When you think of Tai Chi, you probably don’t think about muscle strength! You probably picture a group of older people in the park, going through slow, dance-like movements. But, let’s consider how Tai Chi might increase and help you maintain muscle strength.
Muscle strength refers to our capacity to lift, push, or pull against weight. The human body is made up of more than 600 muscles, and all of the activities of daily life require muscular strength. It’s also essential to good health. Other benefits of muscle strength include better sleep, improved mood, self confidence, and increased metabolism. We start to gradually lose muscle mass and strength beginning around age 40. Doing muscle-strengthening exercise at least twice weekly can help your muscles to function more like those of younger adults.
Tai Chi movements, while slow and gentle, can improve both lower and upper-body strength, without leaving you short of breath. It not only strengthens the lower and upper extremities, but the core muscles of the back and abdomen, as well. And with regular practice, Tai Chi can be comparable to resistance training and aerobic conditioning but without the requisite weights and resistance bands.
Tai Chi’s slow rate of speed allows the practitioner to observe the internal movements of the body, while developing balance, timing, and lower-body strength. The development of lower-body strength helps avoid repetitive movement injury. Holding your arms up continuously for the length of your Tai Chi form builds strength in your shoulders and entire upper body. Holding your arms close and low isn’t real Tai Chi. Your arms should be up, away from your body, and extended in order to work your shoulders and build strength.
Here are two examples of the many studies done on Tai Chi and muscle strength. A 2008 study compared Tai Chi practitioners to joggers and a sedentary group. The Tai Chi practitioners and joggers also showed better scores on muscle strength and endurance as well as knee extensor and flexor strength. A 2012 study study of participants in their early to mid 70s, who were independent in their activities of daily living, measured leg muscle strength. The Tai Chi practitioners demonstrated greater muscle strength in both knee extensors and flexors than the control group.
Another value benefit to consider: Tai Chi practitioners exhibit flexible, not rigid, strength.
A relevant, and interesting Tai Chi legend tells of a Taoist monk named Zhang San Feng, who was practicing meditation in the remote mountains, and observed a bird fighting a snake. The snake’s flexible, agile movements enabled it to defeat the bird. The monk reflected on the value of flexible strength, as opposed to rigid strength, and this inspired him to create what became known as Tai Chi.
If you’re not ready or not able to tackle strength-training with weights, resistance bands, or machines, Tai Chi may just be the activity to help to increase your stamina and diminish the risk of injury that accompanies weak muscles and bones. But don’t be fooled into thinking Tai Chi is easy just because of its slow pace. Sometimes the slow, controlled movements are the biggest challenge of all.
So is Tai Chi just for a group of older people exercising in a park? Not at all!