Finding the Right Tai Chi Morning Routine

Start Your Morning Off on the Right Foot to Getaway Well Anywhere

In many ways, tai chi can be related to guided meditation. That’s likely why some people refer to tai chi as ‘meditation in motion.

They both focus on controlling your mind and your breathing. However, meditation usually requires you to stay very still and calm, while tai chi helps you work on moving with purpose and shifting your energy between different parts of your body.

At its core, tai chi is a series of low-impact, gentle exercises, and stretches that promote serenity and inner peace by connecting your mind and your body as one.

This is the perfect kind of mindset that you need to Getaway Well anywhere that you travel.

With that in mind, we’ve put together some information for you about the benefits of starting a tai chi morning routine, as well as some useful tips for creating a routine that will be effective and enjoyable for you.

What are the Benefits of a Tai Chi Morning Routine?

Possibly the greatest benefit of tai chi is how easy it is to get started, and how open this form of exercise is for people from all walks of life.

This means that people who have functional limitations due to chronic illnesses, diseases, or injury can still take advantage of tai chi. It’s an extremely safe, approachable exercise, which doesn’t require any fancy, expensive workout equipment to start.

Though studies are still being performed to determine the true long-term benefits of tai chi, it’s known to promote muscle strength, flexibility, as well as balance.

In some cases, tai chi can be used as a precursor to more challenging aerobic conditioning, but for those who need a slower start, tai chi is also a perfect choice.

Is It Better to Do Tai Chi at Night or in the Morning?

Like guided meditation, tai chi is led as a class, with an instructor giving gentle instructions for how to proceed and which series of movements to perform.

In many cases, because tai chi is often associated with the rising sun and early morning exercise, you’ll find classes being scheduled during the morning a lot more frequently than during the evening.

This doesn’t mean that tai chi can’t be done in the evening, but given its benefits for encouraging positive mental health, we believe it’s most effectively utilized at the beginning of the day, rather than the end.

Creating an Effective Tai Chi Morning Routine While Traveling

Now that you know a bit more about tai chi, let’s look at some of the things you can be doing to properly prepare yourself for your tai chi morning routine:

Mentally Preparing for Your Tai Chi Morning Routine

Also, like meditation, you need to be in the right kind of mental space to effectively take advantage of everything that tai chi has to offer you.

Do some deep breathing exercises before you start your tai chi. Take a few minutes to fit in some light stretching before you start. Tai chi may be low-impact, but it’s still good to stretch a bit before you begin.

Try to find some inner peace, or if you have the time to accommodate it, establish a morning meditation routine that you can do before you start your tai chi morning routine.

Whatever you need to do to put yourself in the right headspace to begin your tai chi morning routine – do it. As long as you set aside time to mentally prepare yourself for your exercise, the time you spend going through your routine will be much more efficient and effective.

Setting Up a Safe Space for Your Tai Chi Morning Routine

Odds are, if you’re planning to do a tai chi morning routine while you’re traveling, you’re not going to have access to a live instructor or class in which to participate. That’s okay!

There are plenty of guided tai chi videos on YouTube that you can follow to ensure you’re still getting in your morning fitness routine.

If you’re doing a hotel room workout, then you’ll need to make sure that you make enough space to comfortably go through your tai chi movements.

Don’t be afraid to move some tables or chairs out of the way, if you’re doing your tai chi morning routine indoors. You’ll want to avoid the chance that you’ll kick something accidentally, while you’re focusing on your movements.

Doing tai chi morning routines outside can be great if you have a routine memorized, or if you can find somewhere nearby to stand up your digital device and follow along with your instructor.

There’s a lot more room outside, and you’ll be able to soak up some of that wonderful Vitamin D, while you’re going through your tai chi morning routine.

Finding the Right Equipment for Your Tai Chi Morning Routine

While it’s by no means mandatory for establishing a tai chi morning routine, there are some pieces of equipment that you can purchase to make your experience more comfortable and more enjoyable.

A few great examples include:

Tai Chi Shoes

It’s hard to focus on your breathing and carefully controlled movements when you’re moving around on aching feet.

Since you’re going to be standing throughout your tai chi morning routine, you’ll need the right kind of comfortable, supportive footwear for the experience.

These shoes are available for men and women, and they can be ordered in the most common sizes. They’re not very expensive compared to most other forms of workout equipment, so it’s a small investment for long-term comfort.

Tai Chi Mat

When you’re doing your tai chi morning routine outdoors, you may not always have comfortable, even workout surfaces to use. Stepping on a rock or a small hole in the grass is a great way to ruin your balance and your calm during your routine.

This tai chi mat from Bean Products is extra-long and slip-resistant so that you can focus on your movements, instead of watching where you’re putting your feet.

Even in a hotel room with carpeted floors or a cabin with hardwood floors, the mat protects your feet from slipping underneath you when you’re going through your routine.

Broaden Your Understanding of Tai Chi

If you want to learn about the true benefits of tai chi, so that you can make the most of your tai chi morning routine, consider picking up a guidebook.

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi is a fantastic resource that you can use to establish a new tai chi routine that will lead to noticeable results in 12 weeks.

Taking on a new routine can be exciting sometimes, but it can also be nerve-wracking. It can be difficult knowing where to start, and what your first steps should be to establish a healthier lifestyle.

A guidebook like this is the perfect introduction to tai chi, and it gives you all the resources that you need to start working this useful form of exercise into your life with a tai chi morning routine.

Tai Chi Leads to a Healthier State of Mind

The Right Mindset is Crucial to Getaway Well

Our state of mind is so important to the way that we approach every day. All of our successes, as well as our stumbling blocks, are determined partially by our reactions to them.

Incorporating a tai chi morning routine into your day, and ensuring that you stick to it when you’re traveling, is a great way to make sure that you’re always ready for whatever life decides to throw at you.

This way, whether you’re celebrating wins or weathering travel obstacles, you’ll be prepared to tackle every day head-on – and that’s key for you to Getaway Well.