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Find your inner Zen in a hectic world while improving your balance. Say hello to the art of Tai Chi.

The Taste of Tai Chi challenge is exactly that – an introduction to an activity that has been around for years but that you may have never thought was for you. Until now.

Shifting your weight from one foot to the other throughout the routine will give you the strength in your knees and legs to help improve your balance, feel steadier on your feet, and build strength in your core muscles.

Tai Chi combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements that are referred to as forms. The forms are low-impact so they will not cause stress on your bones or joints, and they are fluid movements that are not forced so the muscles always stay relaxed.

Tai Chi is a peaceful practice which encourages gentle and graceful movements drawn from ancient Chinese tradition - worlds apart from the blaring music you might find in a typical exercise class. There are a number of different types of Tai Chi that have different forms and levels of complexity, but this taster challenge is designed to be easy to follow and easy on the joints.

Watch the video as Anne takes you through the routine. The different forms you will learn are listed below but please note that different types of Tai Chi use different names for the forms.

Don’t worry about the details for now – give it a go daily for a month and see how you feel. You don’t have to become an expert. You just have to challenge yourself to commit to learning something new - and possibly even clearing your mind as well.

1. Salute

• With your hand and forearm at a diagonal and your palm straight, lift your left hand up to chest height
• Bring your right hand to meet in with a closed fist
• This pose signifies friendship, strength and humility

2. Opening move

• Turning your toes out, raise both arms with your palms facing each other
• Move them back down to your hips
• Lift your hands and move your weight onto your right leg
• Place your left heel to the front foot pushing your weight forwards

3. Open and Close

• Keeping your hands out in front of you shoulder width apart and with the palms facing each other, slowly move your forearms out so that the hands move a little further apart
• Bring your hands back to position in front of you

4. Single Whip

• Moving your weight left, place your right heel gently onto the ground and turn slightly to the right
• Extend your arms with your palms facing each other
• Move your weight forward and turn to the front at the same time
• Turn the palms out in front of you
• Separate the arms watching your left hand
• Swing your weight to the left, bringing the right hand towards the left elbow and bring your feet together

5. Cloud Hands

• Step out to the side
• Lift your right hand, move your weight across to the right and step in halfway
• Bring the left hand up, lower the right hand and start to turn your body to the left
• Repeat 3 times

6. Open and Close

• Keeping your hands out in front of you shoulder width apart and with the palms facing each other, slowly move your forearms out so that the hands move a little further apart
• Bring your hands back to position in front of you

7. Brush Knee

• Shift weight to your left
• Turn your right toe inward then transfer your weight to that leg
• Extend your right arm to the front, placing your left hand near your right elbow
• Place the left heel forward
• Brush your left hand across your body down towards your knee
• Bring your right hand inwards, then turn palm and push it forward transferring your weight to the left leg
• Bring your right foot closer to the left heel (this is called the "follow step")

8. Playing the Lute

• Extend the right foot backwards, turn your palms to face each other
• Slowly move backwards and allow your hands to pass across your body, bring your left foot in

9. Parry and Punch

• Turn your right palm up and the left palm down
• Turn your left toe out and transfer your weight forwards moving your right hand in the same direction
• Turn left palm up and right palm down and step through with right heel
• Move your weight forward pushing your left hand in the same direction and pulling the right hand back to the hip
• Step through with the left heel
• Make two fists and transfer weight forward punching right fist over left wrist
• Finish with a follow step

10. Apparent Closing up

• Stepping backwards, separate your hands with your palms facing down
• Shift your weight back onto your right leg
• Drop the elbows bringing hands closer to the body
• Bring the left foot in

11. Pushing the Mountain

• Place left heel on the ground and move weight forwards pushing palms in same direction
• Follow step with the right heel (bring your right foot closer to the left heel)

12. Open and Close

• Shift weight back
• Turn your left toe then move your body to face the front
• Keeping your hands out in front of you shoulder width apart and with the palms facing each other, slowly move your forearms out so that the hands move a little further apart
• Bring your hands back to position in front of you

13. Close

• Extend the arms forwards bringing them down to your sides
• Put your feet together
• Finish with the Salute

• Track your results - motivation looks different for everyone, but nothing helps you to see progress like looking back at how much you have achieved.
• If you would like to keep a manual diary, print and keep notes.
• Show us how you are getting on. Use #MakeYourMove on , or to join the conversation and see who else is getting a taste of Tai Chi and improving their balance.

Think you are too cool for Tai Chi? Here’s a little list of reasons why you should think again…

1. It originated as a martial art and the forms stem from self-defence moves.
2. It’s a great reason to be outdoors and soak up some vitamin D. Travel to South East Asia and you will see people practicing Tai Chi in public outdoor places like parks, the beach and mountain tops. Travel down the road and you might find the same thing as outdoor Tai Chi isn’t uncommon in the UK.
3. It’s inter-generational. There is no age limit to Tai Chi so everyone can get involved and be included.
4. Some people consider Tai Chi as moving meditation, which means a clearer mind that is alert and can handle stressful situations.
5. No need for spandex. This is a physical activity where baggy, comfortable clothes are encouraged and tight fitting, clingy exercise gear is completely out of place.