Tai Chi CPD Workshop for Health Professionals

Image by Paula Solloway

We ran our first full day Continuing Professional Development (CPD) workshop for health professionals on the 8th November at Bingley Community Health Centre.

We felt a little nervous as we had a lot of information and practise to get across in one day. We spent a couple of months reviewing research papers, discussing, writing, and editing lesson plans, and just thinking it through.

We finalised our plan to cover the most recent systematic reviews on the benefits of regular  Tai Chi, recent UK guidelines on best practice with regard to physical activity - that also recommend regular Tai Chi practise, a brief history on the origins Tai Chi, and most importantly, plenty of practise.

We wanted to make sure that the attendees would get the chance to paraphrase Bruce Lee, to not just think about Tai Chi but feel it also.

Phil, Dr. Paul Lam, & Helen

We introduced the twelve attendees to the core movements of the Tai Chi for Arthritis programme created by Dr. Paul Lam, founder of the Tai Chi for Health Institute.

This short program proved perfect for our purposes as it has a good evidence base for its efficacy for improving health and well-being, and as a primary preventative exercise for falls prevention.


At the end of the day, feeling exhausted and elated at the same time, we gathered in the anonymous feedback forms from all the attendees. We felt a little more than blown away faced with the positive reviews.

We'll let the attendees words speak for themselves:

UK Physical Activity Guidelines 2019

Would you recommend this workshop, if so what would you say about it when talking with a colleague?

• "Good evidence base which is important for evidence-based practice. Practical workshop really good." 
• "I would say that this course was not only useful for my patients but useful for myself too."
• "Well presented, friendly atmosphere created Highly enjoyable and worthwhile.  Thanks."
• "Good passionate presenters; good amount of practical elements, thanks!"
• "Informative useful, well-paced, excellent."
• "Very useful techniques/ideas. Interesting new concepts."
• "Evidence-based - Engaging articulate hosts."
• "Very informative good instruction."
• "Enjoyable, learning a new experience. Anybody can do it."
• "Fantastic Knowledge very engaging teaching."
• "Good foundations for something bound to be more popular and relevant in the future of physiotherapy."

What did you find most beneficial?

• "Link of evidence to practice - the scientific basis."
• "Examples that were given of the conditions or presentations that may benefit."
• "Practical element very enjoyable and good pace."
• "Useful techniques/approaches to use in practice and to identify individuals to refer on."
• "Lead by medically framed/evidence-based professionals and constantly related to MSK conditions and biopsychosocial model."
• "Clear concise instructions, good info on background/history. 
• "Really enjoyed the practise and learning the sequences."
• "Practical and scientifically evidence-based." 
• "Measured clear instruction."
• "Ideas for falls patients! The ways moves can be applied to complex needs patients."

Image by Kate Bamber Photography

Anything you would have liked covered that wasn't in the workshop?

• "No."
• "Very thorough content."

We would like to express our appreciation to all the attendees on the day who got into the spirit of things right from the start and remained enthused to the very end.

• "You exceeded expectations!"

Based on the overwhelming feedback we feel inspired to run more CPD workshops for health professionals in the future.

If you would like us to run a dedicated evidence based CPD workshop for you and your colleagues, or you would like to find out more about Dr. Paul Lam's Tai Chi for Health programmes please do get in touch.



T: 07528 959091
E: huntunwellbeing@gmail.com

We look forward to talking with you.

Helen & Philip

Why Tai Chi Improves Your Balance?

We have received many reports from our participants - 85% aged 70 and over - saying how their balance has improved after joining one of our classes.

For some time now Helen and I have speculated that the eight core movements of the Tai Chi of Arthritis/Falls Prevention (TCA/FP) programme target some particular muscle groups seen as important in maintaining our balance, especially as we get older.


The eight core movements from Tai Chi for Arthritis/Falls Prevention - Part 1.

