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Jul 8, 2008 11:55 am US/Eastern

T'ai Chi: A Fun Way For Kids To Keep Fit

Millions Practice T'ai Chi Daily

MIAMI (CBS4) ― As kids hang out during the summer break, it's important for parents to encourage them to stay active and not become video game playing couch potatoes.

From basketball to baseball to soccer to swimming – there are lots of community group sports to keep them busy.

For kids who are not into sports, instructor Sonya Mesa says parents should consider t'ai chi or yoga. Mesa says t'ai chi can help kids with flexibility, has a calming effect on the body so they can focus on their activities and can actually increase intelligence by focusing the body's energy (chi) on the brain.

Mesa said t'ai chi movements imitate animals in nature and include stepping, shifting weight and rotating; the movements have been compared to those performed in yoga and ballet. T'ai Chi has often been called the moving meditation; the slow movement of the body into the positions promotes awareness and calms the nervous system..

Mesa said she finds children like t'ai chi because they have fun imitating the animal positions.

Tai Chi, which means "Grand Ultimate," was first introduced to the U.S. in the mid 1960s.

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