Ki gong, tai chi, yoga, Pilates??

[Petie]

Ok I have arthritis in my spine and I'm trying to figure out what type of exercise would be best for flexibility and muscle strength. I have trouble with both strength and flexibility in my hips and thighs, as well as my neck and shoulders which is causing me a lot of pain. Apparently these areas need to be extra strong in order to support my messed up spine. Anyone do these different types of exercise? Can you suggest which you would choose for my purpose? I am lucky to have all these classes available in my area, but all of them say they are good for my issues, so which should I choose??

[Tengokujin]

I cannot speak about ki gong or tai chi at all, having done neither.

I have done a bit of yoga. I think you would really need to speak with the instuctor and be clear about what you are hoping to accomplish. They could direct you, or tell you what might be better.

I have been very pleased with the Pilates work I have done over the last 3 months. I've liked it because it, to me, is more 'logical' and specific to fixing the things that I have problems with. Again, I think talking with an instructor and giving it a try is important.

[Petie]

I cannot speak about ki gong or tai chi at all, having done neither.

I have done a bit of yoga. I think you would really need to speak with the instuctor and be clear about what you are hoping to accomplish. They could direct you, or tell you what might be better.

I have been very pleased with the Pilates work I have done over the last 3 months. I've liked it because it, to me, is more 'logical' and specific to fixing the things that I have problems with. Again, I think talking with an instructor and giving it a try is important.

That's the thing. I've spoken to the instructors and all of them advocate for their program which made me think that they may be looking at their income more than my needs. So, I figured I'd get others opinions.

[Tengokujin]

Does any of these options sound more "right" to you? If so, I'd say give it a try for a session or two. Read up on it a bit, and see how you feel as you learn and try it.

You (the general you) can get paralyzed trying to make the perfect choice. With exercise and keeping your body moving, the important thing is to do SOMETHING. The specifics become more clear as you are doing the things.

[shekinah]

I am not familiar with the first two, but I think beginner yoga would help with flexibility and gentle strengthening, to start.. then switch to pilates for a bit more intense strengthening which also combines flexibility. Yoga can definitely be an intense workout when you get more advanced though, but I think pilates would be more tailored to actively building strength once you have the yoga flex base. I'm not a professional though and do not have extensive experience in the two, just a bit :)

[JTLee]

My mom has arthritis and back pain and she basically can't walk if she doesn't do stretching in the morning. I'd say it is a very gentle yoga and maybe a bit like pilates but she is careful to not overdo anything while consistently improving strength and flexibility. Not at all like the yoga I do because I do it like a workout, not a healing exercise. I think all of your options can really be tailored to your needs, you just have to pay attention to what your body is telling you and best if someone who is qualified can give you specific workouts that won't put the wrong kind of stress on you.

[jojola]

I did Tai Chi for a couple of years and LOVED it. It looks deceptively easy, the moves are very gentle and slow, but the amount of muscle built is excellent, and the stretching very good. I think it would do what you're looking for. The whole thing is on your feet, and that may be good as well, working your core muscles.

I'm here in Asia, so I think I get a very 'pure' form of Tai Chi. Hopefully you'd get the same. Can you do a trial class of each kind to help you decide?

[Petie]

I did Tai Chi for a couple of years and LOVED it. It looks deceptively easy, the moves are very gentle and slow, but the amount of muscle built is excellent, and the stretching very good. I think it would do what you're looking for. The whole thing is on your feet, and that may be good as well, working your core muscles.

I'm here in Asia, so I think I get a very 'pure' form of Tai Chi. Hopefully you'd get the same. Can you do a trial class of each kind to help you decide?

I can only do trials of the tai chi and ki gong. They are both taught by the same place and she actually is encouraging me to take a trial class. Unfortunately that option isn't available for Pilates or yoga. I'm leaning towards the ki gong just because it seems a little less taxing from what I've read, then maybe do tai chi after I've built up some muscle.

[shekinah]

The yoga classes here will often have a drop in rate, where you pay like $10 for one class instead of committing to the whole month. Maybe you could look into that as a trial for yoga or pilates. I want to look up ki gong now. I have heard the name but know nothing about it! :)