The Montana Standard: Health 10-3-23

   Most people recognize that exercise is one of the best ways to boost cardiovascular health. But what if traditional exercise seems either too challenging or otherwise inaccessible — or maybe even boring? Or perhaps you’re recovering from a heart attack or other medical problem and need to ease back into activity. If so, tai chi might be worth a try. “Tai chi is a gentle, adaptable practice that features flowing movements combined with breathing and cognitive focus,” says Dr. Peter Wayne, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. The cardiovascular benefits likely stem from a combination of the physical and mental aspects of this ancient Chinese practice.

   A tai chi session doesn’t aim to dramatically raise your heart rate or build bulky muscles. But the slow, deliberate movements still help to tone your muscles. If you move more quickly from one position to the next and sink deeper into the postures, tai chi can even provide a moderate aerobic workout. Conversely, you can dial down the intensity and even do certain movements while seated in a chair. Unlike yoga, tai chi doesn’t require you to fully extend or stretch your joints, so it’s fi ne for people who are not so flexible. Like yoga, tai chi is a mind-body practice that requires focused attention as you move through a series of choreographed moves. Many have descriptive names that evoke scenes from nature, such as “wave hands like clouds” or “the white crane spreads its wings.” Concentrating on that imagery, along with your breathing and movements, counteracts what Asian meditative traditions call “monkey mind” — the distracting mental chatter that often intrudes when people do traditional meditation. In this way, tai chi can foster relaxation and ease stress. Tai chi also teaches you to pay close attention to your posture, breathing and heart rate. “This increased body awareness can help prevent injury and over exertion,” Wayne says.

   An article published online July 3 by Cardiology in Review considered the heart-related benefits of tai chi. Many studies have documented improvements in blood pressure after just eight to 12 weeks of practicing tai chi, including among older, sedentary adults and heart attack survivors. There’s also good evidence that tai chi can be an effective alternative for people who don’t want to do traditional cardiac rehabilitation (a structured program of exercise and education for people recovering from heart-related problems). In addition, tai chi has proved helpful for people with heart failure, who tend to be tired and weak as a result of the heart’s diminished pumping ability. The authors also point out that tai chi can be a gateway to other types of physical activity because the practice may improve balance, reduce the risk of falls and even help ease lower back pain — a common reason for avoiding exercise. “More fundamentally, the fitness gains and self-awareness from tai chi training can give people the confidence to engage in other physical and social activities that can enhance health,” Wayne says.

   Tai chi classes are often offered at martial arts studios, but you can also find them at senior or community centers, health clubs, universities or hospitals. Most facilities list class descriptions on their websites; if not, call to inquire which class would be best for you, based on your experience and fitness level.

   Many of the academic health centers throughout the United States with integrative health programs offer tai chi classes. Some cardiac rehabilitation programs, including those affiliated with several Harvard teaching hospitals, incorporate tai chi into their programs.

   Hourlong classes usually cost around $15 to $25. Some centers allow you to pay by the week, the month or several months. Many places now offer online classes, as well, and evidence shows that you can reap similar benefits from virtual instruction.

   Wear loose, comfortable clothing and supportive shoes like sneakers (or no shoes, if you prefer). During the class, the instructor will demonstrate graceful, slow arm and leg movements, often done with a slight bend in the knees. The sequence of poses can be done standing or, in some cases, while seated in a chair.

   You can also watch and follow along with free videos that illustrate movements from the Harvard report on tai chi at www.health.harvard.edu/tai-chi-calisthenics and www.health.harvard.edu/tai-chi-elements.

Here’s a quick tai chi imagery exercise to try if you start to feel unstable.

• Take a few slow, deep breaths.
• Feel your feet on the ground.
• Imagine your feet growing deep roots like a tree’s.
• Continue for a few more breaths, relaxing your weight deeper into your roots with each exhale.

   Q: Does exercise raise or lower your blood pressure? And what’s the best type of exercise for blood pressure?

   A: While you are exercising, your blood pressure (along with your pulse) goes up, to supply the additional blood flow that your exercising muscles need. Otherwise, regular exercise lowers your blood pressure throughout the day.

   Besides lowering your blood pressure, regular exercise reduces your risk of heart disease, many kinds of cancer (including breast and colon cancer), diabetes, obesity, kidney failure, osteoporosis and gallstones. And, by the way, it also protects your ability to think, improves your mood and lengthens your life.

   Do all kinds of exercise lower your blood pressure? In July, the British Journal of Sports Medicine published an analysis of nearly 300 randomized trials involving over 15,000 people. Each trial assigned people either to a particular form of regular exercise or to no exercise for a period of at least two weeks.

   Several types of exercise were evaluated: aerobic exercise training (the kind most often studied and recommended), high-intensity interval training, dynamic resistance training isometric exercise training, and combined training (aerobic plus one of the other types of exercise).

• High-intensity interval training is a relatively new type of exercise that is popular because it takes less time and may give benefits comparable to more vigorous aerobic exercise. It involves repeated cycles of brief (one minute) high-intensity exercise followed by brief low-intensity exercise.
• Dynamic resistance exercises are a kind of strength exercise that involves movement of muscles and joints, such as push-ups, shallow squats or dead lifts.
• Isometric exercises are strength exercises in which specific muscle groups are tightened without movement of muscles and joints, such as the wall sit or extended plank.

   The good news is that each of these types of exercise was found to be clearly effective in lowering resting blood pressure. Since none of the studies compared one type of exercise to another — but instead compared one particular type of exercise to no exercise — we can’t be sure which type of exercise is best at lowering blood pressure. Particularly if you are over age 50 and have not been exercising much, it’s best to check with your doctor before beginning a regular exercise program, since some types of exercise may not be right for you. But choosing one of them is the best thing you can do for your health.

Southwest Montana Health Care Directory