Part of Traditional Chinese medicine’s health regime is regular exercise. In Asia this usually means Qigong, Tai Chi, Yoga, or a martial art. Exercise forms one of the 3 main pillars for maintaining good health and longevity. The other 2 are diet and rest and relaxation. There are many proverbs that indicate the importance of exercise and movement to the Chinese : Man is born soft and supple but dies stiff and hard, Flexibility is life, stiffness is death., If you don’t use it, you lose it., and The normal man breathes from his throat, while the real man breathes from his heels. All of these indicate that moving and mobilising your body is extremely essential to living a healthy, pain free life. Also that breathing should be done with the diaphragm and the belly to saturate the body with oxygen and massage the internal organs.
In China exercise, and martial arts, were designed so that you get better as you age. In the West we often look at our sport as our exercise. But come 40 years of age and not many of us can keep playing the sports we love at a level that benefits our long term health.
We have many classes that offer a multitude of ways to enhance your health, well-being, and vitality. To find out more check out www.mckfa.com.au and www.fitlifemartialarts.com.au