Promoting Healthy Aging Through Tai Chi — Episode 158

Open Space Radio

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As you may know, May was Older Americans Month, and NRPA celebrated by sharing how older adult programs in parks and recreation are making a big impact in communities across the country. On today’s episode, we’re excited to explore one of the most popular programs in NRPA’s Healthy Aging in Parks portfolio: Tai Chi.

Through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NRPA has been working with park and recreation agencies across the country for the last 11 years to increase the availability of and participation in the CDC’s Arthritis Appropriate Evidence-Based Interventions, which are Active Living Every Day, Fit & Strong!, EnhanceFitness, Walk With Ease and Tai Chi, which was added to our portfolio in 2022 and has become the most sought-after program through NRPA’s grant application process.

As part of NRPA’s Healthy Aging work, park and recreation agencies across the country have trained more than 1,000 instructors, offering more than 2,000 of the evidence-based interventions you mentioned to nearly 29,000 participants through 441 agencies. And while we’re focusing on Tai Chi today, it’s important to highlight that impact across all of these interventions, because it’s pretty incredible.

Our guests today know a little bit about Tai Chi and the benefits it provides: Patricia Lawson, a master trainer at the Tai Chi for Health Institute, Carol Briseno, a recreation coordinator at Martin County Parks and Recreation, and Colleen Pittard, a partnership manager at NRPA.

Tune in to the full episode below to learn more about this impactful program. You’ll also learn:

Why Tai Chi is such a beneficial activity for physical and mental health (and spiritual and social health) for older adults
How the community in Martin County has embraced its Tai Chi program
How to navigate barriers to older adult programming
How findings from NRPA’s Supporting Older Adults through Parks and Recreation report can help inform your programming approach
And much more!