Tai Chi video for Parkinson's?

December 13, 2011 1:22 PM

Can you recommend a beginner's tai chi video for a person with Parkinson's that is...

-Available on Amazon
-Is not packaged or titled to mention disability or Parkinson's (the recipient has not yet fully come to terms with being a person with Parkinson's but is interested in Tai Chi, which was recommended by his doctor.)

Anonymous because this combined with other history identifies me.

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (2 answers total)

I'm not knowledgeable about tai chi but I do have someone close to me with Parkinson's so I'll take a stab. I advocated yoga to my friend in similar circumstances and I found that any good beginner video that was clear and slow paced enough worked out. I got my friend a couple of "intro to yoga" videos and the variety allows them to mix it up a bit depending on how energetic they feel that day.

I'm not sure about your friend's movement ability level but I did a quick amazon search and this one jumped out as being well-reviewed, slow paced and for "less flexible people."

I hope this helps and I hope your friend sees benefit from tai chi. My friend has had positive results with yoga and really enjoys it.
posted by tinamonster at 12:23 AM on December 14, 2011

Metronome therapy has been successful for Parkinson's patients. There exist a combination of Tai Chi and metronomes: Bounce Metronome. Never tried it myself and do not know if this is available at Amazon.
posted by Eltulipan at 12:52 AM on December 14, 2011