Research has shown the TCA/FP programme developed by Australian GP Dr. Paul Lam has proven beneficial in falls prevention as well as promoting improvement in general health and wellbeing:

“The Sydney Central Area Health Promotion study is community based and the world’s largest fall prevention study with 700 subjects. After 16 weeks of Tai Chi (80% doing Tai Chi for Arthritis), the incident of multiple falls was reduced by an incredible 70%.”

Alexander Voukelatos et all, Journal American Geriatrics Society, AUGUST 2007–VOL. 55, NO. 8, A Randomized, Controlled Trial of tai chi for the Prevention of Falls: The Central Sydney tai chi Trial. (NB: 80% of subjects were taught Tai Chi for Arthritis).

We think the benefits of the TCA/FP programme stems from the emphasis on the weight bearing movement from side to side found in the eight core movements. From an anatomical and movement science point of view we describe this side to side movement as happening medio-laterally and in the frontal plane.

Exercise physiologist and exercise scientist, Sean Wilson, in a recent article at his blog Fit Grey Strong has speculated, like us, that the muscles on the outside of the hip (the abductors) and inside leg (adductors) play a significant role in maintaining our balance as we get older. He references some very interesting research into the important role these muscle groups play in maintaining our balance. See below for the references mentioned.

The research suggests that exercise programmes aimed at improving balance and preventing falls could benefit from more emphasis on movements that strengthen these particular muscle groups.

The sequences found within the eight core movements called, Single Whip (to the right and left) and Wave Hands (to the right and left) target these muscles. Both sequences emphasize controlled transfer of weight from side to side, from one leg to the other and back again.

Many of our participants say they can feel how hard their hips muscles work when we practise these movements in our classes.

We aim to support all the programmes we teach with evidence from research, especially in relation to balance and strength in older adults. It seems we may now know a little more about why the TCA/FP programme has performed so well in falls prevention.

If you enjoyed this blog you may like our previous blog post on Keeping strong. As we get older we begin to lose muscle mass, strength and power. Staying strong can help us enjoy a high quality of life and have a positive impact on preventing falls as we get older.

Please do share this blog post with family, friends and colleagues who you think might like to read it.

Research referenced by Sean Wilson at Fit Grey Strong with three bonus papers on Tai Chi and its influence on our gait - 2. 8. & 9.

1.

Daun F, Kibele A. Different strength declines in leg primary movers versus stabilizers across age—Implications for the risk of falls in older adults? PLoS One [Internet]. 2019 Mar 7 [cited 2019 Aug 29];14(3). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6405087/

2.

Tseng S-C, Liu W, Finley M, McQuade K. Muscle activation profiles about the knee during Tai-Chi stepping movement compared to the normal gait step. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology [Internet]. 2007 Jun 1 [cited 2019 Aug 23];17(3):372–80. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1050641106000083

3.

Inacio M, Creath R, Rogers MW. Low-dose hip abductor-adductor power training improves neuromechanical weight-transfer control during lateral balance recovery in older adults. Clinical Biomechanics [Internet]. 2018 Dec 1 [cited 2019 Aug 19];60:127–33. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268003318305199

4.

Inacio M, Creath R, Rogers MW. Effects of aging on hip abductor-adductor neuromuscular and mechanical performance during the weight transfer phase of lateral protective stepping. J Biomech. 2019 03;82:244–50.

5.

Porto JM, Freire Júnior RC, Bocarde L, Fernandes JA, Marques NR, Rodrigues NC, et al. Contribution of hip abductor-adductor muscles on static and dynamic balance of community-dwelling older adults. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2019 May;31(5):621–7.

6.

Takizawa M, Suzuki Y, Kobayashi Y. Adductor magnus is just as much an antigravity muscle around hip joint as gluteus maximus. Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine [Internet]. 2018 Jul 1 [cited 2019 Aug 19];61:e536–7. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877065718313241

7.

Mille M-L, Johnson-Hilliard M, Martinez KM, Zhang Y, Edwards BJ, Rogers MW. One step, two steps, three steps more ... Directional vulnerability to falls in community-dwelling older people. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2013 Dec;68(12):1540–8.

