For immediate release

                                                                                    Contact:  Susie Rhodes

(561) 833-1133

TAI CHI CLASSES FOR ARTHRITIS BEGIN MAY 20

West Palm Beach, Fla.  (April 23, 2009) – The Mid-East Region of The Arthritis Foundation will offer Tai Chi classes beginning on Monday, May 20th, for people affected by rheumatoid arthritis or other rheumatic diseases. Tai Chi is a fun, safe means of increasing joint activity to help alleviate pain from arthritis.   Beginner classes are at 9:30 a.m. every Monday and Wednesday, while Intermediate classes (for those who have completed Part 1) are at 10:30 a.m.  Cost for the 5-week session is $66 per person and pre-registration is required due to limited class sizes. Adele Gold, who has taught Tai Chi for over seven years, will lead the classes, which will be held at The Arthritis Foundation, 400 Hibiscus Street, located at the corner of Dixie Highway and Hibiscus Street in downtown West Palm Beach..  Gold first began taking Tai Chi classes to help alleviate her own pain from arthritis.    

Tai Chi from the Arthritis Foundation® is designed to improve the quality of life for people with arthritis using Sun style Tai Chi, one of the four major recognized styles of Tai Chi. This style includes agile steps and exercises that may improve mobility, breathing and relaxation. The movements don’t require deep bending or squatting, which makes it easier and more comfortable to learn.

The program itself consists of 12 movements — 6 basic and 6 advanced — a warm up and a cool down. Once becoming familiar with the 12 movements, the program is designed to provide continual challenge by reversing the direction of the movements.  This program was derived and adapted from the Tai Chi for Arthritis program and includes copyrighted materials belonging to Dr. Paul Lam and Tai Chi Productions.

   For more information, contact Susie Rhodes, Community Development Director for The Arthritis Foundation Mid-East Region, at (561) 833-1133.