Consistency of tai chi exercises more important than intensity
Friday, 2 December 2011
Consistency of tai chi exercises more important than intensity.
People may take up heavy-duty workouts at the gym as a New Year's resolution, only to slack off after a week. They may start jogging during spring break, then quit once vacation is over. Tai chi may sound pleasant for summertime weather, but what happens when autumn comes? As one exercise physiologist points out, what matters more is the consistency of tai chi exercises and other activities – not their intensity.
"Whatever you do – spinning, tai chi or even your own special routine of exercises – the important thing is that sticking with your weekly regimen and being consistent with it is more important than the intensity of individual workouts," Paul VanWiechen of the Cleveland Clinic Canada, wrote in the National Post.
Because people tend to want to burn as many calories as they can in as little time possible, they may opt for more intense activities, according to the news source. However, the body of literature suggests that the frequency at which one can partake of these exercises matters more than how vigorous they are.
The key is for each individual to figure out what they can do on a regular basis, VanWiechen said.
As of 2007, about 2.3 million American adults reported practicing the energy healing techniques of tai chi within the previous 12 months, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
