Episode 54: Tai Chi for Seniors - Balance, Strength, and Healing Through Movement
Host: Jamie Callahan Guest: Bob Sheehan, Tai Chi Instructor
JAMIE CALLAHAN: Hi, this is Jamie Callahan with the Team Senior Podcast. Our goal is to simplify aging. Society grooms us to plan for retirement, but what about life beyond retirement, where the rubber meets the road? Perhaps you've had a stroke, or you've been diagnosed with cancer, or maybe you're forgetting things and now you have dementia. That's our area of expertise, and we are here to share our insight.
And now, the Team Senior Podcast.
Hi, this is Jamie Callahan, and I am in the studio today with Bob Sheehan. I have known Bob for, I'm not really sure, maybe six or seven years. He's a tai chi instructor, and I am really excited for him to tell you about himself and a little bit about tai chi also. Bob, for the listeners who might not be familiar with you or tai chi, can you share a little bit about the work that you do?
BOB SHEEHAN: Yeah, I right now teach tai chi. I'm an old martial artist. I've been in martial arts for about 50 years, and I started tai chi probably around 30 years ago. I didn't start teaching until about 15 years ago, and I started out in the park. I worked for a martial arts club that's in Grants Pass. I taught at the college, and then I got the opportunity to teach at Club Northwest, and at the same time, I got the opportunity to teach at the Senior Center or—
JAMIE: Club 60.
BOB: Club 60, exactly. And—
JAMIE: I love it. So many people think of tai chi as a slow movement. Can you explain how it actually helps with balance and strength and fall prevention?
BOB: Yeah, tai chi is a slow movement, and the reason that we do it slow is to develop the body so that it can get better balance. By moving a simple thing as walking—when you walk, if you slow that way down, you're going to find that your balance is really stressed, and you'll become stronger. It will develop the quadriceps in your legs, which are the front part of the thigh. And basically, tai chi has four components that I rely on, and this is just very basic. It's balance, it's relaxation—and relaxation isn't just where you slump in a chair. You have posture that you have to maintain. And when you have that posture, you release all the muscles and the tendons so they relax. That creates better balance. And then the strength in the quadriceps—we do a lot of the walking part, and that makes the legs strong. Most of my students, after a first class, they're sore in their legs.
JAMIE: I bet.
BOB: Yeah.
JAMIE: I've seen your class. You have a very large following at Club 60.
BOB: Yeah, it's getting better. It was—I had a really good following a while back when I first started, and then we got hit with COVID, and everything kind of dropped to the wayside, and now it's finally building back up again. People are hearing about us, and we're trying to do the best we can.
JAMIE: I saw that. I saw that. Why is balance such a critical issue for older adults?
BOB: Most people—my wife is a CNA too, and she works for hospice, and a lot of the people that she works with have become in that position because they've fallen. And it could be just because they stepped wrong, or their legs just gave out. And when they fall, they usually hit something to break, like a hip or a leg, and they wind up in bed. Once they wind up in bed, it's very hard for a senior citizen to recoup from that. It's not impossible, but it's difficult.
JAMIE: Sure. I'm sure it takes a lot of physical therapy and other means of recovery. Yeah. Is tai chi something people need to be in shape for, or can you start at any point?
BOB: You don't have to be in shape at all. I have some younger people that do it, and they're in shape, and they still find it pretty taxing when they do. For the older people, it's easier to do because there's no stress. You're not banging on stuff, and you're just trying to move as smooth as possible. So it is good for seniors and young people.
JAMIE: Sure. I bet. What makes tai chi such a valuable resource for the aging community here in Southern Oregon?
BOB: I think it's a valuable source because it helps people to learn to move better. I tell people all the time, "You're not learning tai chi, you're becoming tai chi." And that means that when you go home, you should practice it, but you should try and incorporate it into everything you do, and it'll help you be more safe.
JAMIE: Sure. I would imagine. Things as simple as folding laundry or stepping in and out of the shower or getting in and out of your car, having to step over something when you're just walking into the grocery store.
BOB: Yeah. And you have to—one of the main things we do too is be in the present. You've probably heard that term a lot.
JAMIE: Many times.
BOB: That's very important because a lot of people just move without thinking, and we try to connect the mind with the body so that they'll learn to move in a certain sequence, nice and smooth. The whole body should move as one unit, and it's relaxation. And then we try to also develop our feelings of what we're feeling inside.
JAMIE: I bet. Can tai chi help with things like vertigo or other forms of dizziness that people get?
BOB: It can. Yeah. Sometimes it depends how far the person is. There are certain exercises that they can do that helps with vertigo. The trouble with stuff like that is that a lot of times people come in and they take one or two classes, and they don't get any benefit.
JAMIE: They're not getting that instant gratification.
BOB: And it takes time, and it just—anything you do takes time. And with practice and taking your time to learn, not stressing about it, you become more physically aware of what's going on, and you can help cope with it.
JAMIE: Have you seen some of these evolutions happen with students that you currently have?
BOB: Yes. I've seen a lot, especially with pain in the back, the neck, lower back, the knees. I've seen them get stronger so that they can walk up and down stairs easier, get up and down from their home, sitting down watching TV—they're able to move better.
JAMIE: Sure. Can you share a personal story about a student or a moment that really captures what that looks like?
BOB: I had one lady that came in, and her knees were like knock-kneed. And after working with tai chi, they've released and opened up more.
JAMIE: Wow.
BOB: So that's safer. Now, you can't—everybody is going to have something that is in their body that you can't really control. And I like to use myself as an example. I've had a quadruple bypass.
JAMIE: Wow.
BOB: And at the same time I just found out that I had stage four cancer.
