Tai Chi is a workout for the brain and body

“Separating the mane from the wild horse.” “Wave hands like clouds.” “Embrace Tiger, return to the mountain.” These are not song titles or poems. Rather, they are the deceptively complex movements of tai chi.

With approximately 250 million practitioners around the world, tai chi is often cited as one of the world’s most popular physical activities. It originated in China in the 17th century as a martial art. Unlike karate or taekwondo, tai chi focuses on quiet strength rather than fighting, making it more accessible to older adults or the injured.

Shirley Chock, 48, started exercising in her 20s after tearing her ACL. She had previously trained in wushu kung fu, a more acrobatic martial art that caused the tear, but tai chi offered a low-impact way to rehabilitate. The former financial professional, who was born in New York and spent her childhood in Taiwan, also found tai chi helpful in dealing with stress and conflict. After about two years, she began teaching and eventually took over Aiping Tai Chi, the school in Connecticut where she had trained.

Since then, “the most common thing I hear is older students saying, ‘If only I had discovered this practice when I was younger,'” Ms. Chock said. Here’s what makes tai chi so useful and how to get started when you’re ready.

Why practice tai chi?

Tai chi combines mental focus and physical exertion to build strength, flexibility and mindfulness, said Peter Wayne, the director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and the author of “The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi.”

The poses are upright and less demanding than many in yoga, another mind-body practice. “Because tai chi has evolved in terms of physical function and interaction, I think it translates better to everyday activities, such as carrying groceries, pushing doors open, or catching things that fall,” said Dr. Wayne. Tai chi also differs from passive techniques like meditation because it combines deep breathing and movement, which experts say helps calm your nervous system.

Research suggests that tai chi may also improve balance and mobility, including in people with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. It also helps prevent falls in older adults. By strengthening the surrounding muscles, tai chi also reduces stress on the joints, said Dr. Amanda Sammut, chief of rheumatology at Harlem Hospital and assistant clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University.

For this reason it is recommended in guidelines for the management of knee and hip osteoarthritis from the American College of Rheumatology. Also studies to suggest two to three sessions per week can lead to improvements in depression, anxiety, and psychological well-being cognitive flexibility.

Depending on your fitness level, tai chi can be like that aerobically challenging as a brisk walk of the same duration. Practice has few risksbut it is still wise to consult your doctor if you have chronic health problems.

How do you start?

The name tai chi refers to both the physical practice and the underlying philosophy of yin and yang — that there is no good without bad, no dark without light, Ms. Chock said.

There are several styles – including Yang, Chen and Sun – named after prominent teachers or founders. “While there are differences, there are many more similarities,” said Dr. Wayne, and there’s no scientific proof that anyone is superior. For beginners, Ms. Chock recommends the Yang style; it is the most popular so you have many classes to choose from.

There is no standardized certification for instructors, so Dr. Wayne suggests searching for schools and classes online. If you’re interested in understanding the philosophy, look for those who have studied it in depth rather than classes that only emphasize fitness.

Visit at least two classes to make sure you are comfortable with the room, the teaching style, and your classmates. “Tai chi is experiential; you have to go try it and feel it,” Ms. Chock said.

Some schools are pricey — perhaps $25 and up per class — but others offer lower or sliding scale rates, and you may find free classes through park districts or community organizations. You can also learn onlineand some instructors who are also caregivers have virtual courses for people with arthritis and other health problems, said Dr. Sammut.

Beginner classes include basic exercises, slowly introducing concepts and principles before moving on to simple choreography so you don’t feel overwhelmed by complicated steps. It also helps to think of the names of tai chi movements (often referencing Chinese literature) as tools that aid visualization, Ms. Chock said. For example, if you do “The white crane spreads its wings,” you can “really imagine a crane spreading its wings.”

Despite the basics of martial arts, you probably won’t fight. Advanced students can spar against partners, but most classes teach moves for individuals. Here are four suitable for beginners.

Pour Qi

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Gently bend your knees, pick up your left foot and take a big step to the left. Center your body weight. Start rocking back and forth by lifting your heels, then your toes, then your heels again.

Each time you come forward on your toes, bring your arms up to chest level with your palms down and your wrists soft. While leaning back on your heels, bring your arms back to your sides, palms facing back.

Increase the power

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then pick up your left foot and take a big step to the left. Bend your knees into a slight mini-squat as you raise your arms in front of you, keeping your wrists and hands relaxed. Then press your hands back down as you gradually straighten your legs.

Wave hands like clouds

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then gently bend your knees as you pick up your left foot and take a big step to the left. Straighten your knees and as you do, raise your arms to chest height, palms facing down and hands and wrists loose and relaxed. Gently bend your knees back down into a mini-squat, arms in front of you. Rotate around your waist so that your stomach and chest are pointing to the right; as you do, shift your weight onto your right leg and brush your right hand up and across, in front of your face, palm facing inward. As soon as your hand crosses your midline, lower your arm back down.

Repeat in the other direction, twisting your torso to the left, shifting your weight onto your left leg and sweeping your left hand up and in front of your face, then down again.

Wash yourself with Qi from heaven

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then lift your left foot to take a big step to that side. Slowly lift your arms up to your sides and then overhead. Circle your hands, palms down, in front of your face and toward the floor. Visualize rejuvenating energy flowing through your body and anchoring you to the ground.

Cindy Kuzma is a Chicago-based journalist and co-author of Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Train Smart.