The importance of regular exercise

The Chinese have a saying that, “the disease of old age is lack of movement.” The idea here is be active, and stay active, throughout ones entire life, as regular exercise is a major part in keeping us healthy, and young.

Early art work found in the Mawangdui tombs (206 BCE) , in Hunan province, depicts people doing all kinds of movements, many of which are still preformed to this day.

The reality is that all traditional cultures have known the benefits of regular exercise, because daily life depended on it. The idea of sitting around all day watching television, surfing on the internet, or even sitting at a desk to work, is a relatively modern way of life. Traditional peoples were active and we certainly do best when we follow suit.

It has been my experience that the type of exercise doesn’t matter too much, it is more about the enjoyment and regular experience of it that matters most. Patients will often ask me if they should do some kind of regular Qi Gong exercises for this or that organ, for which I usually reply, “Sure, go for it. What I really care about the most is the act of regular movement, so if you would rather do Tango dancing then do that instead.”

“It is more important to just be active than to participate in any particular kind of exercise or activity. Just ensure that the activity be regular and enjoyable.”

My 85 year old grandmother-in-law is a very healthy living example of this. Her regular activity, besides the many projects that she puts her mind to, is walking. In fact she makes sure to have a 45 minute brisk walk everyday. This regularly focused fun activity has certainly paid off for her.

The benefits of regular exercise are obviously enormous. Some of the major ones would be: improved circulation to both our blood and lymph, improved digestion, better sugar metabolism, improved breathing (many asthma suffers declare that their problems went away when they started to run regularly), improved sleep, and on and on. Stress reduction is another biggy that exercise helps with, which is an absolute must when it comes to the many skin disorders whose beginnings have their origin in a stressful event.

I remember one time I asked my mentor/ teacher Mazin Al Khafaji if he did some secret type of martial art, as he looks incredibly healthy. He looked at me, smiled, and simply said, “I like to jog.” I laughed and thought, “Yup. The type of exercise doesn’t matter. It is more about the regular and fun factor!”

Wishing you health,

Dr. Trevor Erikson