Which is better to learn, yoga or Tai Chi

In fact, there is no absolute answer at all. It all depends on your own physical condition, study habits and even current needs.

Most of my friends who are in their twenties and are new to light exercise say that yoga is easier to learn. Last week, a girl who was working as a planner complained to me, saying that her coordination was so poor that she occasionally walked slowly. When she went to a yoga experience class for the first time, the teacher did not let her do any difficult movements, so she adjusted her breathing and did cat-cow pose and baby pose for half an hour. After the practice, she felt that the stiffness in her shoulders and neck that had been there for a week was mostly gone, so she applied for a yoga class on the spot. For them, there is no need to memorize coherent routines to get started with yoga. Individual movements can be broken down and practiced. Even if the flexibility is poor and cannot reach the standard range, as long as they do not force themselves and follow their own limits, they will soon get positive feedback of relaxation, and they will naturally feel eager to learn.

But if I said this to Uncle Zhang from the Tai Chi team downstairs, he would definitely wave his hand and say no. Uncle Zhang had fluid in his knees last year, and the doctor asked him to do gentle exercise. He tried yoga first. The downward dog pose caused pain in his Achilles tendon, and the movement of standing on one leg shook like a reed in the wind. After trying it once, he didn't dare to go. Later, he practiced with the Tai Chi team in the community. In the first week, he learned the starting position and the half-step cloud hand. His movements were very slow. He didn't have to compete with others in raising the height of his legs. There was no extra stress on his knees. He could hold the tree next to him when he couldn't stand firmly. After practicing for half a month, his knees didn't hurt so much when he walked up and down the stairs. He told everyone that Tai Chi was an exercise really suitable for ordinary people to learn.

In fact, the entry-level logic of the two sports is different. The introduction of yoga is more "local perception". You can start with a single movement of shoulder and waist exercises. It doesn't matter even if you can't remember the whole sequence. It is suitable for people who want to get a sense of relaxation quickly; Tai Chi Getting started pays more attention to "overall coordination". From the beginning, you have to take into account the coordination of hands and feet and the shift of the center of gravity. It requires very little flexibility, but the coordination requirements are actually slightly higher than that of introductory yoga. It is more friendly to the joints and does not put additional burden on the body at all.

If you really practice in depth, neither of them will be that easy. Later on, yoga must combine breath control and precise muscle exertion. It is not just about pressing the legs and waist to get it right. It really needs to be practiced until you can enter meditation smoothly and feel the exertion of every small muscle. You can't get started in one or two years. Tai Chi is not to mention. As the saying goes, "Tai Chi does not go out for ten years."

To put it bluntly, when choosing, you don’t have to worry about whether you should learn it or not. Take the time to try each one. Whichever one you feel comfortable with and are willing to continue practicing will be easier for you to learn. After all, the most important thing about exercise is being able to persist.