There has been a lot of talk in the United States recently about the cost of health care and how this might be reduced. One problem of course is the massive amount of money going into the medical community but another big problem is the total lack of preventative medicine. Medical problems are a lot less expensive to treat if you catch them in their early stages or, better yet, prevent them altogether. One huge problem, and one that lead to many other health related problems, is the cost of falls. Falls are one of the most preventable types of accidents but they are also responsible for more than 25,000 fall related deaths each year, in the US alone and many of these are completely preventable.
When most people think of falls they usually think of the work place but the fact is that more than half of the falls that happen actually happen either inside the home or in public place. The Western medical has recently begun to recognize the value of movement arts like Tai Chi in the prevention of falls. The established reason that Tai Chi is so effective in preventing falls is the way that Tai Chi improves balance. In one study of older patients, a 15 week randomized trial, demonstrated that Tai Chi practitioners has a 47 percent reduced risk of multiple falls. This is extremely important when you consider that most fatal falls among the elderly is not the first fall, but subsequent falls that are caused by too much fear of falling.
Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance with Dr. Fuzhong Li
The American Geriatrics Society, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and British Geriatrics Society have suggested that Tai Chi is a very promising type of exercise. Dr. Fuzhong Li, in his YouTube series "Moving for Better Balance" however is already using Tai Chi to improve these statistics and students, who practice regularly, are already reporting benefits of doing these sets. There are numerous other studies, and programs, that are showing the tremendous benefits of Eastern exercise programs.
It would be difficult to find anyone who is not concerned with improving their health. Many people, especially in the west, spend enormous amounts of money on gyms and fitness centers, lifting weights and doing cardiovascular exercises. But while these programs are beneficial the problem is that they only deal with surface issues. Studying styles like Tai Chi, Qigong and others delve much deeper into our essential selves, down to your core, and help us reconnect with our core energies, which gives our other exercises a much better foundation to build on.
