Sept 2022
How often do we hear the phrase “No Pain, No Gain” applied to exercise? It seems to be a given that if we are not suffering pain, we are not realizing gain.
Having been a former college basketball player, I understand. There are times when we are laboring for maximum performance that we will feel pain as we push ourselves to reach greater heights. Whether one is a weight-lifter trying to set a world record or a runner working to break the 4-minute mile, or just an athlete striving to do our best, our training requires that we push ourselves to levels where we feel pain DURING and often AFTER practicing and competing.
But what about the regular man or woman? We know we need to exercise to maintain our health and wellness. However, do we really need to feel pain to accomplish that? Moreover, as we age, our body has its own set of evolving pains that diminishes our appetite to exercise if it is going to add more pain.
Do we find ourselves infected by the moniker “NO PAIN, NO GAIN?” I recently received a text from a friend who, while pushing herself walking, fell and broke a wrist and kneecap. Isn’t there a better way?
There is. Tai Chi Yoga. A mix of unwinding and floating. It combines gentle stretching only as far as is comfortable for one’s body integrated with correct stomach breathing, one-legged balancing while moving, graceful flow like a ballet dancer in slow motion, and relaxation.
John and Angie doing Tai Chi Yoga in an LA Park April 2022
The greatest part about doing Tai Chi Yoga is not only feeling better AFTER we do it but also feeling better WHILE we do it. Consider my smile in the photo above while doing bouncing one-legged balances and breathing. We achieve greater health and wellness, balance, relaxation, energy, concentration, and a youthful look and feel; all while defying the limits that aging life seeks to impose on us. Tai Chi Yoga is a way to smile while exercising.