A holistic health philosophy that combines activity and rest, and efficient rest methods: balancing the five types of overwork, preventing death from overwork, and the one-minute rest technique [i]

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) also emphasizes physical exercise, as long-term adherence to exercise is the secret to maintaining health, strengthening the body, and preserving youth[i]. While emphasizing movement, TCM does not neglect stillness, advocating a combination of movement and stillness[i]. The physical state of movement and stillness is closely related to the physiological function of essence, qi, and spirit. Stillness without movement easily leads to stagnation of essence and qi, and stagnation of qi and blood, which can shorten lifespan in the long run[i]. Therefore, the "Lüshi Chunqiu·Dayu" states: "If the body does not move, essence will not flow; if essence does not flow, qi will stagnate"[i]. Exercise can promote the circulation of essence and qi, and the smooth flow of qi and blood, thereby enhancing the body's ability to resist pathogens[i]. Hua Tuo pointed out: "Movement allows the digestion of food, the circulation of blood, and the prevention of disease"[i]. A healthy spleen and stomach ensure sufficient sources of qi and blood production, thus promoting health and longevity[i]. There are many ways to move the body, such as labor, dance, walking, guided exercises, and massage[i]. Hua Tuo also created the "Five Animal Frolics" as a form of exercise, which allowed him to "remain vigorous even at nearly a hundred years old" [i]. His student Wu Zeng practiced the same method diligently and lived to be over ninety years old, still with good hearing and eyesight [i]. However, it has been proven that many professional athletes are not long-lived [i]. Therefore, longevity requires not only movement but also stillness [i]. A calm and tranquil mind is essential for health and longevity [i]. Since the "spirit" is prone to movement and difficult to calm, cultivating a calm and tranquil mind is particularly important [i]. Lao Tzu believed that "stillness is the master of restlessness" and advocated "achieving utmost emptiness and profound tranquility" [i]. The Inner Canon of Medicine proposed the idea of ​​"tranquility and emptiness" for health preservation and disease prevention from a medical perspective [i]. Cao Tingdong of the Qing Dynasty said, "When still, one should refrain from movement; when moving, one should not move recklessly, which is also stillness" [i]. "Calming the spirit" actually refers to focusing the mind, eliminating distracting thoughts, and avoiding excessive mental activity [i]. Excessive mental activity depletes essence and blood, and the spirit and energy fail to be nourished and preserved internally, which can lead to diseases of the internal organs and the body[i]. In terms of practicing stillness exercises, the health-preserving mechanism reflects the holistic ideas of "entering stillness from movement," "movement within stillness," "using stillness to control movement," and "combining movement and stillness"[i]. Ancient Chinese health practitioners have always attached great importance to the appropriate balance of movement and stillness, advocating the combination of movement and stillness, and the balance of strength and gentleness[i]. Movement is health, stillness is well-being[i]. From the "do not overwork" in the Inner Canon of Medicine to Sun Simiao's "the way to nourish one's nature is to always desire a little labor," both emphasize the importance of moderate movement and stillness[i]. In terms of physical strength, people with strong physical strength can move more appropriately, while those with weaker physical strength can move less, but neither should be overly fatigued[i]. In terms of time, one should be still before moving in the morning to benefit the day's work; one should move before being still in the evening to facilitate falling asleep[i]. In short, the mind desires stillness, and the body desires movement. Only by organically combining form and spirit, movement and stillness, can one conform to the objective laws of life movement[i]. ★ Exercise to relieve side stitches: (1) When a side stitch occurs, repeatedly take deep breaths and hold your breath, and clench your fists and forcefully pound the sides of your chest from top to bottom to relieve the pain [i]. (2) Lie on the bed and roll back and forth repeatedly to relieve the pain caused by the side stitch [i]. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that overwork can damage the body, causing fatigue and exhaustion in mild cases, and corresponding diseases in severe cases [i]. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic once pointed out: "The five types of overwork can cause injury: prolonged staring injures the blood, prolonged lying injures the qi, prolonged sitting injures the flesh, prolonged standing injures the bones, and prolonged walking injures the tendons. These are called the five types of overwork" [i]. This shows that whether walking, sitting, lying down, or standing is excessive and exceeds the limits that the human body can withstand, it can damage the body [i]. Whether it is physical or mental labor, fatigue is a signal to protect health [i]. There must be rest after labor, and rest is a physiologically appropriate way for people to get rid of fatigue [i]. According to research by occupational health experts, workers' work efficiency is best after waking up in the morning. Around 10 a.m., work efficiency gradually declines, rebounds after a midday nap, but declines even faster around 3 or 4 p.m. [i]. Therefore, to prevent overwork, improve work efficiency, and enhance physical fitness, it is advisable to engage in short-term exercise during work [i]. In recent years, the number of Japanese corporate employees who die from overwork has increased significantly [i]. When a person is under prolonged excessive stress and fatigue, bodily functions will become disordered, like a bowstring that is stretched too tight, which will eventually break [i]. Death from overwork is a modern disease. If people pay sufficient attention to their daily life and health, ensure sufficient sleep, maintain a regular and harmonious lifestyle, combine work and rest, strengthen physical exercise, pay attention to a balanced diet, and promptly eliminate psychological stress, they can prevent the occurrence of death from overwork [i]. As the ancients said, "The way of both literature and martial arts is a balance of tension and relaxation" [i]. In summary, there are several misunderstandings about rest: lying down more is rest. If you lie down more or for too long every day, it will not only affect digestion and lower blood pressure, but also make your legs and feet heavy and sluggish in the long run[i]; closing your eyes is rest. Even if you don't sleep, you will be distracted and have distracting thoughts, which will make you more tired[i]; entertainment is rest. If you are not entertained properly and have excessive partying, it will not only not be rest, but will also be harmful to your body[i]; sleeping more is rest. Sleeping more will not only reduce metabolism, but also cause brain hypoxia due to poor air quality in the bedroom[i]; the more rest the better. For adults, 8 hours of work during the day and 8 hours of sleep at night is enough. If you rest for too long, physical activity will inevitably decrease, which will gradually weaken your body's ability[i]. An American medical expert, Kiplov, advocated the one-minute rest method[i]. This set of exercises can make your body fully absorb oxygen and improve blood circulation: (1) Relax your whole body, stand firmly, let your arms hang naturally, loosen your fists, and relax all joints such as elbows and knees[i]. (2) Tensile all your muscles as much as possible, breathing normally, and silently count to 6 [i]. Then, tense one muscle group at a time-arms, legs, chest, abdomen, face-before tensing all muscles [i]. (3) Relax for a few seconds [i]. (4) Repeat the above process two to three times [i]. Kivlov suggests that this exercise should be done at least three times a day, for example, once in the morning, once at noon, and once in the evening [i].