In modern society, exercise seems to be the standard in the pursuit of health. From sweating in the gym to running and working out outdoors, people are increasingly enthusiastic about exercise. However, can exercise really restore our bodies without reservation and bring us back to health and vitality as we expect? From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the answer is not so simple.

I. Essential Differences between Modern Exercise and Chinese Medicine Exercise

1. Modern sports and ancient meridian sports

Common modern sports, such as running, fitness, jerking iron, etc., mainly exercise the muscles and bones. When running, our leg muscles and bones are subjected to the pressure of the exercise, and our cardiopulmonary function is also enhanced to a certain extent, with faster breathing, faster heartbeat, and faster blood flow, so that the lung capacity can be improved, and the qi and blood seem to be enhanced.

Fitness jerking is even more focused on muscle building and shaping.

However, from the point of view of the meridian theory of Chinese medicine, these exercises do not really touch the meridians, and it is more difficult to play a direct role in exercising the internal organs.

In stark contrast are the traditional Chinese medical feats. Take Taijiquan as an example, it is slow and gentle, and may not seem as intense as modern sports, but its core lies in the movement of meridians and qi channels. When the practitioner slowly plays one move after another, the meridians in the body are gently combed by a pair of gentle hands.

Chinese medicine says "gas for the blood of the handsome", gas line is blood line, the meridians are smooth, the blood naturally smooth.Moreover, when practicing Taijiquan seriously, the qi of the human body will also intermingle with the qi of heaven and earth, just like opening a window of the body, exhaling turbid qi, absorbing the clear qi of heaven and earth, and discharging the turbid qi of the body.

However, it is not easy to achieve healing through traditional gong methods.This is closely related to the depth of the individual's practice of the kung fu and his or her own state of being. It is not the case that health can be achieved by simply imitating the movements. There are several prerequisites that need to be met in order to truly practice gong and remain healthy.

First.You have to be good at what you do.The base here refers to the original foundation of the body in terms of qi and blood, as well as the functioning of the internal organs. If one's own qi and blood deficiency is serious, and the function of internal organs is weak, then relying solely on practicing qigong to restore one's health will be very difficult.

Secondly.There can be no particularly large internal conflicts in life.Internal depletion includes overwork, prolonged late nights, and emotional ups and downs. A person who lives a peaceful life and is emotionally stable is more conducive to nourishing the body and mind through practicing qigong.

Finally, it is vital to keep practicing day in and day out.The effect of gongfu is not achieved overnight, it needs time to accumulate and precipitate, and only through long-term persistence can one gradually feel the changes in the body.

If you can't do the above three points, trying to reverse sub-health and restore your health by simply relying on practicing kung fu is honestly very difficult to achieve.

2. Reasons why physical ill-health cannot be recovered by exercise alone

All the diseases and sub-health states in the body can be analyzed from the root of Chinese medicine theory, which can be attributed to the two aspects of deficiency and reality.

Deficiency is more complex and from a functional point of view, there may be a variety of conditions such as Qi deficiency, blood deficiency, yin deficiency, yang deficiency, and fluid deficiency.
People with qi deficiency often show weakness and are out of breath with the slightest activity;
People with blood deficiency may have a paler or yellowish complexion and are prone to dizziness;
Those with Yin deficiency may then experience warmth in the hearts of the hands and feet and night sweats;
People with yang deficiency tend to be more afraid of cold and their limbs are often not warm;
People with fluid deficiency will feel dry mouth and dry skin.

In terms of internal organs, there may be lung deficiency, spleen deficiency, stomach deficiency, liver deficiency, kidney deficiency, and so on.
People with weak lungs are prone to colds and coughs;
People with spleen deficiency tend to have poor digestion, loss of appetite and bloating and diarrhea;
People with weak stomachs may experience stomach pain, bloating, and discomfort after eating;
Liver deficiency may lead to dry eyes, loss of vision, and depression;
In case of kidney deficiency, problems such as weak back and knees and reduced sexual function may occur.