JAMIE: Oh.
BOB: And don't worry. Don't go "oh," because tai chi didn't prevent it, but it helped me heal a lot faster. And—
JAMIE: Got it.
BOB: So if you do it early enough, yeah, it might prevent it. But most people start it when they're in the senior years, and you already have these issues, so it takes time to work on those issues and get them corrected.
JAMIE: I bet. I bet. Is there a memorable experience or something where you can highlight someone from your group, say at Club 60, where tai chi has made a difference in their life?
BOB: Yeah, most of them. Most of them say that they feel better. Some of the pain has gone. Again, if they stick with it—it's not a placebo-type thing. It's not an instant cure. But a lot of people that stick with it, they feel better. Now, for that individual, that one person with the legs that I told you about—I've had people with shoulder pain that it's corrected, back pain that it's corrected. And that makes for a better life, even as—we may not be able to cure it, but we can make you feel a lot better.
JAMIE: Absolutely. I'm curious to know, because folks might be wondering if this is something that they can safely try for the first time. So I would imagine when someone comes into tai chi, you're not having them stand on one foot for a half hour.
BOB: No.
JAMIE: Tell us how somebody keeps themselves safe while doing tai chi.
BOB: One rule in tai chi is that you never go over 70% of your maximum. So if you're doing something like you said, standing on one leg—if 100% was standing on it for a half hour, okay, you're only going to stand on it for maybe 20 minutes. And I never do that, okay? If somebody has a problem, I always start off really easy so they can break into the moves and feel better as they do it.
JAMIE: So when someone's taking the class—if you have people that are more advanced in tai chi, for example, you have variations of those movements that a beginner could do at the same time.
BOB: Yes. And some classes I have multiple people. I have the advanced students, people that have been doing it for a while, and then brand new. And I always start from the basics so that the new people can get something, and then I move into more advanced. And they can follow if they want, or they can practice what they've just learned. And then the advanced people, I have them do it too, and I just move back and forth from each group. But definitely, a lot of people who are afraid to come in as a beginner—I will make sure that they learn something. And the idea, though, is that they need to practice when they go home.
JAMIE: Got it. Yeah, that makes very good sense. Can you talk a little bit about where you teach and who you typically work with?
BOB: Yeah, I teach at Club Northwest. I also teach at Club 60. Club 60 is Tuesdays at 2:00. Club Northwest is Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 in the morning. I'm hoping to do more. I'm trying to expand more, and I have some works going on with Providence Hospital in Medford. We're just waiting for paperwork to get taken care of. And you know—
JAMIE: That's great.
BOB: You know how slow paperwork is.
JAMIE: I do. I do.
BOB: So yeah. And those are actually the two places that I teach, and I'm having fun doing it. That's the whole idea is to enjoy yourself.
JAMIE: Absolutely. What would you say to somebody who thinks that they might want to try tai chi but they're feeling a little hesitant right now?
BOB: I'd say come on in. Doing tai chi, at least give it a try. Don't just come in one day though and say, "I don't like it," because I have had people like that. Come in and try it for maybe a month and see if you're finding any benefit that helps you. I think if you do it for that long and you practice at home—don't just go home and do nothing, because then when you come back, you just have to start all over again.
JAMIE: Yeah, that's a really good point. That's a really good point. It should be noted too that when Bob teaches at Club 60 on Tuesdays at 2:00 PM, it's completely free. So Club 60 is in Grants Pass. It's located at 1150 Northeast 9th Street, which is near the corner of Savage but not on the corner of Savage. Lots of great parking, handicap spaces if needed. It is a great group of people, and it's a really great club. I've seen folks be so welcoming to newcomers when they come there. But Bob also teaches at Club Northwest. Club Northwest is also in Grants Pass. It is located in the north end of town, very easy to find online. But if you want to call them for directions or something, their phone number is 541-955-2582. Again, the telephone number for Club Northwest, which is Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 AM, is 541-955-2582. If you're interested in taking the free class on Tuesdays at 2:00 PM at Club 60, you'll want to call 541-441-1426. Again, 541-441-1426. You don't need to call ahead of time. You can just show up. Again, it's Club 60. It's located on 9th Street. But you're always welcome to call for more information.
BOB: And everybody is welcome.
JAMIE: Absolutely. Do you have anything else you want to share with us?
BOB: Over the years, I've been doing this, like I said, for about 30 years, and it took me a while to get into it. The more I get into it, the more I discover how it helps, and I try to pass that on to my students. I don't want to make them start where I did because it was a long journey, so I try to give some important factors for them so that they can improve a little bit quicker and get into the feel of it, because that's important. The biggest thing I want is for them to get healed, whatever's bothering them. I'm not a doctor, I want to make that clear, but I've had—most of the stuff I've done because I've had that problem.
JAMIE: Yeah, and they say a body in movement stays in movement, so—
BOB: Exactly.
JAMIE: That's something that folks should really consider when it comes to all of these things that are geared towards aging gracefully, like tai chi or chair yoga or something like that.
BOB: Yeah, and chair yoga is at Club 60 also.
JAMIE: Bob, thank you so much for coming in today. I know that so many people are interested in tai chi and what it is and how to get involved. This is the perfect introductory path to being able to do that, to just show up and take a class for free.
BOB: Exactly. I agree 100%.
JAMIE: Thank you for being here.
BOB: Thank you for asking me.
JAMIE: You got it. Thank you for listening to the Team Senior Podcast. We're here every week sharing new and relevant information. Remember that we're just a phone call away. Team Senior can be reached at 541-295-8230. Again, 541-295-8230. Until next time, this is Jamie Callahan.
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