving or ice-dancing team. More like the Under 5s 3-legged egg and spoon race team. We muddle along together for better or worse.

    Arthritis affects so many people in so many different ways and to greater and lesser extents so that not all exercises will be useful to everyone. I think the point is that exercise is generally beneficial and we must all do it as we can, not as we can’t. But I really don't want to think about where I'd be without it.

    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • Bell
    Bell Member Posts: 3

    I'm a newbie to VA had a look at the video with tai chi ,I have always been interested I had a look to see if there was classes where I live but couldn't go anyway as I shield as I have health issues other than RA but I'm going to give this a go I feel I need to do something ,can anyone tell me how I link up fir tai chi classes online Thanks

  • Brynmor
    Brynmor Member Posts: 1,755

    Hi @Bell

    I don't think Versus Arthritis has any special provision for online groups for Tai Chi. The Let's Move campaign is run through a FaceBook group and you can sign up here:

    https://action.versusarthritis.org/page/64082/-/1


    Alternatively, there are a number of free UK groups I found on Google that you might consider, although none of them specifically mentioned helping people with arthritis.


    Perhaps some of our members are part of such a group. I will keep an eye out for any replies that might help 😃

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,027

    They do in Scotland @Brynmor look!

    Could we ask for some for England and Wales? (Cornwall and NI too)

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/in-your-area/in-your-area-search-results/virtual-tai-chi-classes-scotland/


  • Brynmor
    Brynmor Member Posts: 1,755

    @frogmorton suddenly, my virtual address has moved north of the border! 😄

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,027

    Erm.....so has mine😁if we get enough of us interested down here maybe we can have our own. Wonder whether Leon and mum do Tai Chi too🤔

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