There are several techniques one can use to manage stress, but I have found one which includes all the others, Tai Chi, a form of QiGong (Chi Kung), considered the Chinese form of yoga.
Some of these techniques are: Biofeedback, Deep Breathing, Massage, Meditation, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Thought-Stopping, Visualization and Yoga.
Tai Chi had its origin in China, especially in mountain temples such as Wudang and Shaolin, where monks used different forms of martial arts for well being and for self defense. Today, Tai Chi is practiced all over the world as an anaerobic exercise for body, mind and spirit and is practiced by all age groups.
Many would think that Tai Chi is only for young people, but it has been practiced for more than a thousand years by young and old alike with the same benefits. Recent studies in the U.S.A. favor Tai Chi as an alternative and also as a complementary exercise for seniors, either to keep good health and/or to attain overall well being.
Here are some examples:

• The Boston Globe published an article by Don Aucoin (Globe Staff / December 11, 2007) titled “A poet forged in heartbreak” referring to poet Michael Weaver and in one paragraph wrote “Along the way, he (Michael Weaver) also survived a major medical scare: He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 1995, and his condition was so severe that one doctor gave him only five years to live. But he recovered through a combination of medication, a reduction of stress (which he attributes to his practice of Tai Chi), and major weight loss after a complete transformation of his diet.
• NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Nov 15, 2007. Amy Norton, in an article titled “Most alternative therapies ineffective in elderly” wrote “While some alternative remedies show promise for older adults' sleep problems, depression and anxiety, the jury is still out on most, according to a new research review. In an analysis of 33 clinical trials, researchers found that two thirds of the studies showed benefits from various alternative remedies used to treat depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances. Particularly promising were certain "mind-body" approaches, such as Tai Chi and relaxation exercises, in the treatment of sleep problems.” She goes on and says “Overall, 10 of 12 studies on mind-body therapies -- including Tai Chi and relaxation exercises -- found benefits, particularly for insomnia.” SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, October 2007
• Tai Chi practitioners fall only half as much as those practicing other balance training, as reported by an Emory University study, and others.
• June 28, 2005 -- Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art, may improve senior citizens' strength and help them avoid falls, South Korean researchers find. “. . . The researchers tested Tai Chi in older adults. The slow, gentle, and continuous movements help them develop stronger muscles, better balance control, concentration, and psychological well-being”. They found benefits including:
• Stronger knees and ankles
• Better balance and flexibility
• Improved walking
• More confidence in the ability to avoid falls

Tai Chi students had fewer falls than others who didn't take the class. “. . . Their study appears in the Journal of Advanced Nursing”.

• The first two Tai Chi studies funded by the National Institute of Aging were published in 1996. Those studies found many of the same benefits as seen in the new South Korean study. Every year, about 30% of people aged 65 and older -- and living on their own -- fall. Falls are more common in long-term care facilities, where 40%-50% of residents fall in any given year. Some of the risk factors that lead to falls in seniors include imbalance, muscle weakness, and lack of flexibility -- all of which are modifiable, they write. The 12-week program was finished by 29 Tai Chi students and 30 people in the comparison group. The Tai Chi students had stronger knees and ankles than their peers. They also improved in flexibility and walking.

 

SOURCES: Choi, J. Journal of Nursing, July 2005 vol 51: pp 150-157. News release, National Institute on Aging. News release, Journal of Advanced Nursing.

