This month is American Heart Month. Although no substitute for a regular aerobic routine, Metarobic exercises such as Tai Chi have many benefits for cardiovascular health, particularly for high blood pressure. High blood pressure affects almost one third of all adults in America. According to the CDC, over 360,000 people die each year due to high blood pressure as a primary or contributing cause – almost 1,000 deaths each day. High blood pressure also costs the nation $46 billion each year. Yet it is almost entirely preventable. Tai Chi has been shown to be one of the most effective ways of doing so, in over two dozen studies (See Tai Chi Therapy: The Science of Metarobics for an overview).The key element in relation to Metarobic theory is related to restricted blood flow. Metarobic exercises such as Tai Chi relax muscle tension in the body, and has a direct effect on blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force or pressure of blood inside the arteries. If you did not have any blood pressure, the pumping of the heart would have little effect on moving blood throughout the body. It is like the anemic trickle of water that comes from a shower which has low water pressure. Higher water pressure means more water moving through the pipes. Too much water pressure and the pipes could burst. The same is true for blood vessels, as well as for the heart.
The dynamic state of relaxation generated from Tai Chi and similar Metarobic exercises may relax not just the large muscle groups, but also the arteries. Researchers at the University of North Texas noted a relationship between flexibility and arterial health. The stiffer and less flexible the participants were, the higher the readings they had in arterial stiffness. Stiff arterial walls require the heart to work harder, and can contribute to a greater risk for heart attack and stroke. Before I started Tai Chi, I could barely reach past my knees in the sit and reach test. After several years of Tai Chi, my flexibility increased to the point that I could bend over and place the palms of my hands flat on the floor. This was before I began any kind of stretching regimen (As I got older I realized the importance of stretching, particularly after exercising, so I now also stretch after vigorous exercise).
Studies documented in Tai Chi Therapy have demonstrated that even mental tension, in the form of various stressors, can result in constriction of blood vessels, raising blood pressure. Calcium-channel blockers are prescribed for people with high blood pressure, to chemically reduce muscle tension in the arteries, as well as to relax blood vessels, and create a greater capacity for blood flow. But like many medications, calcium channel blockers also carry a risk, sometimes fatal. So far, no study has shown negative side effects from Tai Chi, and a plethora of benefits (keeping in mind that this is for the more common forms of Tai Chi, focused on relaxation and normal abdominal breathing. In some esoteric practices, such as reverse breathing, there may be some drawbacks, including increased blood pressure). The benefits for high blood pressure from more common forms of Tai Chi have been very uniform, and worth discussing with your doctor. See the Metarobics Facebook Page for case story excerpts for American Heart Month.
The dynamic state of relaxation generated from Tai Chi and similar Metarobic exercises may relax not just the large muscle groups, but also the arteries. Researchers at the University of North Texas noted a relationship between flexibility and arterial health. The stiffer and less flexible the participants were, the higher the readings they had in arterial stiffness. Stiff arterial walls require the heart to work harder, and can contribute to a greater risk for heart attack and stroke. Before I started Tai Chi, I could barely reach past my knees in the sit and reach test. After several years of Tai Chi, my flexibility increased to the point that I could bend over and place the palms of my hands flat on the floor. This was before I began any kind of stretching regimen (As I got older I realized the importance of stretching, particularly after exercising, so I now also stretch after vigorous exercise).
Studies documented in Tai Chi Therapy have demonstrated that even mental tension, in the form of various stressors, can result in constriction of blood vessels, raising blood pressure. Calcium-channel blockers are prescribed for people with high blood pressure, to chemically reduce muscle tension in the arteries, as well as to relax blood vessels, and create a greater capacity for blood flow. But like many medications, calcium channel blockers also carry a risk, sometimes fatal. So far, no study has shown negative side effects from Tai Chi, and a plethora of benefits (keeping in mind that this is for the more common forms of Tai Chi, focused on relaxation and normal abdominal breathing. In some esoteric practices, such as reverse breathing, there may be some drawbacks, including increased blood pressure). The benefits for high blood pressure from more common forms of Tai Chi have been very uniform, and worth discussing with your doctor. See the Metarobics Facebook Page for case story excerpts for American Heart Month.
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