|
Yoga and Pilates and Tai Chi...oh, my!
October 3, 2003
There is truly a new craze among us, and it's all about stretching,
improving your balance, gaining muscle strength, relieving
stress, and increasing relaxation. So what are all of these
"new" forms of exercise? How new are they really?
What are their benefits? What's the best way to get started?
YOGA is...
...a combination of exercise, breathing and meditation. Yoga
theory and practices date back more than 5,000 years. The
word yoga means "to bring together or merge" - as
in joining the mind and body into a single harmonious unit.
The purpose of yoga is to create strength, awareness, and
harmony in both the mind and body. More than one hundred different
types of yoga exist, and most include breathing exercises,
meditation, and postures (sometimes called poses) that stretch
and flex various muscle groups. For information on the various
forms of yoga, visit the American
Yoga Association.
PILATES is...
...a fitness program that was developed in the 1920's by a
fitness trainer named Joseph Pilates. Pilates, pronounced
pu-LAA-teez, is based on the principal that body and mind
must work in harmony. Pilates involves precise movements performed
in a specific order to strengthen muscles including the muscles
located between the hips and sternum -- often referred to
as the body's "powerhouse" because it is known as
the body's central source of power, balance, and movement.
The goal of Pilates is to improve your health without risking
injury to your body. Due to the method's gentle nature, Pilates
is practiced by people of all ages and levels of fitness.
For more information on Pilates, visit http://www.pilates-studio.com/docs/method/methwhat.htm.
TAI CHI is...
...known as "meditation in motion" and consists
of a series of slow and graceful movements. Although it began
in China as a self-defense strategy or martial art about 2,000
years ago, tai chi is now practiced as a gentle exercise technique.
Unlike other martial arts, tai chi is not competitive. Classes
usually begin with a few minutes of standing meditation, followed
by warm-up exercises and postures that make-up the "form"
or series of postures that is being instructed. For more information
on tai chi, visit http://www.tai-chi-association.com/taichi/.
THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING...
...yoga, pilates and tai chi include: lessening of chronic
pain such as lower back pain, arthritis, headaches and carpal
tunnel syndrome, lowering of blood pressure and heart and
breathing rates, reducing insomnia, increasing energy levels,
decreasing stress and anxiety, and increasing feelings of
general well-being. It is recommended that you talk with your
primary care provider before starting any new fitness program.
The National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine has more information on their benefits.
Visit their website at http://nccam.nih.gov/.
TO LOCATE CLASSES...
...offered throughout the year in the Boston/Cambridge area,
visit the following sites:
Boston Center
for Adult Education
Cambridge Center
for Adult Education
Center for Health
Promotion & Wellness at MIT Medical
Zesiger
Sports and Fitness Center at MIT
Health
Club Directory. com
<back
|
