How ancient Chinese technique can help improve your walking speed, posture and flexibility
Stay healthy as you get older? Just wave your arms! How an ancient Chinese technique can help you improve your walking speed, posture and flexibility and make everyday tasks so much easier
- Over 1,000-year-old exercise routine consists of a series of five arm swings
Forget expensive gym memberships – the secret to a healthy old age may be as simple as waving your arms.
Walking speed, posture and flexibility all improved in women who did a traditional Chinese arm swing exercise three times a week for two months, one study found.
The women, who were between 60 and 70, also found daily activities such as dressing and cooking easier after practicing Shuai Shou Gong.
Even touching their toes took less effort.
Researcher Professor Neil Roberts, from the University of Edinburgh, said: “These findings show that the gentle, rhythmic, whole-body sequence of movements of Shuai Shou Gong can be easily learned and enjoyed by older adults and can improve overall health and well-being improves.”
The exercise routine, which is more than 1,000 years old, consists of a series of five arm swings. In the first four, the arms swing back and then forward, to shoulder height
On the fifth swing, bend your knees twice — once as you swing your arms back and again as you bring them forward. The sequence is then repeated several times
The exercise routine, which is more than 1,000 years old, consists of a series of five arm swings. In the first four, the arms swing back and then forward, to shoulder height.
On the fifth swing, bend your knees twice — once as you swing your arms back and again as you bring them forward. The sequence is then repeated several times.
The deceptively simple moves can yield a wealth of benefits. The knee bends strengthen the muscles in the hips and thighs.
Swinging the arms stimulates the nerves, tendons and muscles around the shoulder, reports Plos One magazine.
In the first study of its kind, 56 women between the ages of 60 and 80 were divided into two groups.
Professor James Goodwin (pictured), from the University of Exeter, said using Shuai Shou Gong would bring ‘many benefits to the general population’
One of them took 40-minute Shuai Shou Gong classes three times a week for two months.
The second group just went on with their lives. In retrospect, the arm swingers saw benefits in posture, gait and flexibility.
They also found daily tasks easier and felt more confident. The other group saw no improvement – and their walking even deteriorated.
Professor James Goodwin, from the University of Exeter, said the use of Shuai Shou Gong would bring ‘many benefits to the general population’.
He added: ‘It would maintain quality of life, contribute to good mental health and could even slow down general aging.’