Fitness and rejuvenation exercises for the elderly

Rejuvenation exercise for the elderly is neither a magic trick that can "rejuvenate" people, nor is it a showmanship to collect IQ taxes. It is essentially a low-load full-body activity program adapted to the physiological characteristics of middle-aged and elderly people. Scientific exercises can indeed improve joint flexibility, enhance cardiopulmonary endurance, and relieve anxiety. However, if you choose the wrong version and the movements exceed the upper limit of your physical fitness, it will easily cause joint wear, falls, and even cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents.

Speaking of which, the first time I got involved with this kind of exercise was last year when my mother suffered from frozen shoulder and couldn't lift her arms. The rehabilitation therapist at the community hospital asked her to stop doing random traction and start with gentle upper limb movements. There happened to be a 78-year-old Master Chen in the square downstairs who taught exercise every day, so I followed him and squatted for half a month, and I was able to understand all the ways here.

Last week, I met Aunt Zhang, who lives in Building 3. She had severe degenerative disease in her knees. She had to hold the wall while squatting down to pick up a key. She followed her by doing rejuvenation exercises with modified movements for two months. Two days ago, she carried ten kilograms of rice up to the third floor in one breath. Everyone she saw said this exercise was magical. But when I turned around, I heard Dr. Wang from the community hospital complaining. Last month, I admitted Uncle Li, who had just followed the online rejuvenation exercise. He did a 360-degree swing of his neck. He already had carotid artery plaque and fainted in the square. Fortunately, he was sent to the hospital in time and nothing serious happened.

Regarding the movement standards of rejuvenation exercises, there is actually no unified opinion in the circle. Master Chen has been practicing for 20 years. His point of view is that "movements must be opened so that qi and blood can flow through." The exercises he teaches include turning the head and lowering the waist to touch the ankles. Among the old guys who have been practicing with him for five or six years, there is indeed a high blood pressure that has been above 160 all year round. Now it is stable at around 130, and the old problem of constipation has been cured - but Master Chen has to shout three times before every start: Don't shake your head if you have cervical spondylosis, don't bend down if you have lumbar protrusion, don't squat if you have bad knees, and consciously reduce the range of motion by half.

The hospital rehabilitation department is much more cautious. Dr. Wang feels that most of the rejuvenation exercises currently on the market do not take into account the common problems of osteoporosis, carotid artery plaque, and joint degeneration in middle-aged and elderly people. It is fine for young people to do it, but it is easy for old people with plaques to compress blood vessels and cause insufficient blood supply to the brain. He also recommends an improved version from the rehabilitation department. All movements do not exceed the comfort zone of the joints. The speed is doubled, and each movement is paused for 2 seconds. It can be done even in a wheelchair or lying on bed.

There is actually nothing wrong with either statement. I have seen people who have been practicing with Master Chen for ten years and have become in great shape. I have also seen people who have alleviated lumbar protrusion by practicing in slow motion according to the rehabilitation department. The core still needs to match their physical condition.

Many old people have a misunderstanding about rejuvenation exercises. They think that the more tired they are and the more they sweat, the better the effect will be. Last time I met an aunt who practiced for 40 minutes. Her face turned pale and she still struggled to hold on. She said, "You can get rid of moisture by sweating more." In the end, Dr. Wang almost fainted. It is said that the heart rate of an elderly person's exercise should be "170 minus age". For example, for a 70-year-old man, a heart rate of 100 is enough. Any higher heart rate will put more burden on the heart. If you really feel bored and dizzy, sit down and rest quickly. Don't bear it.

Some people say that practicing rejuvenation exercises can cure diabetes and high blood pressure without taking medicine. This is pure nonsense. Master Chen has an old friend with diabetes. After practicing for half a year, his dosage has been reduced by a quarter. That’s because he kept his mouth shut at the same time and walked 4,000 steps after meals every day. Exercise is only a part of the assistance. If he really stops taking the medicine, his blood sugar will rise in minutes. Both Master Chen and Dr. Wang are completely consistent on this point: Exercise is a form of exercise and cannot replace medicine.

Oh, by the way, a friend asked me before if I could do the rejuvenation exercises that focus on meridian tapping. Dr. Wang said that as long as the intensity is well controlled and the tapping is comfortable, don’t believe the nonsense that “bruising is the only way to detoxify”, which may easily cause subcutaneous bleeding, which is not worth the gain.

If you want to follow along, you really don’t need to buy hundreds of dollars worth of tutorials. Go around the square near your home and find an instructor who will start by asking if you have any underlying medical conditions and tell you about taboo moves in advance. Stand aside and watch for ten minutes. If there are moves like turning your head sharply, standing on one leg for more than 3 seconds, or bending down to reach the ground, just walk away and don’t join in the fun.

Don't be embarrassed to sit down and practice at the beginning. Just sit on a bench in the park, raise your hands, turn your shoulders, and hook your feet. There is no risk in these movements. Practice for half a month. After doing it every day, you will feel that your whole body is comfortable and you will not have joint pain or panic. Then slowly increase the range. My mother practiced sitting down for three weeks before slowly standing up and doing the upper body movements. Now the frozen shoulder is mostly healed and she can even go to the top of the closet to get a quilt.

Last time I asked Master Chen, what you do is called rejuvenation exercise. Can it really make people rejuvenate? The old man squatted by the flower bed and wiped his sweat, smiling with his teeth exposed: "What kind of rejuvenation is there? We are all people who are half buried in the loess. I just come out every day to chat with the old friends, move my arms and legs, get less sick, and don't cause trouble to my children. This is the best way to rejuvenate." ”

Don't tell me, it's true.