Tai chi was originally developed in ancient China as an art of self defense. It was not long after the development of tai chi that the many health benefits of repeatedly performing the slow, gentle movements in conjunction with deep and focused breathing became clear. Today, tai chi is practiced in various forms by people all over the world for the purpose of improving their overall well being. Among the myriad of physical benefits of practicing tai chi are increased muscle strength in both upper and lower body, improved flexibility in limbs and joints, enhanced balance, and gradual aerobic conditioning....

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We all have our own excuses for not exercising. Some common ones are: I'm not in good enough shape to start exercising; I cannot do enough to make a difference; and, I don't have time for a fitness routine. The first two examples are fallacies, which can be overcome by simply starting to exercise. While it may be difficult to sustain higher levels of activity if you are overweight and/or out of shape, not moving is just not the answer. Any level of activity trumps idleness any day. Start small by walking around the house, or parking a few...

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This past semester has been quite a busy one for me. Student Government, Black Student Association, not to mention my job as Men’s Lacrosse manager and then everyday classes and homework take up a lot of my time. The key to a busy schedule for me is a planner. I write everything down, up to and including classes, when I’m going to sleep and when I’m going to eat. The one thing I’ve been struggling to fit into my schedule is when I am going to work out. I am going to be honest and say that I haven’t...

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Last week we published an article about how exercise can indeed become addictive. As written in that previous article, it is important to make sure that exercise does not become the focal part of your life and that you are able to balance everything in your life without putting exercise first and foremost. What are the symptoms of being addicted to exercise? Well, to start, those who are addicted compulsively exercise. They like to make any opportunity that they can as one to exercise and go through feelings of heightening anxiety and anticipation. Eventually, the exercise addict will replace the need to...

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When you think of the term addict, what do you picture?  Perhaps it is someone who is addicted to drugs, or maybe it is someone who is a chain smoker.  Regardless, you probably think of someone with an unhealthy habit, not something good for you, such as exercise.  However, some people are exercise addicts, and this addiction (like others) is unhealthy. I am a person who works out regularly.  In fact, my family enjoys teasing my playfully about it.  So, when I did some reading and realized that for some people the desire to exercise becomes unhealthy, I decided to analyze...

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