• TAI CHI included in Mayo Clinic's "top 10 Complimentary Medical Treatments." Philadelphia's The Bulletin Newspaper Reports:
• “9. Tai Chi. This is a gentle exercise that is derived from Chinese martial arts. It involves a series of postures and movements performed slowly and gracefully. It is recommended to improve balance in older people to prevent their falling. A study conducted in The Netherlands found those who practiced Tai Chi had 50 percent fewer falls and fewer injury-causing falls than those who did not.”
• In 2003, the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine’s Oct. 9th issue reported a study finding that Tai Chi “could decrease blood pressure and results in favorable lipid profile changes and improve subjects' anxiety status. Therefore, Tai Chi could be used as an alternative modality in treating patients with mild hypertension, with a promising economic effect.”
• Dr. Herbert Benson, President of the Mind/Body Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and others are discovering a stunning reality through their research. Jeanie Lerche Davis wrote an article in the WebMD Medical News entitled The Mysterious 'Medication' of Meditation (http://my.webmd.com/content/article/25/1728_57992.htm), she explains how such researchers are discovering that “meditation can indeed be medication – creating long lasting physiological effects that reduce high blood pressure and even help unclog arteries to reverse heart disease.” Dr. Benson, who is also an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, sought to prove how this effect could be shown objectively, and had five long-time meditation practitioners take MRI brain scans while meditating. He informed WebMD in the aforementioned article by Davis, "There was a striking quietude across the entire brain which was documented through MRI . . . The areas of the brain that became active from that quietude were those that control metabolism, heart rate, etc., . . . We knew meditation caused a relaxation response, but we couldn't prove it. We knew that if you thought in a certain way, with repetition, physiologic changes would occur in the body. Here now is proof that mind, in the form of repetition, is affecting the brain, which affects the body . . . “According to Dr. Herbert Benson “…not only hypertension, but up to 90% of other illnesses sending us to the doctor are being caused by stress.” Dr. Benson explains that “the relaxation response triggered by repetitive actions (like Tai Chi, yoga, etc.) can result in decreased metabolism, heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and also slower brain waves.” He says that “it is the repetitive nature of acts like praying the rosary, yoga, or Tai Chi’s physical repetitive muscular actions that provides the profound hope for reducing anxiety, mild and moderate depression, anger and hostility, hypertension, cardiac irregularities, and all forms of pain, which are made worse by stress.”
• This concept of Tai Chi being an effective tool for reducing or even avoiding incidence of high blood pressure or other illnesses all together, is echoed elsewhere. www.Mayoclinic.com also recommends Tai Chi for relaxation training in an article entitled, “Relax: Techniques to help you achieve tranquility” which also explains why relaxation is important and what you might experience by using tools that will help you relax. They detail how you can improve body responses to stress, such as: Slowing your heart rate; Reducing blood pressure; Slowing your breathing rate; Reducing the need for oxygen; Increasing blood flow to the major muscles; Lessening muscle tension. They go on to explain that practicing relaxation techniques may help you experience: Fewer symptoms of illness, such as headaches, nausea, diarrhea and pain; Few emotional responses such as anger, crying, anxiety, apprehension and frustration; More energy; Improved concentration; Greater ability to handle problems; More efficiency in daily activities.
• The Archives of Internal Medicine report on NBC’s local WCAU Health: (http://wcautvhealth.ip2m.com/index.cfm?pt=itemDetail&Item_ID=112735&Site_Cat_ID=77) explained that a Tai Chi research program at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston revealed a great deal. The article authors wrote, "Overall, these studies reported that long-term Tai Chi practice had favorable effects on the promotion of balance control, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness and reduced the risk of falls in elders . . . Cardiovascular and respiratory function improvements were noted in healthy people and those who had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery as well as people with heart failure, hypertension, acute myocardial infarction, arthritis and multiple sclerosis . . . Benefit was also found for balance, strength, and flexibility in older subjects; falls in frail elderly subjects; and pain, stress and anxiety in healthy subjects.” They add “…the actual ways that Tai Chi provides these benefits are not well known.”
• Health Jockey; Archive for April, 2007: Tai Chi may help to reduce Headaches caused by Tension; Saturday, April 28th, 2007

A California study says Tai Chi may provide significant benefits to adults suffering tension headaches. The study, conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles, found that patients who participated in a 15-week Tai Chi program reported less headache pain, increased energy, emotional well-being, social functioning and improved mental health, the university said in a release. Researchers said Tai Chi’s “emphasis on relaxation, breathing and coordination may address stress, the underlying cause of the pain associated with tension headaches.” The research appears in the March issue of the journal Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, also known as eCAM.

• RETIREMENT LIVING: Youth movement: “If you want to stay alive, stay active”

By Darren Swan, Medill News Service; Last update: 2:33 p.m. EST Nov. 25, 2007
WASHINGTON (Medill News Service): “AARP and the American Council on Exercise have teamed up to supply older Americans with information about personal training services, since research suggests that older people work out more frequently when pushed by trainers.”

The article goes on to say “Because AARP's 39 million members are heading into a traditionally out-of-shape age demographic, it's possible that this partnership may lead to a healthier country. Life isn't over after retirement. To some it's just begun.”

“The American College of Sports Medicine and American Heart Association recommend the following exercise routines for seniors. Sticking to a balanced regimen complete with aerobic exercise, weight training and flexibility can help turn back the body clock 10 to 15 years.”

