Tai chi might help prevent falls

As a runner, and as a generally clumsy person, I've fallen before. It's no fun, and it seems that the older you get the more serious a fall can be.

So was interested in finding this article (which you should read entirely by clicking on the link) about how tai chi might help stroke survivors avoid falls:

"Learning how to find and maintain your balance after a stroke is a challenge," lead author Ruth Taylor-Piliae, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing, in Tucson, said in an American Stroke Association news release.

Taylor-Piliae's team tracked 89 people, who had an average age of 70 and had suffered a stroke an average of three years before the start of the study. Twenty-eight of the patients received usual care, 31 were assigned to a national fitness program for Medicare-eligible seniors called SilverSneakers and 30 practiced Tai Chi.

Tai Chi, an exercise routine that dates back to ancient China, includes physical movement, mental concentration and relaxed breathing.

(Photo from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Tai Chi: Not exactly my thing, but...

...For those who might have an interest in using it as a tool in stroke rehabilitation:

A recent study led by researchers at the University of Illinois shows that Tai Chi, a Chinese form of martial arts that consists of a series of coordinated movements of the head, trunk and limbs, and which does not need any equipment, is an effective form of stroke rehabilitation.

I'm more of a distance runner guy, but hey - this could be extremely helpful for some.