La forge, Ralph

American College of Sports Medicine
Volume 9, Issue 5, pp. 7-14 (2005)

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The focus of La Forge's article is to analyze the common components of mindful exercises in yoga, tai chi, and qui gong. Since the early 1990s, there has been an increased interest in these mindful exercises, which has led to its rapid growth in popularity in fitness centers across the country. A mindful exercise is described in the article as one that focuses on breathing and proprioreception (sensory information telling one about his own movement). La Forge also makes the distinction between typical physical exercise and mindful exercise such as the systems of yoga, tai chi, and qui gong. These systems utilize low to moderate level muscular activity in order to maximize the effects on the mind. Typical exercise, on the other hand, has a relative disconnect between the mind and body. The mind may wander between past, present, and future during typical exercise, while mindful exercise involves only the present. The article also discusses studies which have been done with tai chi showing increased functionality in seniors, reduction in falls, and improved balance. Scientific evidence also shows that hypertension, insulin resistance, anxiety, pain and depression all respond favorably to regular practice of tai chi and qui gong.

Annotated by: adarsh atur (April 2009)

Martial Arts: other martial art: tai chi, qui gong

Topics: medical issues | psychology |