Article Sphere Logo

Tai Chi a Perennial American Council on Exercise Favorite

By Expert Author: Carolyn Cooper | View Article Summary
Word Count: 411 words | Views: 150 view(s)
Carolyn Cooper

As a fitness professional certified through the American Council on Exercise for the past 17 years, I have seen and taught many different types of fitness classes. Some of these types of workouts stand the test of time, while others last only a short while, or don't catch on at all. As a Tai Chi instructor, I am very pleased that people are now placing more value on the mindfulness of exercise, and not just the physical aspect. Mind-body movement focuses on the present, not the future. There is no goal, just a continuing practice, which is more congruent with overall wellness. Through their research, "workout watchdog" studies and worldwide network of certified fitness professionals, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) continues to accurately monitor America's growing interest in fitness.

ACE has continually touted the benefits of Tai Chi, and balance training continues to grow in popularity. Balance training activities (e.g., Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, etc.) and equipment (e.g., foam rollers, wobble boards, Bosu balls, etc.) are among the fastest growing and most popular exercise options for adults. Health clubs and trainers are offering balance training programs for virtually all levels and types of participants. Research shows that Tai Chi is more than twice as effective in improving balance than any other exercise or type of equipment known.

A growing tendency is to blend popular mind-body programs such as Tai Chi and yoga with more traditional forms of exercise. These fusion classes and programs combine the traditional elements of a fitness regimen with many of the key elements of mind-body activities including proper posture, breathing and body awareness. By incorporating elements of mental and spiritual fitness, individuals will take better care of their entire being and psychological self, not just their bodies.

Shorter duration workouts continue to become more widespread. Lack of time continues to be the most frequently cited reason why individuals do not exercise on a regular basis. Time-starved Americans continue to seek out time-efficient yet effective workouts, pushing health clubs and trainers to offer express circuits and abbreviated routines. Since Tai Chi can be done without even breaking a sweat, it is a great workout you can do during a fifteen minute break at work in your regular work clothes, or in your pajamas when you get up. It won't leave you out of breath and fatigued, but it will leave you feeling clear and peaceful, and despite its slow and gentle pace, you will also burn calories!
About the Author/Author Bio

Carolyn Cooper is a certified fitness professional and Energy Intuitive. She is also founder of Tai Chi Flow, Inc., which has produced a series of videos (http://www.TaiChiFlow.com) including Tai Chi Flow for Kids, Tai Chi Flow for Pregnancy (featured in Fit Pregnancy Magazine) and Tai Chi Flow for Everybody. Cooper also publishes an e-newsletter called “Living in the Flow” and was a contributing author of the book 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Health.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Tai-Chi-a-Perennial-American-Council-on-Exercise-Favorite/126086

Article Submitted: 2008-02-20 | This Article has been viewed 150 times.

Comments on this Article


More "Martial Arts" Related Articles

 
 

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Martial Arts" article category.

People interested in the above article "Tai Chi a Perennial American Council on Exercise Favorite" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 
Upon hearing the word "karate", people often think of the physical aspects of this martial art. The kicks, punches, and other seemingly impossible moves of karate masters are just the surface of what is truly a martial art steeped in philosophy. For anyone who wants to get into karate, it would be advisable to understand some of the long history and deep philosophy that have helped to make karate what it is today. By understanding the philosophy and history of the defensive martial art known as karate, people will be better disposed to take advantage of the many physical and mental benefits that karate has to offer.
Muay Thai Boxing began thousands of years ago in Thailand to help the Siamese army as a way of combat against their enemies. Today, Muay Thai Boxing is a form of martial arts, although it looks grueling and devastating with the powerful kicks and fighting that appears to be going on in the ring, it is actually a very calming sport. Muay Thai Boxing is in fact used for anger management and self-control in many people.
What are considered the modern Olympics started in 1896, and fencing competitions have been an integral part of every Olympic Games since that time. Fencing will be just one of the great sports featured in the 2008 Summer Olympics when sports teams from around the world meet to compete in Beijing, China.
The guard has been a position utilized in Mixed Martial Arts competitions for a very long time. Although the origins of the position are the subject of much debate, the general consensus is that what we call the guard evolved from Japanese Jujitsu and Judo. Since the position was introduced to Brazilian fighters decades ago, the guard has become a very powerful weapon.
A successful fencer must possess a rather large variety of different items such as, an outstanding positive attitude and a whole lot of extreme patience. For the beginner, they will need a fencing mask, jacket, glove, and a practice weapon or fencing equipment. Fencing equipment may include an epee, saber, or a foil.
Sabre fencing is the fast-paced member of the sport of fencing most like old fashioned sword fighting in battlefield conditions. The saber is the "big daddy" in fencing equipment and the largest and heaviest weapon. It is a true sword with sides with an edge, unlike the epee and foil. Sabre fencing has a totally unique strategy and set of rules making it more challenging and yet more complicated at the same time. Side touches are allowed in this sport and the whole body above the waist is fair game, except for the back of the head, the hands and the wrists.
Some of the most thrilling performances on stage involve staged combat. For example, imagine Hamlet without the many battles that take place? Or Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance without the great swashbuckling of the pirates? Regardless of what type of performance, from comedy to tragedy, whether it be a play or a musical, there can be combat scenes involved.
 
Article Directory Home All Categories Recreation And Sports Martial Arts
 

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!
 
 
Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.
French Spanish Bulgarian Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Croation Czech Danish Dutch Finnish German Greek Italian Japanese Korean Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Swedish Arabic Hebrew Hungarian Thai Turkish English US