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The exercises in front of you may seem common and unimportant, however, without progressing in their practice, it is very difficult to practice the tai chi form properly. For the form to be performed correctly, the body weight must be on the Yong Chuan point of the "full" leg, which requires the body weight to be on the tendons and muscles. It is much more physically demanding in relation to practicing tai chi with the weight on the point near the heels and the body on the muscles and skeletal system.
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To perform these exercises, the feet are hip-width apart, with the heels approximately 10° apart laterally, so that although the knees are straight and tight, the weight of the body is directed to the Yong Chuan points of both feet.
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In this short video we have shown exercises with four repetitions for each side, i.e. eight, where the exercises are unilateral. You should perform the exercises with this number of repetitions, until you remember their order, then gradually increase the number of movements in one repetition, until you reach a level that you consider satisfactory, in relation to your age and physical condition.
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Except for squats, all exercises are in the easy to medium-strength category, but even so, after two or three months of practicing once a day, you will be pleasantly surprised at how your body has transformed in a positive way.
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The penultimate exercise is to contract the toe-heel muscles and strengthen the feet, which we already talked about in the channel 📖"About Feet Bodybuilding"
For Tai Chi practitioners : first these exercises are done in the order shown, then the left and right Tai Chi forms, then the same exercises, but in the opposite order, when you finish with them, there is a squat position for 30-60 seconds or more, until your breathing becomes slow and deep, that is Fetal Breathing in squat position, very important in the final part of these exercises.
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When you have finished with Fetal Breathing in a squatting position, walk for 1-2 minutes to relax your muscles. After 5 minutes, you can drink tea, water or fruit juice sip by sip, swishing each in your mouth and then swallowing. After 15 minutes, you can have dinner. This applies to both groups of athletes: tai chi practitioners and recreational athletes (if you wish, you can also perform Fetal Breathing in a squatting position at the end of the exercises).
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Squats are the most difficult exercise and should not be performed with the heels turned inwards, because then the weight of the body is transferred to the knee ligaments, which are heavily loaded. To avoid this, during the squat exercise, take a ski position, with your feet parallel, and then the weight of the body during the squat will fall on the muscles of the thighs and lower legs, while the knee ligaments are minimally overloaded.
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The ski stance during the first 2 or 3 weeks may feel a little uncomfortable due to the inactive muscles of the thighs, just above the knees, as well as those of the lower abdomen, but after a few weeks, you will notice that the ski stance is much more efficient and protects the knee ligaments from overload.
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Oliver
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25Nov24
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