by Mark Thrower the Fa Hu

Created on: January 24, 2007   Last Updated: May 18, 2007

This is a common misconception. As a Mind/Body personal trainer I have found that we all have our ideal workout that may or may not include working harder. In fact if I had to choose an exercise, the one that continually stands out in all areas of health is Tai Chi Chuan and working harder is not one of the pillars of Tai Chi Chuan and yet studies done at Harvard medical as well as studies sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation, American Diabetes Assoc., AARP and many more have shown that a half-hour of Tai Chi is the equivalent of an hour of conventional aerobic exercise without the harmful effects of high impact. Combine this with the fact that done properly Tai Chi Chuan is a form of meditation which has been shown to reduce stress levels significantly throughout the day and help to fortify the immune system as well as many other benefits. The truth is though the best exercise in the world for you is, the one you will continue to do, whether that is conventional western exercise, pilates, yoga, tai chi, dance, walking or whatever you choose.

What I have found to be helpful is to find a program that provides the essential elements for wellness that takes in account your personal temperament. This program, from my point of view, should include exercise, nutrition and relaxation, with this combination you will have the most success and without all three of these elements you will be off balance and therefore not as successful as you could.

There is a good book by David-Dorian Ross called Power, Freedom and Flow, you can find it at www.lulu.com, that will help you to find a combination of these elements that will lead to holistic wellness suited to your temperament, that you will be able to stay with for the long haul instead of starting out strong and then loosing interest and stop doing it and usually end up worse off than when we began.

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