Which one is better, yoga or Tai Chi

Some people who have practiced Yang Style Tai Chi for 8 years and taken private yoga classes on and off for 3 years said with confidence that there is really no difference between the two. It all depends on which one suits your needs and physical condition.

A few middle-aged colleagues around me who have lumbar protrusions for three or four years and have old knee injuries followed me to try Tai Chi stance last time. They stood for 15 minutes every day. Within a week, the problems of heavy legs and waist stiffness were mostly relieved. They turned around and were dragged to a yoga group class by friends. They forced themselves to do downward dog pose and warrior three. They almost twisted their waists because they failed to master the core strength. Now everyone says that Tai Chi is much better than yoga. There are also a few young girls who work in new media. They usually like to adjust their posture and socialize. They go to the yoga studio three times a week. After one class, their shoulders and necks are stretched, and they can meet a lot of friends. They asked her to get up an hour early and go to the park to practice Tai Chi with the elders and aunts. She felt that the pace was too slow and felt panicked. Naturally, she felt that yoga was a more suitable exercise for young people.

If you really want to dig into the movement logic of the two, the difference is actually bigger than you think. Tai Chi is a branch of traditional Chinese Daoyin art. The core is "leading the air with the mind and controlling the shape with the air." All movements require relaxation, hip flexion and knee bending. Even if you stand still, you are quietly practicing the stability of the deep core and lower limbs. There have been many clinical studies to prove its effect on the balance ability of middle-aged and elderly people and the treatment of chronic diseases. The 72-year-old Aunt Zhang I took care of before practiced Tai Chi for a year. Last winter, she went downstairs and staggered twice in the air before standing firm. Before, she had to lie down for several months. Hatha and vinyasa yoga, which are popular on the market now, are derived from the ancient Indian practice system. They focus more on muscle stretching, joint mobility development, and more direct coordination of breathing and movements. I had to stay up for three days in a row, and my shoulders and neck hurt so much that I couldn't lift my arms. After the previous session of Yin Yoga, I opened my shoulders, and I was able to lift my arms and put on my coat normally on the same day. The results were very fast.

Now I rarely struggle with which practice is more "right". When I warm up, I use cat-cow pose and baby pose to relax my waist and open my shoulders. After practicing a set of 24 Tai Chi poses, I then do a few yoga leg stretches. It is much more comfortable than practicing alone. In the past, I always saw people quarreling about the quality of these two in the sports community, saying that yoga hurts the knees and Tai Chi is an exercise for the elderly. In fact, the problem is not the exercise. It is all caused by not finding the right version to suit you. If your knees are not good, avoid the deep squats of yoga and avoid the vigorous movements of Chen-style Tai Chi. Find the right teacher to adjust the movements, which is better than anything else.

If you really have to choose, don’t just listen to what others say. Try taking 3 classes each. Whichever class makes you feel comfortable after practicing and can still persist, which one is the best for you - after all, when it comes to exercise, being able to persist for a long time is more effective than any "top effect".