Learning Martial Arts in the Snow

February 4, 2025

Ski instructors Bernie and Marita Hart were teaching a nervous bunch of beginners. So 16 years ago, they started teaching their ski students martial arts...

These days, the husband-and-wife duo have taken their lessons to downtown Salt Lake City, in front of a public library or sometimes the Public Safety Building.

There, the two retirees teach three days a week to the homeless residents of the city.

Many of these students are regulars – some have been coming for months. And the popular classes have drawn in as many as 50 people.

But these folks aren't taking ski lessons...

The Harts are teaching them tai chi.

Tai chi is commonly referred to as "meditation in motion." It stresses the importance of balance and harmony in all things – physical and spiritual, yin and yang, two opposites working together to create something whole.

And speaking of balance, this ancient form of martial arts happens to be terrific for improving balance and posture. Since it's a form of meditation, tai chi also reduces stress and improves your mood. That's why the Harts started adding tai chi to their ski lessons... to instill more confidence in the beginners.

Randomized-controlled trials have shown that tai chi can even help improve depression and anxiety... which the Harts' current students struggle with every day, living on the streets.

The physical benefits like improved flexibility have helped, too... As one resident told the local news last November, "I love doing the tai chi itself, because we're sleeping on the ground outside, and in the cold, my muscles get tight and sore. My body aches. This helps loosen me up, keeps me limber."

Tai chi is rooted in a form of traditional medicine from ancient China called qigong (pronounced "chee gong"). It required folks to move their limbs in a way that encouraged their energy and blood to flow. It also incorporated breathing techniques like huffing, grunting, and groaning, which removed the old air from their bodies and pulled in fresh air.

The key feature of qigong is that the movements follow peaceful principles, such as raising the head slowly and stretching the body rhythmically.

Qigong has expanded from an ancient method of staying healthy into an entire philosophy that incorporates movement, breath work, and intentional thought into a healing practice. "Qi" means "life-force energy," and "gong" means "work." Thus qigong is intended to help your life-force energy work.

Today, more than 1,500 styles of movement centered around spiritual, martial, and health development fall under the category of qigong. And one of these styles is tai chi.

In tai chi, you practice the same movements again and again with intention, which stimulates your bones, heart, and other vital aspects of the body.

Studies show that some of the health benefits of practicing qigong and tai chi include:

Reducing stress, depression, and anxiety
Improving memory
Reducing fatigue
Improving sleep
Creating healthier joints
Improving balance and coordination
Managing pain

For instance, a June 2023 review, published in BMC Geriatrics, found that qigong and tai chi – when performed over both long and short periods of time – improved cognitive functions (like attention, problem solving, and memory) and physical functions (like balance, flexibility, and muscle strength) in seven studies that included more than 2,200 seniors.

And a UCLA study published last year found that breast-cancer survivors who practiced tai chi reduced their levels of inflammation markers and improved their insomnia.

If you're not familiar with qigong or tai chi, getting started on your own might seem intimidating. Check your local senior center for qigong or tai chi instruction. Since qigong isn't as common in the U.S., you're more likely to find tai chi classes.

And if you're interested in learning and practicing in the comfort of your living room, YouTube has a wealth of resources. Here are a few videos we've handpicked to help get you started:

Qigong

Tai chi

How did tai chi or qigong work for you? Shoot us an e-mail at feedback@healthandwealthbulletin.com. For even more health and wellness wisdom, check out my flagship newsletter Retirement Millionaire. You can take a peek at it through a special trial offer right here.

What We're Reading (and Watching)...

Don't forget to stretch.
Something different: Vanna White's final spin.

Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,

Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
February 4, 2025