Fall tai chi classes in Candor begin after Labor Day. Tai chi, a series of slow and focused movements, is low impact. The exercise is ideal for people with arthritis, because it puts minimal stress on muscles and joints.
Tai chi also helps people improve balance. The Candor “Tai Chi for Arthritis” classes are offered as part of New York’s “Falling Prevention” initiative, a joint effort between the New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The goal is to reduce falls.
Every year, one in three adults aged 65 and older experiences a fall. Fall-related injuries result in more hospitalizations than any other causes – nearly five times more than for other injuries. And treatment for those injuries is costing our health care system more than $30 billion each year.
Tai chi is one of the most effective exercises to prevent falls. Many medical studies show that doing tai chi improves balance, strengthens leg muscles, and decreases the risk of falls. There are other benefits as well, including reduced arthritis pain and increased flexibility. A Harvard study showed that regular tai chi practice improves balance and motor control in Parkinson’s disease, and there is evidence that tai chi practice may help lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Tai chi classes begin Sept. 14 and will be held on Monday and Wednesday afternoons at the Candor Emergency Squad building located at 58 Main St. The Basic class is at 1 p.m. and Beyond the Basics (for continuing students) is at 2 p.m. Class fees are based on a sliding scale of $16, $32, or $48 for the eight-week program.
Each class lasts about an hour and includes warm-up and cool-down exercises as well as Tai Chi forms. Instruction is supplemented with take-home materials, and each student will receive a free nightlight from the New York State Dept. of Health falling prevention program.
The instructor is certified through the Tai Chi for Health Institute and has taught tai chi in the surrounding area for a number of years. For more information, or to register for a class, contact Sue at (607) 659-3022 or by email to sueheaven@gmail.com.
