Earlier this year I became trained as an instructor of the Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention program. During my training, one thing we learned was seated tai chi; how to do it, and when it could be appropriate to use. During this portion of the training, I was surprised to hear my instructor share that traveling by car, train, or airplane could be a good time to practice seated tai chi. This tidbit of information piqued my interest because, at the time, I was less than a month away from a vacation involving air travel. While I much appreciate the ability to board a plane and travel across the country in a matter of hours, one thing I don’t look forward to when flying is the prolonged periods of sitting involved. During this trip, I decided to give seated tai chi a try in hopes of reducing sedentary time and engaging my mind and body while traveling.
Seated tai chi is useful in situations where you don’t have the space or ability to perform the full tai chi movements. In addition to during travel, seated tai chi could be performed while sitting at a desk or in a waiting room, or when you need to sit rather than stand due to pain or fatigue. The trick to practicing seated tai chi effectively is visualization. Dr. Paul Lam, the founder of the Tai Chi for Health Institute, tells instructors “Always suggest participants follow movements as accurately as possible – within their comfort zone. If they cannot do something comfortably, they should just do what they can while visualizing the full range of motion… studies have shown this type of visualization can often improve range of motion.”
Active imagery, a practice rooted in psychology that involves mental rehearsal of a task or movement, can also enhance one’s seated tai chi practice. Active imagery is often used by athletes as they practice and prepare for their competitions, as it has been shown to improve physical performance. Harvard neuroscientist Steven Kosslyn has authored many books and articles on active imagery, including The Case for Mental Imagery. In his work, he has demonstrated that when people imagine things, the parts of their brains involved with the senses they are using in their imagining become more active. When people imagine moving, for example, the areas of the brain which instruct the body to move become more active. Because of this, many of the demonstrated benefits of traditional tai chi can also be achieved through seated tai chi.
So, next time you are a passenger on a long road trip, a plane, or a train, consider practicing seated tai chi during your journey. The movement just might help to reduce any inflammation, stiffness or pain that could otherwise accompany long periods of sitting!
Written by Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Franklin County
Reviewed by Holly Bandy, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Stark County
Sources:
Dr. Paul Lam Tai Chi for Health Institute (2018). Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention. https://taichiforhealthinstitute.org/programs/tai-chi-for-fall-prevention/
Dunfee, L. (2022). What I Wish Everyone Knew About Tai Chi. OSU Extension Live Healthy, Live Well. https://livehealthyosu.com/2022/06/23/what-i-wish-everyone-knew-about-tai-chi/