The Hidden Secrets of Health in Daily Life
In the pursuit of health, consistency is key. By paying attention to small details in our daily lives, such as making small movements while sitting, lying down, walking, and standing, we can achieve positive health effects.
1. Kneading the Knees while Sitting
As the saying goes, "Legs age before people do," and the knees are the first to show signs of aging. The knee is the most complex structure in the human body and the most prone to injury. Additionally, the knee is mostly composed of ligaments and bones, with fewer muscles, which results in poor blood circulation in this area. Therefore, one of the key aspects of knee joint care is to provide warmth and massage. It is recommended that elderly people habitually cover their knees with their hands and give them a gentle massage while sitting on a chair or sofa.
Here's how to do it:
Place the palms of both hands on the kneecaps, using the warmth of the palms to warm the knees. Let the fingers naturally spread out to provide a massaging effect similar to acupuncture. Start by using the fingers to press around the kneecaps in a radial pattern, about eight or nine times. Then use all five fingers to gently knead the knees, and finally rub the knees. The combination of warmth and massage can promote blood circulation in the knee joints, nourish the joints, and alleviate various symptoms such as joint pain.
2. Walking with Clenched Fists
Throughout history, grip strength has been an indicator of health and longevity. Research has shown that the more flexible the fingers, the less likely the mind will become "rusty." A report from the University of London, summarizing nearly 50 years of research on grip strength, states that grip strength is a valid indicator of longevity, and clenching fists is the easiest way to improve grip strength.
Here's how to do it:
Raise your wrists, extend your fingers forward, palms facing down, and then rotate your wrists from front to back, clenching your fists as you do so. There are two key movements in clenching the fists: rotating the wrists and pressing the middle finger on the Laogong acupoint. This is because the wrists have multiple meridians, such as the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, and rotating the wrists can stimulate these meridians, strengthening the functions of the corresponding organs. Additionally, when clenching the fists, the middle finger falls precisely on the Laogong acupoint of the palm. According to Chinese medicine, the Laogong acupoint belongs to the Pericardium Meridian and pressing on it has the effect of clearing heat from the heart, calming the mind, and reducing liver fire. We can practice clenching our fists while walking, paying attention to rotating the wrists first and then pressing the Laogong acupoint for 3-4 seconds, repeating the movement.
3. Practicing Anal Sphincter Contraction while Lying Down
Contracting the anal sphincter is a traditional method of health preservation. In Chinese medicine, there are three meridians near the anus: the Ren Meridian, the Du Meridian, and the Chong Meridian. The Ren Meridian governs the yin energy of the whole body, the Du Meridian governs the yang energy of the whole body, and the Chong Meridian is related to blood circulation. Contracting the anal sphincter can promote the circulation of yin and yang energies. Among them, the Huiyin acupoint is a very important acupoint for longevity. Regular practice of anal sphincter contraction can provide a good massage to the Huiyin acupoint, effectively maintaining reproductive function.
Here's how to do it:
Slightly contract the anal sphincter, similar to the feeling of holding back a bowel movement, hold for 3 to 4 seconds, then relax, and repeat the contraction. Practice this for a few minutes. Long-term practice can help reduce the occurrence of hemorrhoids and improve symptoms of female urinary incontinence.
How to Preserve Health in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Methods of Health Preservation and Daily Life Tips
4. Standing on Tiptoes
The feet are known as the "roots of vital energy," and the corresponding reflex zone for the reproductive system in the feet is the heel. Therefore, raising the heels is beneficial for reproductive health.
Here's how to do it:
Raise the heels as high as possible and then quickly lower them halfway, vibrating the heels. This can strengthen the sensation in the feet, exercise balance, and prevent falls in older adults. The vibration produced by raising the heels also provides a beneficial massage to the fat pad of the heels, relieving heel pain.
Daily Life Tips for Health Preservation
1. Slow Morning Health Preservation: Slow Wake Up, Slow Urination
It is said that "the plan for the day is in the morning," but the morning is also the most dangerous time. Even though the body has stretched and the mind has become clearer after a night's sleep, the organs and blood vessels are still in a half-awake state. Therefore, the key to morning health preservation lies in slowness.
Slow wake up involves three three-minute activities. In a supine position, open your eyes wide and adjust to the alternating process of waking up. Rub your palms together until they are warm and use them to "wash your face" for one minute. Then slowly sit up in a half-reclining position and comb your hair with your fingers 100 times for 2-3 minutes. Finally, move your feet to the edge of the bed and sit quietly for 2-3 minutes. During this time, practice deep breathing slowly.
Slow urination is also crucial. After waking up, there may be an urgent need to urinate, but the more urgent the urge, the more you should remain calm. Emptying the bladder too quickly can cause dizziness and even micturition syncope. Urination should be slow, avoiding excessive force or speed. When in an upright or squatting position, support yourself with your hands.
Slow drinking of water is also very important. After a night of metabolism and water evaporation, it is inevitable to wake up with a dry mouth. At this time, drinking water in big gulps can put a strain on the heart. The correct method is to pour a glass of warm water, moisten the mouth with a small sip, then slowly swallow it, drinking in small sips of 250-300 milliliters is sufficient.
