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Three ways to try tai chi this week 🎯 Search for a beginner Yang tai chi video

Look for one that runs 10 to 15 minutes and is labeled "senior" or "chair-supported." Follow along once in the living room near a counter for balance.

15 minutes • A first feel for the pace

🦶 Try the basic weight shift

Stand behind a chair, hands on the back, and shift your weight slowly to one foot for 3 seconds, then the other. This is the core motion of tai chi, and it loads each hip gently.

2 minutes • Gentle hip loading

📋 Check your local rec center

Many YMCAs and town rec centers run tai chi classes for older adults, often free or low cost. Look for "Yang style," "gentle," or "beginner" in the class title.

5 minutes • Finding a class nearby

RESEARCH BRIEF Twenty-eight trials found tai chi eased arthritis pain by a medium-sized effect Zhao and colleagues pooled 28 trials in a review published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage in 2025. In each trial, people were sorted into groups by chance so the comparison would be fair. The trials covered 1,676 adults with osteoarthritis. Compared to groups doing no structured exercise, tai chi reduced pain by a medium-sized effect, scored at 0.64 on a scale where 0.2 is small, 0.5 is medium, and 0.8 is large. It also improved mobility, stiffness, and self-reported function.