The article continues to describe the Rx for aerobic exercise, the Rx for weight training and the Rx for flexibility and balance. For this last one it says “At least 10 minutes a day should be devoted to stretching and balance exercises, like yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi. For flexibility, all major muscles and tendons should be stretched for 10 to 30 seconds, without bouncing back and forth, repeating three to four times for each stretch.”

Tai Chi is a mild form of exercise that uses slow, fluid body movements. It's not a jarring form of exercise. Tai Chi is proven to be a beneficial therapy that not only has no bad side effects, but dramatically improves immune function, respiratory function, lowers the incidence of anxiety and depression, and profoundly improves the balance of practitioners. This is very important, considering that hospitalization for falls costs about $270 million a year in Arizona, not including the cost of doctors, rehabilitation or long-term disability, and more troubling is that Arizona ranks sixth in the nation per capita for fatal falls among the elderly. Scottsdale has the nation's highest rate of senior deaths from falling. The Arizona Department of Health Services has set a goal of cutting the number of falls in the state in half for all ages by 2010. A prevention plan on the health agency's Web site is designed to help seniors stay strong.
I recently came across an article in the AARP News web site titled “Relax Your Stress Away” and decided to include some of their comments in this article.
AARP NEWS JAN 2008

Managing Stress: Relax Your Stress Away
“Meetings, schedules, deadlines, commitments. Stress! When does anyone have time to relax?
We all unwind in different ways. Some read a book, others go for a walk. When we can't get rid of the causes of our stress, changing how we react to them can lessen the stress we feel. There are also relaxation techniques that slow our heart rate and breathing. They clear our mind, and help us calm down. See if one or more of these suggestions works for you. Once you find one, practice it regularly when you feel your stress rising.”
The article continues listing a series of techniques:
“Meditation
Meditating lets you enter a state of peace and quiet reflection, calming your body and mind. There are many ways to meditate. You can do it while praying, doing yoga or Tai Chi, listening to music, or sitting cross-legged on the floor with incense and candles. Meditating removes you mentally from where you are while your mind and body rest. Research shows that people have immense success with meditation to relieve stress, according to Roger Jahnke, doctor of acupuncture and oriental medicine, and author of "The Healer Within." Jahnke says you can meditate two ways: by focusing your mind or by emptying your mind; the latter is harder and takes longer.
Deep Breathing
Practice deep breathing anywhere — while you're meditating, doing yoga, waiting to give a speech, or in your car stuck in traffic. Most forms of meditation include some type of breath practice, according to Jahnke. Breathing deeply and slowly helps you calm down and feel more relaxed. There are several ways to practice deep breathing, but the idea is to do it slowly and mindfully.”
The deep breathing techniques practiced during the slow and mindful Tai Chi movements produce the relaxation effect mentioned by Roger Jahnke.
“Tai Chi
With its precise, gentle, flowing movements, this ancient Chinese mind-body practice is perfect for relieving stress. Described by those who practice it as "meditation in motion," the focus of this martial art is on slow movement, breathing, and concentration aimed at moving your life energy, or Chi, throughout your body.
Jahnke goes on to say that meditation that combines movement, like QiGong (Tai Chi is a form of QiGong) and yoga, is the best form of relaxation and better than exercise alone, and that combining meditation with movement triggers and enhances a multitude of self-healing mechanisms."
AARP Sources
Meditation for Beginners: Techniques for Awareness, Mindfulness and Relaxation
Stephanie Clement, Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., October 2002
Learn to Relax: A Practical Guide to Easing Tension and Conquering Stress
Mike George, Chronicle Books LLC, June 1998
The Healer Within: Using Traditional Chinese Techniques To Release Your Body's Own Medicine *Movement *Massage *Meditation *Breathing
Roger Jahnke, Harper Collins Publishers, December 1998

We should ask ourselves what the best way/product for our health is. If Tai Chi is an alternative, the next question is, why isn’t every physician offering it as an option to their patients as a prescription? And why aren’t all insurance policies covering such prescriptions for Tai Chi?
In the end, we must all suffer the consequences of our life style. So why not include in it something that could benefit us so greatly, like Tai Chi? Well, I don’t think we should dwell on it so much and make our New Year’s resolution to bring contentment to our lives. Just try Tai Chi and you will love it! I did and there is just no going back.
Be well!