The real situation is equally diverse:

Organic lesions like all nodules, hyperplasia, cysts, effusions, etc., are mainly caused by phlegm, dampness, stasis, cold and heat when dismantled from the Chinese medicine perspective. For example.
People with heavy phlegm-dampness in their bodies may be fat, have a thick and greasy tongue, and are easily sleepy;
People with stagnant blood may have pain in fixed areas of the body and may have petechiae on the skin;
People with cold evil in their bodies will have more pronounced symptoms of fear of cold, and may also have abdominal pain and diarrhea;
In contrast, people with heat evil in their bodies may experience fever, thirst, and sore throat.

3. Chinese medicine has clear principles for regulating these deficiencies and realities.

When there is deficiency, it should be tonified, and according to different evidence of deficiency, methods such as tonifying qi, blood, yin, yang, and fluids are used;
In reality, they should be opened, drained and passed, such as resolving phlegm, dispelling dampness, activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, dispersing cold and clearing heat.
Obviously, these complex physical conditions cannot be solved by exercise alone. For those who are very weak and have a health status below 60, it is a long process to regain health, even if there is no internal conflict and they are able to keep practicing.Because physical deficiency is like a warehouse with a lack of supplies, exercise, although it can promote the circulation of yang energy to a certain extent, but it can't fundamentally replenish the lack of supplies, just like a skillful woman can't cook without rice.

4. You have to distinguish whether you are not passable or dishonorableIf you're not deficient per se, but just locally inaccessible, then a lot of your sub-health can be solved by exercising.If you have less of it yourself, a lot of sub-health is due to the fact that there is no qi or blood to glorify it. This is when your exercise may become a greater burden on your body.There is a phenomenon that occurs: you feel fine when you exercise, and you look fine in every way. But after the exercise you feel more tired and uncomfortable. At this point you should think about whether to consider a different way, can not rely entirely on exercise as a way to regulate. We just can't get through the front of the people can be categorized as strong self-healing sub-healthy people exercise exercise becomes "healthy people". The latter is the real sub-healthy people, may be a lot of other people think that the effective formula, he served are not ideal, other people think that healthy exercise, he moved after the same. So, in the end, your body is suitable for exercise, or your body should choose how to adjust the best way?First you have to have a clear enough understanding of your body.

Modern medicine is for you to go to the examination report every year to see the indicator data, but often the final result is: chronic diseases for life to take medication, acute symptoms or organic lesions to the hospital for surgery.
Chinese medicine likewise has a corresponding set of guidelines. Chinese medicine is not an indicator of one's physical health, but is based on all aspects of your body's sensations and functions.

Here's a previous post I wrote about the diet, poop, sleep, and mood criteria for true health:Indicators of physical healthMany people remain confused about what it means to be healthy and what it means to be unhealthy. They may mistake unhealthy for healthy and delay recovery. In addition, I have combined my years of clinical practice to categorize people's health into several score bands.

As for how much your body actually scores?

☆☆☆ Limitations of modern sports

• ​Tendon exercise is the mainstay: Exercises such as running and jerking iron mainly stimulate the musculoskeletal system and improve cardiorespiratory function, but have limited regulation of the meridians and internal organs.
• ​The energy drain trap: Excessive exercise may deplete qi and blood and aggravate yin or yang deficiency (e.g., night sweats and chills after night running).

