Should You Try Tai Chi for Healthy Aging?

Older adults take a tai chi class in the park.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you're getting older, martial arts may not be on your radar as an activity you should take up. In fact, when most people think about how they want to spend their days in retirement, activities like golf or gardening are more likely to come to mind.

Maybe that's a mistake, though.

In fact, research from Harvard suggests that opting for a Tai Chi class over more traditional exercises, such as walking or swimming, could be the best way to stay fit after 60. Here's why.

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Tai chi could be the key to healthy aging

According to the Tai Chi Foundation, this ancient Chinese martial art is practiced at a slow pace and focuses on harmonizing the body and mind.

Its purpose is to help your inner life energy flow powerfully throughout the body, and it includes a heavy focus on fluid, graceful movement, deep breathing, and mental concentration. However, you don't want to underestimate this martial art just because it's not a fast-paced exercise like cardio workouts.

“The slowness that you see from the outside can be deceptive,” says Dr. Peter Wayne, research director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Group of people practicing posture during Tai Chi class.

Tai chi is equivalent to a brisk walk in terms of its aerobic potential, and may be more vigorous than training with weights, according to Dr. Wayne, who touted studies showing its benefits. It's also been proven to offer these benefits.

Help promote bone strength and joint stability.
Improve cardiovascular health.
Boost your immune system.
Develop your emotional well-being.
Boost your overall fitness levels.
Improve cognitive function and focus.

It can also reduce falls by as much as 45%, which is an enormous benefit, as more than one in four older Americans falls each year, according to the CDC. Parkinson's patients, in particular, may benefit from improvements in balance that can result from practicing Tai Chi.

Give Tai Chi a try

While this long list of benefits may sound like an infomercial for a too-good-to-be-true weight-loss system being hawked on late-night TV, the reality is that Tai Chi's benefits are backed by real science. Experts believe that Tai Chi offers more health benefits than many other forms of exercise, while still being well-suited for older adults.

“You don’t have to have a health issue to do Tai Chi. But if you do, you should find a way to incorporate Tai Chi into some part of your life,” Dr. Wayne said in his book, "The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi.

The good news is, you can find online instructions for getting started with Tai Chi if you want to give the practice a try. You can sign up for an online class on the Tai Chi Foundation website or explore their free videos. YouTube also offers a number of free videos, some of which incorporate "chair" Tai Chi if you need to exercise in a seated position.

You may also be able to find a class in your area that's geared towards seniors, and Silver Sneakers may cover the costs if you have a qualifying Medicare Advantage plan. In fact, Silver Sneakers offers online Tai Chi classes that you can take from the comfort of your own home.

Be sure to consult your doctor before starting any new type of exercise, including Tai Chi.

While you likely won't be the next Michelle Yeoh, who at 59 performed her own martial arts fight scenes in Everything Everywhere All at Once, you can certainly take a tip from her and practice Tai Chi daily. You may just find that your physical and mental health improve, and that you feel more powerful as you age.

Christy Bieber is an experienced personal finance and legal writer who has been writing since 2008. She has been published by Forbes, CNN, WSJ Buyside, Motley Fool, and many other online sites. She has a JD from UCLA and a degree in English, Media, and Communications from the University of Rochester.