Life depends on movement, which is the truth of health and longevity. Exercise brings about specific changes within the body, promoting overall health and longevity. Now let me discuss the internal effects of exercise.
The human body is more complex than any machine. Human existence involves not only physical and chemical processes but also physiological and psychological changes. Each of these changes directly or indirectly affects the body. Exercise helps to mediate and balance these changes, making them beneficial to the body’s health.
There are four elements to human health: emotions, nutrition, exercise, and the appropriate supplementation of nutrients. Emotions are the foundation of thoughts, nutrition is the foundation of substances, and nutrients are essential for the body’s anti-aging needs. Exercise can balance the body’s Yin and Yang, regulate the flow of nutrients and defensive Qi (Wei Qi), aid in their digestion and absorption within the body, and promote the improvement of the body’s constitution, ultimately achieving the goal of fitness.
It is necessary for individuals to prevent, treat, and restore any dysfunctions, imbalances, or diseases related to aging and bodily functions.
For one’s own health, it is essential to engage in proper exercise and follow a scientific diet. Each person should develop a tailored health plan suitable for themselves.
If the body is not exercised in a timely manner, various office syndromes may arise. For example, neuralgia, cervical pain, gastric ulcers, heart disease, diabetes, insomnia, loss of appetite, and general body soreness. Excessive nutrition intake may lead to high cholesterol levels and diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease, lung disease, hypertension, and diabetes.
Multiple investigations and studies have confirmed that Tai Chi is the best exercise.
Regular practice of Tai Chi allows the qi to sink to the dantian, with internal energy descending below the navel to the Guanyuan acupoint, facilitating the communication between the Ren and Du meridians. It also ensures that the Qi flows smoothly throughout the body, strengthens the kidneys, elevates the body’s endocrine hormones, regulates their activity, enhances cellular metabolism, increases self-maintenance and repair capabilities, activates cellular regeneration, and delays and slows down the aging process.
Tai Chi improves the function of brain nerve cells, harmonizing excitatory and inhibitory functions.
It improves the circulatory system, expands lung capacity, enhances gas exchange capability, slows down heart rate, delays diastolic phase, allows the heart to fully recover, strengthens cardiac contraction, increases output, and promotes a normal heart rate.
Tai Chi benefits the exchange of substances inside and outside the capillaries, improves tissue utilization of oxygen, reduces uric acid accumulation, and aims to relieve fatigue and repair the body.
The deep, long, and gentle breathing in Tai Chi increases the activity of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, regulates intercostal muscle respiration function, increases the tension between the lungs and chest cavity, enhances lung capacity, and promotes lung health.
It has good preventive and therapeutic effects on various joint diseases, such as weakness in flexion and extension, joint stiffness, joint pain, joint degeneration, and osteophyte formation.
It also has a preventive effect on overall body soreness and allergies. When the body lacks oxygen, it produces lactic acid, which causes general body soreness, fatigue, and joint pain. By practicing Tai Chi, oxygen levels in the blood increase, reducing the production of lactic acid and effectively controlling joint pain.
In summary, Chen-style Tai Chi exercises the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and the entire musculoskeletal system. It combines internal and external aspects, alternates between fast and slow movements, connects each movement seamlessly, and integrates them as a whole. From visceral tissues to the body’s tissues, joints, ligaments
, and tendon sheaths, they all receive movement and exercise.
To preserve health, it is crucial to plan early and maintain and prolong the vitality possessed by young people. This is the best opportunity to delay aging.
Having a healthy body is not only a source of happiness for the family but also the hope of society. I encourage all friends to start engaging in exercise and fitness while in good health, in order to save and maintain their health for a long and prosperous life.
– Grandmaster Cheng JIncai, translated : Mark