运动医学:太极如何治愈身心

运动医学:太极如何治愈身心

As the sun breaks over the skyscrapers of Hong Kong, the smooth, graceful moves of Tai Chi sweep across the green spaces below. Surrounded by dozens of people from all ages, former ballet dancer Linda Fung joins them in breathing deeply in and out, her face calm and serene.

当太阳在香港的摩天大楼上冉冉升起时，太极拳优美流畅的动作横扫了下面的绿地。前芭蕾舞演员琳达·冯在几十位来自各个年龄层的人的包围中，与他们一起深呼吸，她的脸平静而安详。

"It is the most unbelievable, beautiful, harmonious, blissful exercise," Fung says, as she lifts her arms to the sky in the preparatory movement.

“这是最令人难以置信的、美丽的、和谐的、幸福的运动，”冯说，她在准备运动中向天举起手臂。

"We breathe in, we open palms down, absorb the energy from Earth. We breathe in, palms up towards the sky, absorb the energy from heaven," she explains, bringing a dancer's innate elegance to the motions.

“我们吸气，掌心向下张开，吸收来自地球的能量。我们吸气，掌心朝向天空，吸收来自天堂的能量，”她解释道，将舞者与生俱来的优雅带到动作中。

It was dance that brought Fung to the practice of Tai Chi, as she searched for ways to heal multiple injuries she sustained as she practiced her craft.

正是舞蹈让冯开始练习太极，她在练习太极的同时也在寻找治疗自己身上多处受伤的方法。

"As a ballerina, you always strive harder to break through the limits," Fung said. "Your body is getting sick and is injured all the time.

“作为一名芭蕾舞演员，你总是更努力地去突破极限，”冯说。“你的身体一直在生病和受伤。

"Why Tai Chi has good, amazing health benefits is because it's a self-healing process." she said. "When I started, I thought, 'This is quite phenomenal.'"

她说:“太极拳之所以有益健康，是因为它是一个自我治愈的过程。”“刚开始的时候，我想，‘这太了不起了。’”

A balance of yin and yang

阴阳平衡

Evolving from ancient martial arts, the core principles of Tai Chi are based on Taoism, an ancient Chinese philosophy which stresses a natural balance between two opposing forces called yin and yang.

太极起源于古代武术，其核心原则是建立在道教的基础上的。道教是中国古代哲学，强调阴阳两种对立力量之间的自然平衡。

Think of yin and yang as the complementary but opposite sides of a coin that together form a perfect whole.

把阴和阳看作是一枚硬币的互补但相反的两面，它们一起形成一个完美的整体。

"Yang is your mind, it's a cerebral activity. It's your emotions. Yin is your body," Fung said.

“阳是你的大脑，它是一种大脑活动。这是你的情绪。阴是你的身体，”冯说。

"By practicing Tai Chi, you connect these two parts, and you balance the yang energy with the yin energy."

“通过练习太极，你把这两个部分连接起来，你就能平衡阴阳能量。”

"When these two things balance, then harmony is achieved," she continued. "When harmony is achieved, then transformation follows. And the transformation is -- you feel better."

“当这两件事平衡了，那么和谐就实现了，”她继续说。“当和谐实现时，变革也随之而来。”变化是——你感觉更好。”

When you are in balance you feel your "chi" or life force which traditional Chinese medicine considers a form of energy that can heal mind and body. When chi is unlocked and flowing through the body, Fung said, it can address the body's injuries.

当你在平衡中，你会感觉到你的“气”或生命力，中医认为这是一种可以治愈身心的能量。当气被释放并流经身体时，冯说，它可以解决身体的伤害。

"When the chi actually start working, your body improves. Your balance gets better. You sleep better. You have enhanced vitality, energy," said Fung, who now teaches classes in Hong Kong combining dance and Tai Chi. "And it keeps flowing. That's why it's amazing."

冯现在香港教授舞蹈和太极的课程，他说：“当气真正开始起作用时，你的身体会得到改善。你的平衡会变得更好。你会睡得更好。你的活力和精力都增强了。”冯现在在香港教舞蹈和太极相结合的课程。“而且它一直在流动，这就是为什么它令人惊叹。”

Science behind the mystery

神秘背后的科学

While all that sounds rather mystical, science shows Tai Chi can improve health. Researchers have discovered that even a shorter, modified exercise series of Tai Chi movements can improve muscle strength, balance and flexibility, while also reducing stress and lowering blood pressure.

虽然这一切听起来很神秘，但科学表明，太极可以改善健康。研究人员发现，即使是较短的、经过改良的太极系列运动也能增强肌肉力量、平衡和灵活性，同时还能减轻压力和降低血压。

Bone health: Tai Chi doesn't require any resistance or weight-bearing exercise, both known to increase bone formation, yet studies have shown that it can improve bone mineral density. It's also been shown to reduce bone loss and fractures in post-menopausal women. Research on men, however, has been contradictory.

骨骼健康:太极拳不需要任何阻力或负重运动，这两种运动都能促进骨骼形成，但研究表明，它可以提高骨密度。它也被证明可以减少绝经后妇女的骨质流失和骨折。然而，对男性的研究是矛盾的。

Tai Chi also reduces falls and improves balance in the elderly, and is easier than traditional exercise for some with frail health or physical limitations.

太极拳还可以减少跌倒，提高老年人的平衡能力，对一些身体虚弱或身体有缺陷的人来说，太极拳比传统运动更容易。

Cardiovascular disease: Tai Chi and Qigong, a very similar centuries-old system of movement, breathing and meditation, have shown to be extremely beneficial for cardiovascular health.

心血管疾病:太极和气功，一个非常相似的古老的运动、呼吸和冥想系统，对心血管健康非常有益。

Inflammation: A few small studies have shown Tai Chi can reduce levels of C-reactive protein in the blood, a cardinal sign of inflammation. If that research is replicated, it could explain some of Tai Chi's health benefits due to a reduction of disease-causing inflammation in the body.

炎症:一些小型研究表明，太极可以降低血液中c反应蛋白的水平，这是炎症的主要症状。如果这一研究被重复，它可以解释太极的一些健康益处，因为它可以减少体内的致病炎症。

Mental health: The calming, meditative trance needed to do a Tai Chi series has been shown to greatly reduce anxiety and stress, even lowering levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the blood of participants.

心理健康：做太极系列所需的平静、冥想的恍惚状态已被证明可以极大地减少焦虑和压力，甚至降低参与者血液中应激激素皮质醇的水平。