Which is better, yoga or tai chi?

In fact, there is no standard answer at all. It all depends on your current physical condition, exercise requirements and even life rhythm. I have been practicing both for almost five years. I have friends who choose either one. The pitfalls I have encountered and the benefits I have gained are all clearly listed.

For most office workers who sit for a long time, if your core desire is to improve shoulder and neck stiffness and shape your lines, there is a high probability that yoga will be the first option for you. The planning girl of my former company stayed up late every day to catch up on plans. Her trapezius muscles were swollen as if they were stuffed with two small steamed buns, and it hurt even when she turned her head. She practiced yoga at a gym near her home for three months. Not only did her shoulder line become more than half flat, but the pain she suffered every month was relieved a lot. Moreover, yoga studios are now densely spread, and there may be one downstairs in the community. You can squeeze in a 45-minute class on the way after get off work, and you don’t have to spend a long time. It is really friendly to young people who are short of time. Of course, this does not mean that yoga is all good. There have been a lot of people on the Internet claiming that yoga hurts the waist and knees. It is really not a problem with exercise. Most of them are found by unprofessional teachers, or they are forced to do the poses by following Ye Luzi’s videos. I have seen a girl before who strained her ligament by pressing her cross for a friend circle, and it took her for half a year before she dared to run and jump normally.

However, if you are the type of person who has old joint damage, is prone to emotional tension, and cannot fall asleep while lying on the bed for two hours, then Tai Chi is actually much more suitable. Uncle Zhang, who lives downstairs in my house, had a stroke before and half of his body was weak. The doctor said he was afraid to let him do strenuous exercise. After practicing with a professional Tai Chi teacher in the park for a year, he now walks steadily and can carry rice up to the fifth floor by himself. He even reduced the amount of antihypertensive medication by half as prescribed by the doctor. Tai Chi emphasizes seeking tranquility while moving. Once you practice it, all the to-do and troublesome things in your mind will be cleared away. Many friends who have been troubled by insomnia for many years can fall asleep after practicing it when they go home and touch a pillow. This kind of mental relaxation is difficult to provide in fast-paced power yoga. But the threshold of Tai Chi is indeed set here. On the one hand, many young people feel that it is a slow exercise like an old person's exercise, and they are not interested. On the other hand, it is difficult to find a serious teacher who can teach the correct movements. Many adults and aunts in the park have modified their own movements. The knees are buckled in and the center of gravity is wrong. After practicing for a long time, it will hurt the joints. It takes a lot of time to learn the skills correctly. If you don't have a little patience, you really can't persist.

I currently spend 40 minutes after get off work on weekdays practicing Yin Yoga to loosen muscles that are stiff during the day. On weekend mornings, I go to the park to practice Tai Chi with a teacher for an hour to regulate my breathing. There is no conflict between the two. To put it bluntly, these two are just like drinking iced drinks when you are thirsty in the summer to make you feel comfortable, or drinking hot soup to warm your heart when you are cold in the winter. There is no way to say that one is superior to the other. If you really want to decide which one to choose, it is better to experience one or two classes each. The intuitive feelings of the body are much more reliable than the endless debates on the Internet.