Clinical Ai Chi in Portugal

Clinical Ai Chi Original Ai Chi has been developed by Jun Konno, the late owner of an aquatic fitness institute in Yokohama, Japan. Around 2000 Ai Chi quickly became popular because of it’s simplicity and effects. Ai Chi is mindful and active, including 20 continuous slow and broad movements (kata’s), accomplished without force. Ai Chi focuses on breathing, upper limb movement, trunk (mobile) stability, lower limb movement, balance and coordinated total body movements. The basis of support is gradually narrowing and challenge the centre of gravity progressively. Different protocols exist, consisting of a choice of the 20 kata’s and/or a different amount of repetitions, see e.g. at www.clinicalaichi.org Clinical Ai Chi is adapted to the possibilities of a person with a musculoskeletal and/or neurological problem. The elements of Clinical Ai Chi should fit in a custom-made treatment programme and be the result of a clinical reasoning process. Ai Chi is a postural activity in which transfers of the centre of gravity, reaching with arms, supporting activity of legs and continuous concentric –eccentric contractions are characteristic. Most of these characteristics are related to static – and dynamic balance control and might influence motor control to prevent falling Clinical questions could be: “can Ai Chi be adapted to facilitate hip-strategies in patients with chronic low back pain”, or “can Ai Chi be adapted to Parkinson patients in order to train medio-lateral stability”.