Qigong system: simple postures for weight loss and health promotion

There are countless ways to lose extra pounds and improve health. Along with modern methods, those that have been known to the world for decades and even centuries are also popular. Among them, a strong position is taken by Qigong – a traditional Chinese system of wellness exercises. It combines postures and movements available to every person.

Despite the simplicity of the exercises, supporters of the eastern practice are convinced that it promotes recovery, weight loss and normalization of mental state. We tell you how Chinese miracle gymnastics really works.

How did the eastern methodology originate?

The founder of qigong in its modern interpretation is considered to be a doctor Liu Guizhen, an employee of the Chinese Communist Party. In 1948, colleagues recognized the specialist as terminally ill, because by his 27 he suffered from neurasthenia, tuberculosis and stomach ulcer in severe form, and weighed less than 40 kilograms. Liu was retired to his home village, but to everyone’s surprise, he was able to improve his health.

Thanks to his native uncle, Guizhen became familiar with traditional Chinese medicine. His treatment was more like an unusual health camp. Almost the entire time for three months, the doctor practiced movement and breathing practices, repeated mantras and followed a diet. After 100 days, he was able to gain 15 kilograms and return to work.

Liu’s colleagues were so impressed with his recovery that they sent the specialist back to his uncle. Now it was no longer for treatment, but to learn all the nuances of the healing method. Guizhen separated gymnastics for the development of the body from religious and feudal remnants, systematized the complex of exercises and got what is now called qigong.

Qigong in the modern understanding

Now under qigong is meant a whole system consisting of gymnastics, breathing exercises and meditative practices. The methodology is divided into internal and external. The first is associated with such a concept of Chinese medicine as Qi energy. According to Eastern teachings, in a healthy person it moves freely through the body, and if this process is disturbed, diseases arise. In fact, qigong aims to restore the movement of Qi in the body and get rid of ailments.

The external practice is much better understood. It involves smooth movements, thought control and practicing breathing – natural or abdominal, hard or soft. Roughly speaking, it is a kind of meditation that allows you to get rid of stress and keep your body toned.

Among the practices can be distinguished:

• static – aimed at maintaining postures and working out the breath;
• dynamic – they emphasize the performance of movements and sometimes elements of self-massage.

The Chinese Association of Health Qigong distinguishes four directions of gymnastics.

1. Ba Duan Jing – “eight magnificent movements”. The complex includes smooth changes of postures, in which alternates muscle tension and relaxation.
2. Wu Qin Si – “games of the five animals”. The exercises imitate the movements of a deer, crane, bear, monkey and tiger.
3. Liu Ji Jie – “the art of creating six healing sounds.” It is a breathing exercise in which you have to make sounds on the exhalation.
4. Yi Jin Jing – “classical gymnastics for tendons and muscles”. The complex develops strength and flexibility, includes turns of the body, tension of muscles and joints, bends and twists.

Effect of Chinese gymnastics on the body

With the help of gymnastics, as with any other therapeutic exercise, you can strengthen health, stretch muscles and even lose extra pounds.

Although qigong does not give a large load, in some poses you need to keep your balance and try to keep the balance. In this case, the stabilizer muscles are actively working, and the muscle corset develops evenly. In addition, when breathing deeply with the diaphragm, metabolism is accelerated, which contributes to weight loss.

Exercises are also aimed at tensing, relaxing and stretching the muscles. This causes blood flow to them and nourishes the tissues. Bending, turning and twisting improve the mobility of the spine and positively affect the posture.

Recommendations and contraindications

Qigong is a good way to prevent ailments, its movements are available even to people with physical limitations. Specialists from the United States, Brazil and China published a systematic review on the eastern practice and its meta-analysis. They concluded that such exercises are beneficial for quality of life, sleep, balance, arm strength, trunk flexibility, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and resting heart rate.

Researchers from universities in the U.S. and China have shown that exercise can reduce compound muscle pain and improve overall sleep quality in people with chronic conditions.

In addition, scientists from the Universities of Paris-Saclay, Paris Descartes and the Monsouri Mutual Institute have found that qigong works in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. It can enhance psychotherapy and contribute to the recovery process of patients.

Sometimes the technique is used in the complex treatment of arterial hypertension. In 2015, a review of scientific articles came out that prove the effectiveness of the practice to fight this disease.

The exercise complex is contraindicated in the exacerbation of chronic diseases. And if you have problems with the spine, knee and hip joints, it is necessary to consult a doctor before starting classes.

Where to start the classes?

Gymnastics begins with warming up: warming up exercises, circular movements in the joints, pulling, tapping on the abdomen, chest, legs and shoulders. It is desirable to practice qigong every day, but if you do not have such an opportunity – it’s okay. The main thing is to choose a suitable schedule for yourself and follow it, without skipping training.

Most styles do not involve the use of special equipment. From the equipment you will need loose clothing that does not constrict movements. You can practice without shoes: barefoot or in socks.

Practices can be done independently or under the supervision of an experienced instructor to understand the basics. If you do not want to look for an instructor, then, fortunately, the web has a lot of video tutorials that help to understand the essence of all the movements and breathing exercises. For example, on the expanses of YouTube, Lee Holden and Master Wang Lin talk about gymnastics in detail.