Tai Chi in Federal Government's Guidelines for Physical Activities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which updated the previous guidance the department had published back in 2008. The new guidelines provide evidence-based guidance to help Americans maintain or improve their health through physical activity.
The Guidelines make these recommendations about Tai Chi:
"Tai chi is typically classified as a light-intensity physical activity but may be considered relatively moderate intensity for some adults. It includes balance activities, and some forms may be considered muscle strengthening."
"Recreational activities such as dancing, yoga, tai chi, gardening, or sports can also be considered multicomponent because they often incorporate multiple types of physical activity. It is appropriate and recommended that all older adults do multicomponent physical activities."
"Health care professionals typically counsel people with osteoarthritis to do activities that are low impact, not painful, and have low risk of joint injury. Swimming, walking, tai chi, and many muscle strengthening exercises are good examples of this type of activity."