☆☆The Wisdom of Chinese Medicine Exercise

• ​Meridian Guiding Technique (TCM)Taijiquan and Ba Duan Jin are slow movements that dredge up the twelve main meridians, such as the "cloud hand" movement to regulate the liver and gallbladder meridians, and the "single whip" movement to activate the bladder meridian.
• ​The principle of double supplementation of qi and bloodThe movements are designed to follow the unity of "form, qi and god", such as the Five Birds Opera, which imitates animal postures and guides clear qi to rise and turbid qi to fall in the body.

comparison::

​Type of sport	​population (esp. of a group of people)	​conditioning effect
Modern Fitness	Sub-health in young adults	Enhances muscle strength and improves fitness in the short term
shadowboxing or Taiji, T'aichi or T'aichichuan	Middle-aged and old people with deficiency of qi and blood	Improved balance in 3 months, better sleep in 6 months

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​Second, the deep-seated causes of physical ill-health: analysis of the identification of deficiency and reality

(with tongue chart and self-assessment form)
1. The four major types and manifestations of deficiency syndrome

​Types of deficiency evidence	​typical symptom	​Tongue Characteristics	​Exercise is contraindicated
lacking in vitality	Shortness of breath, fatigue	Tongue pale red with thin white coating	High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
blood deficiency	Pale face, dizziness	Tongue pale and fat with teeth marks	Long distance running, hot yoga
deficiency of Yin energy	Night sweats, five heartburns and fever	red tongue with little moss	Hot yoga, sauna
deficiency of the yang energy	Fear of cold, cold limbs	Tongue pale purple with white slippery moss	Winter swimming, cold showers

2. Empirical evidence of the three main causal factors and hazards

​Type of evidence	​Reasons for formation	​Typical Diseases	​conditioning direction
phlegm and wetness	Greasy diet + Spleen deficiency and lack of transportation	Fatty liver, polycystic ovaries	Er Chen Tang + Hawthorn and Lotus Leaf Tea
extravasated blood (leaking insurrounding tissue)	Qi stagnation and blood stasis + history of trauma	Uterine fibroids, arthritis	Tao Hong Si Wu Tang + bloodletting by stabbing the collaterals
malingering of cold and heat	Overeating and eating + disordered work and rest	irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)	Semixia Diarrhea Heart Soup + Moxibustion at Shenque

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​Third, the core principle of Chinese medicine regulation: through the combination of complementary

(with classic formulas and operating instructions)
1. The three-step approach to the management of deficiency syndrome

• ​Step 1: Slowly replenish qi and blood
  • Formula: Bazhen Tang (Radix et Rhizoma Ginseng 15g + Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata 20g + Radix Angelicae Sinensis 10g)
  • Food therapy: lamb soup with angelica and ginger (2 times a week, stop taking it during menstruation)
• ​Step 2: Unclog the meridians
  • Gong method: daily morning exercises "left and right open bows like shooting eagles" (dredge the hand Taiyin lung meridian)
• ​Step 3: Consolidate the foundations
  • Habits: Sleeping before Ohio time (21-23 o'clock), together with the Yongquan acupoints applying Wuzhu powder

2. Key points of empirical conditioning

• ​phlegmatic and moist body (TCM)::
  • Bloodletting by stabbing the collaterals (Fenglong point + Yinlingquan point) 1 time per week
  • Diet: Adzuki Bean and Job's Tears Porridge (Fried Job's Tears need to be soaked for 2 hours first)
• ​stasis of blood (medicine)::
  • External treatment: peach kernel and safflower medicinal wine applied externally to the painful area (10g of safflower + 15g of peach kernel + 500ml of white wine)
  • Internal formula: Hematophagus and Blood Stasis Tang (12g of peach kernel + 9g of safflower + 6g of chuanxiong ligustici)

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​Fourth, how to determine whether you are fit to exercise?

1. Assessment of athletic adaptations

​rating scale	​Compliance with standards	​score
Morning tongue status	Pale red tongue/thin white moss	20 points.
Post-exercise recovery rate	Fatigue disappears within 30 minutes	30 points
Quality of sleep at night	Deep sleep ≥ 4 hours	25 cents.
emotional stability	Average number of irritations ≤ 2 per month	25 cents.

2. Comparison table of results

​Overall score range	​Conditioning Recommendations
80-100 points	Aerobic exercise (e.g., brisk walking) may be done in moderation
50-79 points	You need to take tonics before exercising
<50 points	Avoid strenuous exercise and focus on rest and recuperation