Energy boost: The Parent-child Tai Chi Made Easy classes will start in April.

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department will launch the first stage of the Tai Chi Made Easy programme, offering about 200 simplified tai chi classes to parents and children. The second stage, welcoming people aged six or above, will start in October.

The class consists of 12 hourly sessions, compared to 48 for the department's traditional tai chi classes. The shorter duration makes its ideal for children, working people, housewives and beginners. Participants completing the course are welcome to enrol in traditional classes.

A Polytechnic University study on 34 young adults from March to May last year showed six weeks of tai chi training resulted in significant improvements in posture, knee muscle strength and swiftness of reaction.

"It is expected that school children will be able to benefit from tai chi, as poor posture and lack of exercise are common problems among Hong Kong students. The strengthening of knee muscles is also important, since weakness of knee muscles may predispose adults to early degeneration of the knees," the university's assistant professor Dr William Tsang said.

Class size is 30 people. Tuition fee is $54 a person, with a 50% discount for people under 15 or over 60, students and the disabled. Click here for more details.