Which one is more effective, yoga or tai chi?

As a sports enthusiast who has been exposed to Tai Chi for 10 years and has also practiced yoga systematically for 4 years, I can say straightforwardly that one of the two is not more effective than the other. Whether it is suitable or useful depends entirely on your exercise needs and physical condition. To put it bluntly, it is like asking whether it is better to drink iced American or hot cocoa. If you want to stay up late, choose iced American, or if it is cold and warm, choose hot cocoa. There is no difference at all.

I once coached an Internet operator who was born after 1995. The curvature of his shoulders and neck became straightened after working at a desk for many years. When I started to pull him to do Tai Chi, he always felt anxious and slow. He was itchy all over after standing still for 5 minutes and couldn't sit still. He turned around and did yoga in the upright position. She took extra classes 3 times a week and practiced for more than 3 months before going to take pictures. The curvature of her cervical spine had returned a lot. She complained to herself that because of her fiery temperament, she might have given up on practicing Tai Chi long ago without achieving any results.

But in my own situation, it's just the opposite. A few years ago, I fell skiing and suffered from synovitis in my knees. When I practiced yoga and did Warrior 2 and Downward Dog poses, I couldn't help but subconsciously lock my knees and exert force. The teacher watched me many times but couldn't change it. Every time I finished the exercises, my knees were swollen for a long time. Instead, when I went back to pick up Tai Chi, The whole set of movements requires the waist to be relaxed and the hips to be lowered, the knees to be lower than the toes, and even the stance requires the center of gravity to be placed on the soles of the feet. A set of 24 postures puts no burden on the knees at all. After practicing for more than half a year, the number of synovitis episodes has dropped from two or three times a month to not hurting once every half a year.

Nowadays, there are often arguments in the circle, saying that yoga has quick effects on improving muscle strength and flexibility, and is more suitable for young people to adjust their posture and lose fat. There are also sports medicine research data saying that Tai Chi has a milder improvement in the balance ability and cardiopulmonary function of middle-aged and elderly people. If practiced for a long time, the risk of falling can be reduced by more than 30%. These claims In fact, there is nothing wrong with it. The underlying logic of the two movements is different. Yoga is more focused on opening up the body's mobility through postures and specifically exercising local muscles and joints. Tai Chi is more focused on driving force through breathing, adjusting your entire body's force-generating habits, and fundamentally changing your usual bad habits of hunched over and knee compensation.

If you are really stuck on which one to choose, it is better to try two or three classes with both of you. After the training, you will not feel tired, but will stretch your whole body, and the one you are willing to continue next time will be the best for you. It is useless to always stare at others and say which one is better. After all, when it comes to exercise, the one who can persist is the most effective.