TAI CHI EASY FOR LIFE

09/20/2026

Our Friends at Harvard Medical share more about BALANCE ...
We are reminding all that Tai Chi remains the #1 best defense against aging and loss of our mobility and safety. Safely navigating allows us to enjoy the world around us well into our advanced years...


Time to Move Mindfully

As we age, physical changes and health conditions often affect our balance, raising risk for serious injuries like hip fractures and head trauma.
Recognizing potential balance busters allows you to take steps to become steadier. “Everything we do to maintain our health, alertness, fitness, and mobility will slow the trajectory of our declining balance,” explains Dr. Steven Rauch, medical director of the Balance and Vestibular Center at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear.
What is balance?
First, let’s consider the basics. Steady balance relies on input from your eyes, inner ears, nerves, muscles, and joints—all processed by the brain. As you age, vision and hearing tend to diminish, nerve signals become less reliable, muscles lose strength and power, and reflexes slow.
Yet good balance is the foundation for nearly every movement you make. Even if you are strong and flexible, poor balance can make routine tasks difficult—or unsafe. Getting out of bed, using the toilet, tying your shoes, or picking up a grandchild or grocery bag all require stability. So do climbing stairs, stepping over curbs, and navigating around obstacles. Simply put, the better your balance, the easier and safer it is to stay active and independent. And by identifying possible risks, you can take steps to improve your balance. Here are the top three major balance busters:
1. Health-related balance risks
Several medical issues can affect balance:
• Vision problems like cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration can hinder your ability to relay your location to the brain.
• Inner ear conditions such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, infections, or Meniere’s disease can cause vertigo.
• Neuropathy, often from diabetes or spine issues, reduces sensation in legs and feet.
• Foot conditions, like fallen arches, can alter gait and stability.
• Orthostatic hypotension, a drop in blood pressure upon standing, can cause dizziness.
• Mild cognitive impairment can affect your reaction time and ability to sense where you are in space.
2. Medication-related balance risks
Certain drugs can make you woozy or unsteady, including:
• Anti-anxiety drugs
• Older antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• Blood pressure medications
• Opioids and sleep aids
3. Environmental balance risks
Falls can also result from your surroundings and footwear choices:
• Outdoor hazards: uneven paths, paths blocked by shrubbery or large tree roots, poor lighting, or snow, ice, or rain, especially if you’re not wearing footwear that grips the ground
• Indoor hazards: clutter, loose rugs, dim lighting, slippery floors, extension cords, pets, or even ill-fitting slippers or shoes that keep you from sensing the floor properly
Ways to boost balance and avoid falls
1. Remove home hazards and install safety features (grab bars, nonslip treads, handrails)
2. Talk to your doctor if you experience medication side effects and to find out whether physical therapy or a cane might help your balance
3. Wear supportive shoes with laces to keep them snug on your feet
4. Build better balance: engage in activities like walking, yoga, tai chi, or dance
5. Try this exercise: Stand on one leg with the other foot lifted a few inches. Hold, then switch legs. Repeat 10 times each side. If you’re unsteady, position yourself near a counter or wall before trying the exercise. Practicing regularly will help.
As Dr. Rauch urges: “Use your balance, because there’s no question that good balance is a use-it-or-lose-it proposition.”

09/19/2026

Good Morning Dear Friends.. While Natalie and I are on a journey to share important moments of our families lives, we take the time to read and reflect. I thought this brief cutout from a Harvard publication would be useful to some today ...

A prime example of antifragility is the Navy Seals. The Seals are able to manage high degrees of stress and still function admirably. Faced with life-threatening situations, they can rapidly change the focus of their attention and address the issue at hand efficiently and flexibly.

Brain scans show that Seals have altered activation in a prefrontal brain region called the insula, which is involved in managing stress signals. As a group, Navy Seals exhibit at least seven characteristics of resilient people:

Calm, innovative, nondogmatic thinking
The ability to act decisively
Tenacity
Interpersonal connectedness
Honesty
Self-control
Optimism and a positive perspective on life.
Whether adopting a "healthy-minded" mindset, cultivating antifragility, or thinking like a Navy Seal, building resilience is a powerful tool against stress. People tend to think of resilience as a trait that you either have or don't have, but it's actually a capacity that you can develop with the right approach.

09/10/2026

Alert .. many of us take many or all of these supplements daily..

New studies raise questions about the use of Vitamin D, omega-3 fish oil and glucosamine supplements in some people.

08/31/2026

Good Morning Friends, As we age, we all know some adjustments are wise for health and longevity. Adding Tai Chi just may be at the top of the list. Harvard thankfully is at the epicenter of evaluating the "many" benefits for our aging mind and body and how our practice supports our health now and in the future. Please give this article some thought, you may be glad you did.

