Exercising to master the body and mind
Practicing tai chi or yoga may help ease risk of falls
Balanced on one leg, a dozen people older than 60 concentrate on staying upright as they master the basics of tai chi.
Some are in stocking feet, some are barefoot, and one wears black dress shoes with shiny gold buckles.
Once considered exotic, exercise programs like tai chi and yoga have become as routine at senior centers as bridge and shuffleboard.
"Tai chi teaches balance and proper breathing -- two things seniors don't do well," said 72-year-old Harold Leach, a participant at the Donelson Senior Center and an occasional instructor.
Those benefits, along with others such as lowered blood pressure and better sleep, have prompted seniors to try exercises they might have once considered too "New Age" or "touchy-feely," according to Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise.
Baltimoresun.com
Balanced on one leg, a dozen people older than 60 concentrate on staying upright as they master the basics of tai chi.
Some are in stocking feet, some are barefoot, and one wears black dress shoes with shiny gold buckles.
Once considered exotic, exercise programs like tai chi and yoga have become as routine at senior centers as bridge and shuffleboard.
"Tai chi teaches balance and proper breathing -- two things seniors don't do well," said 72-year-old Harold Leach, a participant at the Donelson Senior Center and an occasional instructor.
Those benefits, along with others such as lowered blood pressure and better sleep, have prompted seniors to try exercises they might have once considered too "New Age" or "touchy-feely," according to Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise.
Baltimoresun.com
posted by das at 10:48 PM
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