8.

Zhu Q, Huang L, Wu X, Wang L, Zhang Y, Fang M, et al. Effects of Tai Ji Quan training on gait kinematics in older Chinese women with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Sport and Health Science [Internet]. 2016 Sep 1 [cited 2019 Jul 7];5(3):297–303. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254616000272

9.

Hong Y, Li JX. Biomechanics of Tai Chi: A review. Sports Biomechanics [Internet]. 2007 Sep 1 [cited 2019 Jul 7];6(3):453–64. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/14763140701491674

Tai Chi, Nature, and Health

“We seem to know that time spent in green space is just what the doctor ordered.”

I wrote the above quote as part of a guest blog for the support organisation AfterTrauma. In that blog I talk about how natural spaces can help us cope with the ups and downs of life and the growing evidence from science that supports our intuition. And what has this got to do with your practise of tai chi chuan.

Well, if you delve a little deeper into the roots of tai chi you soon find out that those roots spring from the rich cultural and philosophical ground of Taoism (sometimes written Daoism). This short, beautiful film below gives a good primer on Taoism and how it relates in particular to the martial arts of China, the same roots from which our tai chi for health programme stem:



I often encourage people who come to our classes and workshops to see if they can find a little private space, a garden if they have one, or a quiet corner in a park for instance, where they can practise their tai chi form outside.

People don't hesitate to say how their practice of the tai chi form takes on a new sense of meaning when they do so. Some of the sequence names found in the various styles of tai chi that we learn, such as wave hands in clouds and gather celestial energy, suddenly make perfect sense when performed outdoors.

I hope this short blog and the links within it encourage you to get outdoors. You don't have to practise the tai chi form outdoors to get the benefit, taking a short stroll, or taking a seat in a green space will reward and reinvigourate you. You'll find yourself slip effortlessly into that mindful state that eases our sense of wellbeing in the world.

Forest Bathing or Shinrin-yoku

In Japan you will find people go to specially designated forest trails to ‘bathe’ in the healing balm of the trees. They literally call it forest bathing or Shinrin-yoku, and researchers have found that regular strolls in these lush spaces can offer profound health benefits for people living with many different long term physical and mental health conditions.

As I wrote in the guest blog for AfterTrauma, time taken to relax in green spaces proved especially important for my recovery from the significant trauma I experienced when I had my accident. It continues to remain an important part of my ongoing health and wellbeing today. So, if you can, get outdoors, relax and enjoy.

If you enjoyed reading this you may like to visit my other blog/website where you will find more pieces that touch on the arts, medicine, poetry, and more.

Do have a family member, friend or colleague who you think would like to read this blog? Please do share it with them.

Please do get in touch to let me know your thoughts.

All the best

Philip

Tai Chi Damps Down Inflammation Genes

Tai Chi as a moving mindful meditation appears to have a marked positive impact on dampening down inflammation in our bodies. This research study shows how our bodies inflammatory response effects both our physical health and mental wellbeing.

 

Tai Chi – Mindful Meditation

 

Two links well worth a read:

 

The first, an easy to read article from New Scientist that summarises the amazing implications of this study.

 

The second, the full research paper published on Frontiers In Immunology which the article above summarises.

 

A little tai chi practise each day will help. If you think a family member, friend or colleague would be interested in this post please do share it.

 

We look forward to seeing in you in one of our classes, one to ones or workshops.

Thank you

Helen and Philip :)

What Is Tai Chi?

What comes to mind when you first think about T‘ai Chi? You may think of Chinese people rising early in the morning to take part in slow, meditative movements to ease themselves into the day. T‘ai chi, often written tai chi, as we know it today has come on a long journey from its origins. Despite a number of theories to tai chi's origins no one theory has yet managed to pin down this elusive art.

 Outdoor Tai Chi Practise in Beijing's Temple of Heaven.

