Participate in YOUR OWN Healthy Aging and YOU Will Feel Better Now Too!
Physical inactivity has been identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality ^. There are numerous ways to be more active, but as we have found, most people like participating in group activities. We also teach you how to be more active in general and be more efficient with everyday actions. Now is the perfect time to start – we have new courses, workshops and seminars all starting soon. Winter is a good time to start – beat the winter chills and boost your immune system. By the end of the course, it will be spring and you will be ready to spring into action. Classes indoors, outdoors, day and evening – all easy, fun with fully qualified instructors. You can even tour China with us too. If you would prefer to learn at home or there are no classes in your area, we have the “It’s Never Been Easier” system of DVD, Book & Music. Links to details, locations and times as well as the online shop are at the end of this article.
Tai Chi with a competent instructor will provide you with a complete package for a healthy lifestyle, a balanced life-nourishing exercise and a relaxation system for mind and body health as you age. Safe for all ages and fitness levels – no special equipment or clothing necessary.
Western health is often preoccupied with numbers and linear progression: – calories, steps, number of repetitions, how fast, etc. Tai Chi’s holistic approach is based on (zen) mindfulness, feeling and awareness. This not only uses the brain in an entirely different way but also improves neuromuscular facilitation and mechanical efficiency that reduces wear and tear which leads to premature aging. By maintaining functional elongation of connective tissues we improve our resilience. We can maintain and ideally enhance our suppleness to fully participate in life longer – our goal is to preserve our independence. Relaxation is the key to release the stress that locks our muscles, shortens our connective tissues and scatters our brain and nervous system.
Our Academy like many other established organisations is celebrating our longevity in business. Although we think that the forty years since the founding of our Academy is a long time, many of the arts we teach have histories going back hundreds or even thousands of years. The essence and philosophies date back to the era of the Xia (Sha) Dynasty and the Yellow Emperor 4,500 years ago. Science has now shown that our bodies are packages of energy made of the same stuff as our environment. However ancient artefacts now reveal that the Chinese understood this concept over four millennia ago. As an instructor, I feel it is an honour and privilege to continue these traditions and to share them now and for the future.
Many experts have said that one of the best approaches to keeping both mind and body healthy and alert is to attempt to master a new skill. The actual mastery isn’t the goal. But pushing yourself in an unfamiliar direction and becoming newly familiar with your strengths and weaknesses can have tremendous benefits, even beyond the sense of accomplishment we feel from achieving a goal. So if you’ve never tried Tai Chi before, what are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose? – everyone who participates is a winner.
Rod Ferguson
Tai Chi Master
National Chief Instructor
Go to the Locations Menu to Find a Class Near You
^ W.H.O. has said that it is of great importance to reduce inactivity by at least 10%.
Based on estimates that between 60 and 70 per cent of the Australian population is sedentary, or has low levels of physical activity, it has been suggested that increasing participation in physical activity by 10 per cent would lead to the opportunity of cost savings of $258 million, with 37 per cent of savings arising in the health sector.
A lack of physical activity, or physical inactivity, has been identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. Estimates suggest that physical inactivity is the principal cause for approximately 21-25 per cent of breast and colon cancer disease burden, 27 per cent of diabetes, and 30 per cent of ischemic heart disease burden worldwide. (Cadilhac DA, Cumming TB, Sheppard L, Pearce DC, Carter R & Magnus A. (2011). The economic benefits of reducing physical inactivity: An Australian example. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity 2011 (8): 99)
The incidence of chronic disease increases with age. In Australia, chronic illnesses are responsible for 80 per cent of the total burden of disease. Over 70 per cent of the Australian adult population suffers from at least one chronic disease, with one quarter suffering from two or more chronic health conditions. (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s Health 2008) Physical activity may also provide additional benefits for those who are already suffering from chronic health conditions.
AMA https://ama.com.au/position-statement/physical-activity-2014
