There has been a lot of coverage in the news recently about the detrimental effects of the modern sedentary lifestyle. We are now told that in addition to exercising for the recommended 150 minutes per week (or 30 minutes 5 days a week) we need to keep physically active throughout the day and break up long periods of sitting with shorter bouts of activity (NHS Choices ‘Why sitting too much is bad for your health’).

If you are looking for another way to be more active in your leisure time why not take up Tai Chi? The Tai Chi form is performed in standing and is a slow, gentle, enjoyable exercise that works both the mind and body. Cheng Man Ch’ing (1898 – 1975) who is famous for bringing Tai Chi to the West, created the Yang style Short Form which takes about 20 minutes to perform and is ideal for those who have busy lives.

Lessons are a great way to learn and friendly, informal classes with expert tuition are available in West Cumbria. Alternatively, for those unable to attend a class, an excellent online tuition course by Luke Shepherd, called iCHI can be found at: www.openpalm.co.uk/ichi.