Up until about two decades ago, it was believed that your brain only produced new cells early in life. But research has shown that the brain has the ability to change throughout your entire life span, growing new cells, making new connections, and even increasing in size. These changes can ...

08/12/2026

"Stay Soft"

08/12/2026

People may have very different beliefs while still experiencing genuine heart connections…

08/11/2026

Self-love isn’t ignoring your imperfections; it’s refusing to withhold love because of them…

07/08/2026

Fear of Falling ? You may have a good reason to be concerned but ... Our practice of Tai Chi (Ranked #1 in Meta Studies) is a time tested universally accepted way to prevent falls as we age.

Fear of Falling
The first time your doctor asks how many times you have fallen in the past year may come as a surprise. However, this question is part of standard preventive care required by Medicare.
Roughly 1 million patients are hospitalized each year with fall-related injuries. Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. Hip fractures carry a 20% to 25% mortality risk within the first year and may result in permanent loss of independence. Fractures of the pelvis, spine and femur can lead to death and long-term disability.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
• About 14 million adults ages 65 and older — roughly 1 in 4 — report falling at least once each year.
• Fewer than half of older adults who fall report it to their doctor.
• 37 percent of those who fall report an injury serious enough to require medical treatment or limit activity for at least one day.
• Falls among older adults account for about 3 million emergency department visits and approximately 1 million hospitalizations each year.
• More than 41,000 older adults died from unintentional falls in 2023. Data for 2024 and 2025 are still being compiled.
Fall risk factors
Common causes of and risk factors for falls in older adults include:
• Safety hazards in the home, such as throw rugs, or in the community, such as broken curbs or uneven sidewalks
• Reduced proprioception, or awareness of the body in space
• Poor vision
• Vertigo or inner ear problems
• Slower reflexes
• Medical conditions affecting balance, including diabetes, heart disease, or thyroid, nerve, foot or vascular disorders
• Incontinence or overactive bladder that causes rushing to the bathroom
• Mild cognitive impairment or certain types of dementia
• Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass
• Sudden drops in blood pressure when standing up (postural hypotension)
• Gait disorders associated with Parkinson’s disease, spinal stenosis or stroke
• Foot pain
• Unsafe footwear, such as flip-flops, backless shoes or high heels
• Medication side effects, including dizziness or confusion
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Arthritic knees or hips
• Stiff ankles
• A forward-flexed posture caused by spinal rounding, which shifts the center of gravity forward
Preventive Measures
Keep moving
The most important step in preserving balance and flexibility is staying physically active. Regular exercise builds muscle, maintains flexibility and slows bone loss related to osteopenia and osteoporosis. Daily walking helps preserve coordination and joint health. Balance can be improved by standing on one leg during routine activities such as cooking or brushing your teeth. Another good balance exercise is heel-to-toe walking, toe to ankle as though you were on a tightrope. Strong muscles support balance, so include strength training with weights or resistance bands. Yoga, Pilates and tai chi can improve balance, coordination and muscle strength. Talk with your doctor before starting an exercise program, especially if you have been sedentary

Come join us twice a week at the St Pete Beach Community Center and begin a fun program designed to enhance our safety and allow us many more "safe" years to navigate the planet.

06/27/2026

Good read for all of us aging to understand why a Tai Chi practice is so very valuable in our 60’s and beyond. Harvard explains the many changes taking place in our bodies as we age..

06/19/2026

Once Again our friends at Harvard are illuminating the Benefits of Tai Chi

A sharper mind: how tai chi may boost cognitive function

Until about two decades ago, scientists believed the brain produced new cells only early in life. Research now shows that the brain can change across the lifespan by growing new cells, forming new connections, and even increasing in size. These changes can strengthen cognitive function, and several forms of exercise—including tai chi—may help support them.
A meta-analysis of 20 studies found that tai chi may improve executive function—the ability to multitask, manage time, and make decisions—in people without cognitive decline. Among those with mild cognitive impairment, tai chi slowed progression to dementia more than other exercises and improved cognition about as well as other exercise programs or cognitive training.
In one study, nearly 400 adults with some cognitive impairment practiced either tai chi or a stretching and toning program three times a week. After one year, the tai chi group improved more, and only 2% progressed to dementia, compared with 11% in the traditional exercise group.
Another study found tai chi more effective than walking. After 40 weeks of tai chi, walking, social interaction, or no intervention, MRI scans showed the greatest increase in brain volume among participants in the tai chi group. They also scored higher on cognitive tests.