February is American Heart Month, so I will be posting case stories on the Metarobics Facebook Page, related to heart disease. The following case story (which is also in the chapter on heart disease, in “Tai Chi Therapy”) is very unusual, and worth elaborating. I could not state that what happened with Maggie would happen to others who had an irregular heartbeat following surgery, but it shows the potential for Tai Chi to help the body to help itself. It also shows the importance of a well-rounded exercise program, which I will touch on more later.
I met Maggie at one of Dr. Paul Lam’s workshops. Maggie stated that she had been a long time Tai Chi practitioner, but did not do other exercises at the time. She went in for a stress test, and the doctors were surprised to find her arteries were over 90 percent blocked. Maggie was rushed in for a bypass, but following the operation, her heart would not resume a regular heartbeat. She was told that she would need a pacemaker. The doctors were about to send her back into the operating room.
But for some reason, Maggie felt that if she could just do Tai Chi, that her heart would be okay. She asked to be left alone for an hour, did Tai Chi, and when the doctors came back, her heart had stabilized. The doctors were surprised, and told her “whatever you are doing, keep doing it.” Maggie stated: “The moral of the story is that even with Tai Chi, good diet and cardio exercise are still necessary, but Tai Chi did keep me going until I got the bypass, and got my heart back to beating normally. So now I do both (cardio and Tai Chi).”
Aside from the remarkable effect on stabilizing her heartbeat, Maggie’s comment is pertinent to the need for a well-rounded exercise program, as well as a good diet. I have collected other case stories of Tai Chi practitioners rushed in for a bypass, who did not have any symptoms. They also attributed not feeling short of breath or chest pains due to the relaxed state of their body from Tai Chi practice. But sooner or later, clogged arteries will catch up with you. Tai Chi may make that later rather than sooner, but it is no substitute for total cardiovascular health.
The main take away point from these stories, is that Tai Chi can help your body function more efficiently, and maintain a level of health which is beneficial, for those with chronic conditions which make difficult more vigorous forms of exercise. But for those who are able to perform aerobic exercise, it is important to consider cardiovascular health as well. And of course, based on research on Tai Chi, Metarobic effects can also provide benefits for healthy individuals as well. Who would not benefit from a more efficiently functioning body? Earlier I noted that for overall health, it is important to do some form of aerobic exercise regularly. Research on Tai Chi indicates that it may be equally important for total health, to also do some form of Metarobic exercise on a regular basis as well. Time and further research will tell.
With the fast pace of modern society, if you are healthy and in good shape, Metarobic exercises may not fit your current exercise schedule. But as you grow older, Tai Chi and related exercises may be a good supplement to delay the onset of aging from several perspectives. Tai Chi is also excellent for balance. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), falls are the leading cause of accidental death and injury in adults over 65. For an overview of how Tai Chi can develop balance, see Chapter 7: Essential Elements of Metarobics and Tai Chi for Therapy - Teaching, Learning and Researching Tai Chi and Qi Gong for Health.
- Dr. Gryffin
I met Maggie at one of Dr. Paul Lam’s workshops. Maggie stated that she had been a long time Tai Chi practitioner, but did not do other exercises at the time. She went in for a stress test, and the doctors were surprised to find her arteries were over 90 percent blocked. Maggie was rushed in for a bypass, but following the operation, her heart would not resume a regular heartbeat. She was told that she would need a pacemaker. The doctors were about to send her back into the operating room.
But for some reason, Maggie felt that if she could just do Tai Chi, that her heart would be okay. She asked to be left alone for an hour, did Tai Chi, and when the doctors came back, her heart had stabilized. The doctors were surprised, and told her “whatever you are doing, keep doing it.” Maggie stated: “The moral of the story is that even with Tai Chi, good diet and cardio exercise are still necessary, but Tai Chi did keep me going until I got the bypass, and got my heart back to beating normally. So now I do both (cardio and Tai Chi).”
Aside from the remarkable effect on stabilizing her heartbeat, Maggie’s comment is pertinent to the need for a well-rounded exercise program, as well as a good diet. I have collected other case stories of Tai Chi practitioners rushed in for a bypass, who did not have any symptoms. They also attributed not feeling short of breath or chest pains due to the relaxed state of their body from Tai Chi practice. But sooner or later, clogged arteries will catch up with you. Tai Chi may make that later rather than sooner, but it is no substitute for total cardiovascular health.
The main take away point from these stories, is that Tai Chi can help your body function more efficiently, and maintain a level of health which is beneficial, for those with chronic conditions which make difficult more vigorous forms of exercise. But for those who are able to perform aerobic exercise, it is important to consider cardiovascular health as well. And of course, based on research on Tai Chi, Metarobic effects can also provide benefits for healthy individuals as well. Who would not benefit from a more efficiently functioning body? Earlier I noted that for overall health, it is important to do some form of aerobic exercise regularly. Research on Tai Chi indicates that it may be equally important for total health, to also do some form of Metarobic exercise on a regular basis as well. Time and further research will tell.
With the fast pace of modern society, if you are healthy and in good shape, Metarobic exercises may not fit your current exercise schedule. But as you grow older, Tai Chi and related exercises may be a good supplement to delay the onset of aging from several perspectives. Tai Chi is also excellent for balance. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), falls are the leading cause of accidental death and injury in adults over 65. For an overview of how Tai Chi can develop balance, see Chapter 7: Essential Elements of Metarobics and Tai Chi for Therapy - Teaching, Learning and Researching Tai Chi and Qi Gong for Health.
- Dr. Gryffin
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