Chapter Twenty-Seven: Characteristics of Traditional Fitness Techniques and Principles of Exercise-Based Health Preservation

(III) Integrating Guiding Exercises, Martial Arts, and Medical Theory

Daoyin is a medical term, while Qigong is a common name for Daoyin. It mainly focuses on mental focus, breath regulation, and physical conditioning, and includes static exercises that focus on regulating the spirit and dynamic exercises that focus on regulating the body.

Martial arts, on the other hand, focuses on physical movement and emphasizes the adjustment of form.

Regardless of the method, when applied to health preservation, it emphasizes the coordinated unity of mindfulness, breath regulation, and physical conditioning. It focuses on external training of muscles, bones, and skin, and internal training of essence, energy, and spirit. The aim is to activate the body, unblock the flow of qi and blood through the meridians, and harmonize essence, energy, and internal organs.

Therefore, traditional fitness techniques are a health preservation method with Chinese characteristics that integrates guiding exercises, martial arts, and medical principles.

III. Principles of Applying Exercise for Health Preservation

The principles for applying traditional Chinese fitness techniques mainly include the following four points:

(I) Mastering the key points

The key to traditional fitness exercises is the coordinated unity of focusing the mind, regulating breathing, and adjusting body posture.

Of these three, the most crucial is concentration. Only when the mind and intention are focused can one calm the spirit, breathe evenly, and guide the flow of qi and blood, which is what is meant by "using intention to guide qi, and using qi to move the form."

In this way, through internal training of the spirit, qi and blood, and internal organs, and external training of the limbs, muscles and bones, and meridians, the internal and external aspects can be harmonized, qi and blood can circulate freely, and the entire body can be fully trained.

(ii) Suitable strength

Exercise is a way to maintain health, so it's important to control the intensity of your workouts.

Excessive exercise, exceeding the body's capacity, can actually harm the body due to overexertion; insufficient exercise, on the other hand, fails to achieve the purpose of exercise and does not provide any health benefits.

In his book "Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold," Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty pointed out: "The way to nourish one's nature is to always desire a little exertion, but not to be too tired or to force oneself beyond one's capacity."

An insurance company investigated the health conditions of 5,000 deceased athletes and found that some of them developed heart disease in their 40s or 50s, and many had shorter lifespans than the average person.

The main reason is that these athletes' excessive exercise disrupts the body's internal and external balance, accelerates the wear and tear of certain organs and the imbalance of physiological functions, resulting in a shortened lifespan and premature aging and death.

Therefore, exercise for health emphasizes appropriate exercise, which should be done gradually and not rushed. Otherwise, haste makes waste.

(III) Relaxation and Naturalness

"Relaxation and tranquility" refers to the coordination of physical relaxation and mental calmness during exercise, especially Qigong, as well as the natural flow of various movements.

Relaxation primarily refers to physical relaxation, especially the relaxation of muscles and joints; it also refers to mental relaxation.

Tranquility mainly refers to mental tranquility, that is, entering a state of mental stillness and eliminating all distracting thoughts.

Naturalness refers to physical movements, breathing exercises, and mental adjustments, all of which should be done in a natural way. Physical movements should be performed to the best of one's ability according to the principles of the movements, while breathing and mental focus should follow the natural flow.

Some physical movements should be performed according to one's own physical condition. If the requirements of the movement cannot be met, one should not force it. One should do one's best, proceed step by step, and let nature take its course. Similarly, breathing and mental adjustment should also be done in accordance with the natural flow. Little by little, one can achieve great things.

(iv) Perseverance

Exercise is not something that can be done overnight; it must be done regularly and continuously.

The proverb "Running water never stagnates, and a frequently used door hinge never rusts" illustrates the principle that "life lies in movement." It also emphasizes the importance of regular and continuous exercise. Just as water that flows continuously will not stagnate, a frequently used door hinge will not be rusted by insects. Only by being persistent and unwavering can one achieve the effects of health preservation. One cannot achieve the purpose of exercise by working only sporadically.

Exercise for health is not only about physical training, but also about training one's will and perseverance.

In addition, middle-aged and elderly people, especially the elderly, have different degrees of aging in various organs, resulting in reduced mobility and coordination. Some may also suffer from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases or musculoskeletal diseases. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people should pay attention to the following points when exercising to avoid affecting their health.

1. Avoid weight-bearing exercises.

When a person does weight-bearing exercise, they must first hold their breath. Holding their breath increases the pressure inside the lungs, obstructs blood circulation, increases the burden on the heart, and reduces the amount of blood returning to the heart, which can easily lead to cerebral ischemia, causing dizziness or fainting. After holding their breath, the pressure suddenly disappears and the amount of blood returning to the heart suddenly increases. For patients with arterial thrombosis or hypertension, this can easily lead to cerebral hemorrhage and even endanger their lives.

Therefore, elderly people, especially those with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, should avoid weight-bearing exercises.

2. Avoid exercising immediately before or after meals.

If a person exercises immediately after eating, the nerves in charge of digestion are inhibited, which often leads to a decrease in the secretion of digestive juices and a slowdown in gastric motility. At the same time, blood supply to the digestive system is reduced during exercise. All of these factors can affect the digestion and absorption of food, easily causing digestive dysfunction or diseases.

Similarly, eating immediately after exercise can also disrupt digestion and lead to some chronic digestive system diseases.

Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people whose digestive systems have already aged should not exercise immediately after eating, nor should they eat immediately after exercising.

3. Try to maintain a normal body position during exercise.

Elderly people often have arteriosclerosis, which makes their blood vessels harder, less elastic, and more fragile. Some blood vessels may also contain plaques or thrombi.

Bending your head down can easily cause blood to suddenly rush to the blood vessels in the brain, leading to rupture of the blood vessels and cerebral hemorrhage.

Moreover, even without cerebral hemorrhage, when returning to a normal posture, the blood flow to the brain suddenly decreases in a short period of time, resulting in insufficient oxygen supply to the brain, which can also cause fainting and other phenomena.

Therefore, older adults should try to maintain normal postures and avoid inverted movements such as bowing or standing upside down.

4. Warm-up exercises should be performed before exercising.

Before exercising, middle-aged and elderly people should prepare by moving their joints and relaxing their muscles to bring them into a proper state of tension, which can help prevent injuries such as muscle strains.