As you start the new year (and recover from holiday celebrations), it may be a good idea to tai one on. By doing tai chi, that is.
That’s because according to recent research, if you're still mentally sharp tai chi can improve your ability to multitask, manage your time, and make decisions. And if you have mild cognitive impairment, tai chi can slow your cognitive decline more than other types of exercise.
In one study, researchers had people with some degree of cognitive impairment do either tai chi or a stretching and toning program three times a week. After a year, only 2% of the tai chi group progressed to dementia, while 11% of the other group did.
And in an enhanced tai chi experiment, people ages 65 and older with mild cognition problems either did stretching, traditional tai chi, or enhanced tai chi, in which instructors had them conduct tasks such as spelling words forward and backward while performing the exercises.
The enhanced tai chi group doubled the improvement of their cognitive test scores compared to the regular tai chi group (which did better than the stretching-only group).
How does tai chi (even if it’s not enhanced) do this?
By improving blood flow and helping the brain find alternate routes for shuttling information around. It also helps you build a posse, which further enhances cognition.
For more information, check out the Tai Chi Foundation (taichifoundation.org). And for tips on brain health, learn 40 ways to enhance your brain in Dr. Mike's "The Great Age Reboot."