Mind-Body Exercises – Yoga Tai Chi and Their Health Benefits

Mind-body exercises (MBEs) are low to moderate intensity physical activities that combine meditation with conscious proprioceptive sense and breath awareness to promote health outcomes, such as blood pressure reduction, balance control improvements, reduced pain perceptions and depression and anxiety symptoms. Mindful exercise modalities have been proven to produce such benefits.

Yoga

Yoga was developed over 5,000 years ago in India as an exercise to unify mind and body into one harmonious experience. A low-impact form of fitness, it enhances balance, flexibility, and strength as it strengthens every muscle group in your body.

Mental health benefits associated with meditation include stress relief and improved concentration. Studies have also demonstrated its ability to lower heart rate, blood pressure, and increase immunity.

Another yoga practice aimed at strengthening pelvic floor muscles aims to prevent incontinence and relieve constipation, and may even intensify orgasms, according to Shape.

Not unlike fast-paced Tai Chi, yoga exercises tend to be slow-paced and dance-like in their movement; practitioners refer to it as “meditation in motion”. Yoga is ideal for beginners as well as those with mobility issues, though modifications can be made for all fitness levels. Before embarking on this practice it is recommended to find a qualified instructor with appropriate credentials by looking them up on Life Time’s Instructor Directory.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is an ancient, centuries-old form of meditational movement and breathing exercises which aim to strengthen the connection between mind and body. These gentle exercises are easy on joints and can even be tailored specifically to people who have physical restrictions or health conditions.

Like yoga, tai chi can help relieve stress, improve balance and build strength. Furthermore, its use has been linked to improved bone health – something especially helpful for older adults as it reduces falls and fractures.

At Tai Chi, it is crucial to adhere to the 70% rule: make sure that your exertions only account for approximately 70% of your maximum capacity in order to prevent injuries. Maintain a proper posture so your body can flow more naturally while exercising Tai Chi.

Practice of mindfulness meditation has proven highly successful at alleviating pain associated with fibromyalgia, and may also benefit other chronic pain conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and chronic back pain. Furthermore, mindfulness practice strengthens Deep Stabilizer muscles of the spine for better posture and strengthens Deep Stabilizer muscles to provide additional support to better spine alignment.

Pilates

Joseph Pilates created Pilates as an exercise method in the early 20th century to develop physical movement combined with breathing awareness and body awareness, also known as Contrology. Through Pilates’ practice of physical movement with breathing awareness and body awareness, physical strength, flexibility, health, and well-being are improved significantly.

Pilates involves concentration and focus that helps reduce stress, improve balance and coordination and build self-esteem and confidence. Pilates is not only good for health but can be an enjoyable workout that increases self-esteem and builds self-worth as well.

Tai chi and Pilates have long been considered “meditation in motion.” Their gentle movements help build endurance, strengthen muscles, improve balance and encourage mindfulness – not to mention being low impact! Tai chi can also be an excellent way to treat chronic back issues by aligning spines while improving balance – plus its breathing techniques can be an excellent way to relieve stress and anxiety.

Martial Arts

Interested in expanding your workout regimen beyond barre classes? Consider integrating mind-body practices such as tai chi or qigong into your exercise regime for added benefits in terms of balance, flexibility and mood enhancement. These ancient meditative movements have long been practiced as forms of fitness aimed at developing both the body and mind simultaneously.

Tai chi can be described as “meditation in motion”, with its slow movements flowing one into another in an interdependent fashion. Tai chi provides low-impact exercise to stimulate brain and heart health while relieving stress levels and strengthening muscle strength.

Tai chi’s purpose is to develop emotional awareness so you can recognize feelings when they arise throughout your day, such as when someone cuts you off in traffic and causes you to release stress hormones that lead to anger toward that driver. Instead of reacting violently when anger surfaces, it helps people develop skills to regulate emotions so they can then return to a state of calm again after acknowledging they were angry. Harvard Mental Health Letter has reported this ability can have lasting benefits; for example it can even help reduce depression and anxiety symptoms.