Image by Craig Nagy, Vancouver, Canada. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
Written in full we ought to say T‘ai Chi Ch‘uan which loosely translated into English means Supreme Ultimate Boxing or Source Fist. This meaning offers us a clue to tai chi's origins within the self-defense and martial arts of China. We would more commonly describe those fighting arts as Kung-Fu in the west.

Nowadays we can best describe tai chi as an art and an exercise. It appears from a growing body of research that regular practise of tai chi offers people some important health benefits. In particular, improved balance, flexibility, fitness, strength, lowering blood pressure, general heart health, mental health and symptoms associated with stroke, fibromyalgia, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Tai chi emphasises the integration of mind with body. This integration marks tai chi as a unique form of exercise along with another associated exercise practice from China referred to as Qigong (chee gung), older still, known as Daoyin, meaning to guide and pull. To get a feel for this integration you practise tai chi movements, or forms, slowly as one smooth flowing movement with a deliberate focus on those movements.

Daoyin tu - chart for leading and guiding people in exercise.

This image from Wellcome Images, a website operated by Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation based in the United Kingdom. Refer to Wellcome blog post (archive). Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

‘This is a reconstruction of a 'Guiding and Pulling Chart' excavated from the Mawangdui Tomb 3 (sealed in 168BC) in the former kingdom of Changsha. The original is in the Hunan Provincial Museum, Changsha, China.’

Tai chi truly represents a whole body form of exercise as you coordinate your hands and arms with the controlled transfer of your weight from one stance to another. In other words to perform tai chi well from start to finish you must engage all parts of the body. The hands, arms, legs and feet all move in circular and spiral patterns with turns of the torso via the waist, neck and head. 

A saying associated with the practise of tai chi – 

“ When the wind blows the whole tree moves

.

Regular practise of a tai chi form can strengthen and mobilize the joints and muscles, improve physical fitness and induce a deep sense of mental relaxation. The slow and low-impact nature of tai chi make it ideal for people recovering from illness or injury and those living with chronic health conditions.

Not that people who live with long term health conditions should only practise tai chi for health. In China, fit and healthy people practise tai chi to cultivate and sustain their health. Anyone can benefit from a little tai chi practise each day.

People performing Tai Chi Chuan at the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing, China.

Image by © BrokenSphere / Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Our tai chi programmes differs from the traditional approach to learning tai chi where you had learn and perfect many complicated sequences of movements over many years. Some tai chi forms go on for well over a hundred moves with complex and difficult movements to perform. We encourage participants to enjoy the tai chi movements within a safe and pain free range of mobility. Participants can take a seat for some or even all of the session. A key message in our classes goes – If it hurts, stop doing it.

The Harvard Medical School's Osher Center for Integrative Medicine has found that people can enjoy all the health benefits of tai chi from very simple movement sequences derived from the traditional long form tai chi styles. For example the first part of our Tai Chi Foundations programme takes no longer than three to four minutes to complete.

So, there you go, a snap shot description of tai chi. Tai chi has much more to offer though. Through regular practise you begin to realise the depth of meaning within the principles that underpin tai chi. The movements truly do embody a cultural and philosophical way. 

If that has peaked your interest then please do get in touch. If you think someone you know, a member of your family or a close friend might benefit from tai chi please do share this page.

We look forward to seeing you.

Helen & Phil

Tai Chi – Social Prescription

A friend sent me this link to a BBC article posted in September 2015 that describes the evidence from over 30 research studies that show tai chi has benefits to offer people living with various long term health conditions.

It goes on to say,

“In the future, it might even be possible to consider prescribing Tai Chi for patients with several illnesses.”

All interesting stuff and another reason to keep practising, even 10 or 20 minutes a day will make a difference.

Image by Garry Knight

This image file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

You can find out by visiting our Research page that lists some of the evidence for the health benefits tai chi appears to offer people.

You don't have to have a long term health condition to come to one of our classes. Regular practise of tai chi will help all people to keep fit and look after their well being.

I you would like to find out more please do get in touch.

Helen and Philip