Kaizen Health

Health Buzz: Tai Chi Helpful to Heart Patients (Article Reprint)

By ANGELA HAUPT

April 26, 2011

Study: Tai Chi Improves Mood and Quality of Life for Heart Failure Patients

The ancient Chinese exercise tai chi—which blends moderate-intensity aerobics with strength training, breathing techniques, and stress management—could boost heart patients' quality of life. Researchers split 100 patients with heart failure into two groups: Half participated in a 12-week tai chi program, while the others spent 12 weeks in an educational program learning about heart-related issues, like low-sodium diets and heart-rhythm problems. At the end of the study, the tai chi group reported improvements in mood, less depression, less fatigue, and more energy than the others—and those in the first group were more likely to continue with some type of physical activity, according to findings published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine. "Maintaining an exercise regimen is important in heart failure," study author Gloria Yeh of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center told HealthDay. "Tai chi may be a suitable alternative or adjunct exercise for these patients."

The gentle, 2,000-year-old Chinese practice of tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion." But the Harvard Women's Health Watch newsletter suggests a more apt description is "medication in motion."

Tai chi, the most famous branch of Qigong, or exercises that harness the qi (life energy, pronounced "chee"), has been linked to health benefits for virtually everyone from children to seniors. Researchers aren't sure exactly how, but studies show that tai chi improves the quality of life for breast cancer patients and Parkinson's sufferers. Its combination of martial arts movements and deep breathing can be adapted even for people in wheelchairs. And it has shown promise in treating sleep problems and high blood pressure.

Tai chi is credited with so many pluses, physiological and psychological, that Chenchen Wang, an associate professor of medicine at Tufts University, set out in 2009 to analyze 40 studies on it in English and Chinese journals. Wang found that tai chi did indeed promote balance, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, and strength. In a study comparing it with brisk walking and resistance training, a tai chi group improved more than 30 percent in lower-body strength and 25 percent in arm strength, nearly as much as a weight-training group and more than the walkers.

Tai Chi and Lean Sigma?

The Decision to Affect Change

Share What You Know

Good Friday

I've done some soul searching and found that the best way to relieve myself of anxiety is to turn my computer off and read a book. I can't tell you why it makes sense for me but it does.

Double Leg Take Down

Way of Japan Black Belts 2012

By Sensei Domi

There’s a story behind this picture.

Years ago in high school, I walked my girlfriend to class. It was a normal day except for something that enfolded right before my eyes. I saw this bully approach a smaller boy, smaller in stature, quiet and unassuming; his victim. The bigger boy backed by five other tough guys asked the little boy for a quarter. The smaller boy attempted to comply by first opening up his locker and placing his books in it. The bigger boy kept on hounding him to hurry up, classes were about to start. Several teachers witnessed this event but did nothing. It was well documented that these thugs had a reputation of violence and some had criminal records. So when the little man began pulling money from his pocket the bully slams a fist on the boy’s jaw knocking him down. The frenzy began; his partners hoot and hollered, screaming and laughing, encouraging him on to finish the job which the bully gladly obliged by throwing punch after punch.

42 Form Video Back View

If you cannot open video, click link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njho6p_9e2A

Book Reviews: The Essential Karate Book and Karate: The Art of the "Empty Hand" Fighting

Courtesy of npr.org

This is the time of year when we celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Unfortunately, happy times comes with the burden of additional tasks and responsibilities like carrying heavy rocks on our backs with every step we take.

To “reflect” is “to think, ponder, or meditate a fixing on thoughts with careful consideration.” So far we’ve learned certain concepts, examined both relevant and irrelevant anecdotal examples. With reflection, we ask: “why” for the sake of asking “WHY?” Children ask all the time: Why?” It is perhaps the most fundamental and essential of question of all. Like life itself “WHY?” has to do with its essence: “WHY?” is deep, philosophical, profound, simple, all a bit out of the ordinary. If one question leads to another, the second one will take us to a journey, an experience. There is this thing called “Life” that is both an experience and a journey. What else do we need to know about “journey” and “experience?” It’s days, one after the other that represents a journey, each and every one adding a life’s experience. There are good days and bad, and some barely all that a person can do is just to be able to deal. Despite the aches, pains, trials and tribulations, we manage to persevere, get through the day albeit frustrated, exhausted or drained. As we live and breathe, our lives have purpose and meaning, gauged by accomplishments or lack thereof. They follow a course, path or life road map, planned or unplanned. For those journeying down the path of deliberateness, life is methodical, with direction and predestination, and along the haphazard or prescribed course we call life, and there are tasks that we take charge.

