Exercise Are Good for Brain Health?” in May, 2018: “. . . in recent years cognitive improvements have also been demonstrated with other forms of exercise, such as low-intensity mind-body exer- cises (think . . . yoga and tai chi) . . . I see this as an encouraging finding . . . some sedentary people may need to start with a more gentle routine . . .” Thus Tai Chi is well-suited for those concerned with memory
loss issues who are seeking low impact exercise. Many Tai Chi forms, and in particular Tai Chi for Memory (TCM), are fairly simple and enjoyable to learn regardless of the practitioner’s mental or physical state. A number of Tai Chi forms, TCM among them, have been developed intentionally to allow gentle exertion of muscles and joints, allowing those with disabilities and physi- cal challenges to practice successfully. TCM is also unique in being designed for learning and practice in a standing, seated or prone position. Those who developed TCM began their work following an important realization about acquiring new automatic physical routines. As they wrote in the March, 2019, newsletter of Tai Chi for Health, Master Instructor Linda Arksey, a former Olympic ice skater and coach, was teaching the Tai Chi 4 Kidz program that uses short “blocks” of Tai Chi movements. “She saw potential in this simple short ‘block’ approach for older people and started using it for their classes. She realized that short, simple blocks of learning were especially helpful for people with memory loss, and used the method with great success. We worked together on this program . . . for five years.” Along with Arksy, those in the Tai Chi for Health Organization
who created and refined TCM actually had three groups of prac- titioners in mind. First, TCM is intended for all of us who are
concerned with our own cognitive abilities—and this includes anyone at any point on the memory spectrum. The second group is family members and friends of those facing memory issues; not only does TCM enhance the ability to communicate verbally, but practicing the form with those we love is itself a wonderful form of communication. Third are the care providers—physical thera- pists, nurses, activity directors and so forth—who work with memory patients on a regular basis; TCM gives them a marvelous way to share physical and cognitive exercise as well as real com- munication. As the Tai Chi masters who developed TCM were to discover
themselves, not the least of this form’s benefits are the connections it opens among those who practice it. Dr. Paul Lam, the founder of Tai Chi for Health, writes of sharing his beautiful, graceful forms with his mother in the weeks before her death from Alzheimer’s: “That memory of practicing Tai Chi with my mother is always with me. I felt more connected with my mother than ever before as we carried out the movements together.” Ironically, Dr. Lam found that, at a moment when memory
loss was an overwhelming obstacle, he and his mother were making indelibly memories together thanks to Tai Chi.
Dr. Mike Simpson holds four teaching certifications from the Tai Chi for Health Institute, including Tai Chi for Memory and Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention. He currently teaches at several Winston-Salem locations including the Shepherd’s Center. For information about TCM or TCA, contact Dr. Simpson via email (
healinmotion@mail.com) or by telephone (336 918-0108). You may also contact him for links to information discussed in the article above. See ad on page 22
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