Tai Chi and Qi Gong are a set of exercises that offer many health benefits. With regular practice, they can serve as the veritable “apple a day”, to keep all doctors away. One group of people that could benefit greatly from these exercises is athletes.
Foundational Development
Whether professional, amateur, or recreational - all athletes can benefit greatly from regular Tai Chi and Qi Gong practice. First off, the exercises offer very little risk of injury. In fact they aid in preventing injury and pain. These exercises develop strength, flexibility and balance; promoting efficiency in natural movement. They train proper posture and alignment that prevents injury, and maximizes performance.
Performance Support & Cross-Training
Feeling slightly “off” one day? Doing 5 minutes of soft Qi Gong as a warm-up could be just what’s needed to find your “groove”. As moving meditation, the practice helps integrate mind and body, developing focus, patience, and discipline. Tai Chi and Qi Gong are about developing relaxed effort. Bringing that “zen” state of mind to your tennis or golf swing can work wonders. We can’t always get to the club, but we can practice Tai Chi and Qi Gong during downtime, to help find our flow, and enhance our game.
Balance and Longevity
The other important part of these exercises is balance, this might be a slightly new concept. Most sports and athletics are physically “external”. Meaning, we train our development and send our energy, or Qi (“chee”) to our skeletal muscles. We hardly ever think about our “internal” organs. (Our stomach, spleen, intestines, kidneys, etc.) Doing Tai Chi and Qi Gong, promotes balance by gently massaging these internal organs, and sending some Qi flowing their way. This is not such a big deal during our youth, but as we get older this gets more important towards longevity. To practice Tai Chi and Qi Gong is to have an eye towards your future, and investing some energy towards better health down the road. If you are an athlete that has health issues involving internal organs, (including the heart and lungs), you may benefit from balancing out your training with Tai Chi and Qi Gong.
Finding the Right Instruction
There are many styles of Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Some focus more on external, vs internal exercises. It’s important you find one that matches your personal goals. This can be in person, or virtual. Regular practice is key. Some exercises are quick at 5 minutes, and don’t take much space at all, while others can be longer and more intensive. Typically Tai Chi practice needs a bit more space and so is harder to learn online than Qi Gong.
Simple, not Easy
For example, in one Qi Gong exercise called Zhan Zhuang - we stand as if holding a large beach ball. An instructor can help make sure the alignment and posture are correct, but after that the benefits come from regular practice. We start simple, standing for 2 or 3 minutes, but progressively add more time, with a goal of 20 minutes holding the posture. This takes several months of practice to develop.
In practicing this, one soon learns how difficult it is to stand still for that long! It is an exercise for both body and mind. It promotes balance, posture and alignment, which will carry into your athletics. It also gets rid of pain, by promoting the unobstructed flow of Qi and blood through the muscles. Mentally it reduces stress and anxiety - without medication, and promotes focus and concentration. It promotes better health in general, improving the immune system, sleep, and energy levels.
Supplement your Training
Many athletes invest a lot of time into improving their game. Adding Tai Chi and Qi Gong practice to that regiment will pay-off directly in improved performance, as well as indirectly towards improved health. Try to find some classes that fit in with your goals.
At Community Zen we’re working towards developing Tai Chi and Qi Gong for classes for both in-person and online students. If you have any interest, let me know.
Michael Savalli LAc
Image by freepik
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