subject: Practicing Tai Chi Will Depress Your Depression [print this page] Practicing Tai Chi Will Depress Your Depression
A study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, performed by researchers at UCLA and led by psychiatrist Helen Layretsky, reported that Tai Chi helps the elderly with depression.
What does this have to do with this site you might ask. Everything. the method I practice and preach for back pain and bulged disks is based on principles and exercises found in Tai Chi.
What is Tai Chi? It's a kung fu system, a moving meditation system, and a health system. Tai Chi is a complete system, that is, a martial art that has both a martial art fighting aspect, along with health benefits, and a healing practice.
The training first strengthens your inside, making you internally stronger and only then can that power be expressed externally. It is based on the Chinese belief of Chi, also spelled Qi or Ji, translated as energy, or breath. Chinese medical practice is based on Chi and its flow in the body through invisible channels called meridians.
The practice of Tai Chi and Chi gong moves this chi around the body, and uses it against an opponent.
I started practicing it because it was the only method that greatly reduced my back pain, after trying other alternative systems. Yoga was nice, but did not relieve the pain fast enough, the Alexander technique is great but has no other benefits.
Chi gong and Tai Chi have it all. It makes you
stronger,
gives you a cardiovascular workout.
improves you posture,
Increases your immune system
prevents falls
reduces stress
prevents cancer
lowers blood pressure
DECREASES DEPRESSION
is a martial art, making you able to protect yourself and therefore:
Increases confidence
All of the above points have been scientifically proven. I got too lazy to link each item, if you would like specific publications, just email me and I'll be happy to provide you with some.
Among the group of students I first started with, was a woman who was considered a yogi, a yoga master. She found Tai Chi more demanding than her Yoga practice, and switched over.
What I found during my practice, is that the first group of muscles that became stronger were the core muscles. After a couple of years of pain, that left me out of the running track and gym room, these muscles were pretty weak. What seemed as simple exercises while standing, revealed themselves as ones that made my legs shake like a leaf in just a few minutes.
It's even more amazing that today, when I have a strong core and pretty strong thigh muscles, that if I stop practicing for a week, and then start my routine, my legs will shake just like a beginner. the exercises are that good.
The most surprising discovery was that unlike my son's muscles that hurt for three days after a sports competition, my legs felt perfectly fine the next day, even though they felt exhausted and used up the day before. What was even more surprising was my overall feeling: energized, more relaxed and focused, with reduced pain.
In this study, the UCLA researchers took a group of elderly individuals who were depressed, and treated them for four weeks with the drug escitalopram (Lexapro). The ones who responded positively to the drug were split into two groups. One group received health education classes that included stretches, and the other lucky group had Tai Chi practice twice a week. Out of 112 participants 73 responded to the drug. The group continued taking medication and were added the exercise routine twice a week.
All the respondents were evaluated for their anxiety, resilience, health-related quality of life, cognition, immune-system inflammation and levels of depression at the start of the study and four months later.
The results of course were better for the Tai chi group, or as the researcher said in a press release "This is the first study to demonstrate the benefits of tai chi in the management of late-life depression, and we were encouraged by the results," "With tai chi, we may be able to treat these conditions without exposing [patients] to additional medications."
The study found that compared with taking the health education class (which included some stretching exercises), performing the ancient Chinese mind-body exercise of tai chi while taking escitalopram helped more adults reduce their depressive symptoms and achieve remission; it also improved quality of life, memory, cognition and overall energy levels.
based on an article published in Health land Time 18 March 2011