The tasks are ours and ours alone, like the fingerprints or identifiers that make each one of us different. Each day, we perform certain of these tasks or duties that are routine and manageable according to our personal settings and profiles. These particular tasks we take in stride because we expect and await and are prepared for their arrivals. The others, the ones we disdain, we wish are someone else’s headache and more than not, they don’t go away, despite what we hope and wish for. This notwithstanding, whatever the task, we must remain at the ready, always poised for battle. Battles, big or small, are won or lost, assumed the personas of inner struggles where, for example, some “experience” idleness, isolation, loneliness, the likes of which involve empty stares, focuses, ambitions, temporary setbacks or perpetuity. Under duress, faced with harsh and trying, if not extreme circumstances, the battle lines are unequivocally drawn. The process to choose to fight or surrender with respect to all tasks is absolute and comes from within. We are breathing, thinking beings, and we possess this ability. We are warriors one and all, ultimately emboldened to face tasks with confidence and accomplishment. If our minds are cluttered or narrow; not being of open or of “empty” mind, then we may be setting ourselves up for failure. Regardless, each of these tasks or events is depicted or “cartographic,” so to speak, on the map of life. And identifying or recognizing ourselves as warriors or not, we are alive with abilities to make things happen. Do we accept the challenge of “task-facing” or more correctly, “task-taking” with responsibility?

I believe most do. And I believe that those who do, do so fulfilled, multi-dimensional in scope, breadth and depth. Our ferocity, our tenacity forge life ahead forever transforming a world, our world, always in transition, always evolving. With this constant evolution, we have adapted, always persevering. Those who persevere are survivors. Bottom line? It’s either sink or swim; no such thing as swim badly.

Baby Boomer Sensei Writes His First Book!!!

Hi all,

Self promoting myself. I wrote Torn Gi and a Number Two Lead Pencil, an autobiography about my journey through martial arts. I've had other people read it and they said it won't win any prizes, but a good read. Check it out and hope you enjoy it!!!

Torn Gi

Sensei Domi

Martial Arts for Seniors Part II: The Bucket List

Senior Kata 70 to 79 Year Old Division

Looks like some old time Baby Boomers still got it. So if he can, you can!!!

Hippies Can Still Make This World Be A Better Place for You and for Me!

I just read an article about more aging Americans are using canes and walkers, about 10 percent or more between 2004 and 2012 and I thought, wow, I'm an aging American. What does that mean?Though I’m in my 60’s, I’m doing okay in getting from point A to B. I may not have that spring in my step like I used to, playing full court basketball, and running for long bombs thrown by strong-armed quarterbacks. That’s how it is. I’ve already given into the fact that “I just don’t gots what I used to gots" moving slower and careful than before.

American Recall Center Website

As part of my effort in providing Baby Boomers with information of value, I copied and pasted this email from Dr. Mario Trucillo, the Managing Editor of the American Recall Center, a service that provides key health care information to people like you and me. Hope this helps! Sensei Domi

Hi,

I’m Dr. Mario Trucillo, the Managing Editor at the American Recall Center, we’re a brand new site devoted to providing health and wellness news in simple, straightforward terms. Our goal is to help our readers take complete charge of their health by being fully informed. I found your blog while looking for members of the baby boomer generation to contact about a recent piece we’ve put together.

I’m hoping you’d be willing to post this on your blog for your readers to see, as we want to spread awareness for the simple, but commonly overlooked steps you can take to help keep loved ones safe.

Because baby boomers are often the primary caretakers for their aging parents, it’s important to do everything possible to keep them safe. With falls being a leading cause of severe injury, we've put together an infographic with some easy tips to help keep the home safe for our parents and elderly loved ones.

At The American Recall Center, we aim to empower individuals with relevant medical information in plain language. Our information and resources span a variety of topics and have something that can benefit everyone. With guides on joint care, to dangerous medications, we keep our readers, and their health, in mind as we cover some of the most important health topics around.

Please let me know if this something you’d be willing to help with and I genuinely appreciate your time.

Thanks,

Dr. Mario Trucillo

Video Learn Tai Chi Yang Style Long Form

By now almost everyone has heard about Tai Chi, slow motion movements that looks like a dance practiced by healthy but old Asians at a city park. There are benefits, no doubt; thousands of years of evidence prove it.

No one should be denied the opportunities of learning it. Though going to a certified instructor is the preferred method, other ways are available. This video or series of videos I produced and published in this blog could be that opportunity.

Yang Style Long Form Tai Chi has about 88 sequential movements and when done correctly takes about 20 minutes. Because of its length, aside from making your body move in ways you're not used to moving, the biggest challenge is retaining or remembering. When I learned it many years ago, I mimicked my instructor’s movements for about three years till it finally set in. Through the wonders of technology and the Internet, I was able to produce this video showing the form in its entirety with step by step instructions.

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