What is qigong gymnastics and does it really improve health?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Qigong gymnastics is becoming popular along with other oriental practices. The life hacker figured out what this exercise system consists of, who is suitable for and whether it is worth spending time on it.

What is Qigong

Qigong is a holistic system aimed at achieving and maintaining health. It includes gymnastics, breathing exercises and meditation practices.

The word "qigong" itself consists of two components:

1. "Qi" is the flow of energy, life force, a fundamental concept of Chinese philosophy.
2. "Gong" - work, achievement.

It turns out that qigong can be translated as “work with qi”.

The qigong system grew out of Chinese traditional medicine and was influenced by various religions, including Taoism and Confucianism. Over time, the emphasis in practice has shifted from traditional philosophy and culture to health benefits, medical and martial arts applications.

Internal and external qigong

Qigong can be divided into internal and external. Internal Qigong is a practice in which a master controls his or her qi energy, helps the patient to release qi blockages and regulate the flow of energy. However, we will not consider this type of qigong - we will leave it to Chinese traditional healers.

External practice includes smooth, controlled movement, breath and thought control.

Qigong training is a kind of meditation that allows you to calm your thoughts, relax muscles and get rid of stress, which, in turn, has a positive effect on a person's mood and health.

External qigong can be divided into two classes:

1. Static qigong is the maintenance of motionless postures in which a person relaxes, concentrates on his condition, and performs breathing exercises.
2. Dynamic Qigong is exercises and self-massage elements.

Qigong practitioners claim that the practice can treat a wide range of diseases, but mainstream medicine does not recognize the effectiveness of this system.

What Science Says

In 2011, Korean scientists analyzed reviews of scientific studies on the health benefits of qigong. Five reviews confirmed the effectiveness of the practice, and the remaining five did not have a specific conclusion. In addition, the scientists noted that the bulk of the reviews were not credible due to the poor quality of the research.

Research weakness has been reported in other reviews as well:

1. The effectiveness of qigong for psychological well-being and the treatment of anxiety and depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
2. Qigong for the treatment of hypertension.
3. Managing stress and anxiety with qigong exercise for healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

In all reviews, Cochrane's seven-point scores indicated that the risk of error and bias in research was high.

The latest systematic review conducted by Chinese scientists in March 2017 showed that the Ba Duan Jing (8 Pieces of Brocade) exercise improves sleep quality, balance and flexibility in the core, and normalizes blood pressure and resting heart rate.

The review analyzed 19 randomized controlled trials, 13 of which scored high on the PEDro and six were moderate and low.

Thus, there is no firm evidence of the health benefits of qigong yet, but many studies support the positive effects of this practice.

Who is Qigong for?

Qigong involves simple postures and movements that, unlike yoga asanas, do not require good stretching and joint mobility. On the contrary, even a person with physical limitations can perform them.

The dynamic part includes turns of the body, bends, squats, arm movements. By raising the arms, the spine is stretched and aligned. Side-to-side turns and bends develop flexibility in the back.

In general, qigong gently warms up the body without overloading the muscles, and various pats help to disperse the blood better.

Because the movements are fluid and mindful, qigong is suitable for people of all ages and skill levels. Gymnastics has practically no contraindications and is suitable for:

1. Relief of psychological stress … During Qigong practice, great attention is paid to thoughts. You need to fully concentrate on the practice, and when extraneous thoughts arise, first calm them down and only then continue. It helps relieve mental stress and relieve stress.
2. Concentration improvements. Constant concentration on movement affects the work of the brain, accustoming it to attention and awareness.
3. Recovery from injury … Qigong movements are smooth and light, so the risk of re-injury is very small.

How to start practicing

You can practice qigong with an instructor or start on your own using videos and books. We'll look at both methods.

How to find a good teacher

Choosing a bad instructor, you risk your health even with such a gentle exercise system as qigong. So, the instructor should:

1. Look good … Qigong is a self-healing system, and practitioners, and even more so mentors, should take care of their health. If your instructor is overweight or unhealthy, it's worth considering whether you really have something to learn.
2. Answer your questions … A good teacher will be able to answer all your questions. If instead of answering you get a condescending “You will understand later” or “You don’t need to know this,” leave.
3. Be attentive to your concerns … If you or other students experience pain and discomfort in class and report it to the teacher, he should not ignore the complaint. Especially if the episodes are repeated.
4. Have a lot of experience … Ask how long your teacher has been studying and where he was educated. If his experience is not much more than yours, is it worth paying for training?

Evaluate the instructor, ask his students if the classes help them, and only then make a decision: to study with him or find another.

How to do it yourself

If you choose to practice on your own, YouTube videos and qigong books can help you.

On YouTube you will find quite a few videos from the renowned western qigong instructor and popularizer Lee Holden. He shows simple sets of exercises, explains what certain movements help to achieve, what you should feel while performing them.

Here's Lee Holden's 15-minute workout routine:

In the video below you will see how the famous set of exercises "Ba Duan Jing" is performed by Master Wang Ling, a Taijiquan and Qigong teacher and the founder of the school.

Wang Ling describes all the nuances of this complex in the book "Eight Exercises of Qigong".

If you want to dive deeper into qigong, study Chinese philosophy, the features of qi energy and other esoteric aspects of the practice, read special literature.

The basic concepts and rules for performing exercises can be gleaned from the book "Qigong - Chinese gymnastics for health" by authors Yun Long and Yufeng Tsen.

In the book “Qigong. History, theory, practice”, written by the qigong master Ma Jiren and the orientalist May Bogachikhin, reveals the peculiarities of philosophy, gymnastics and breathing exercises of qigong. The book will be useful for both beginners and experienced practitioners.

So, some consider qigong to be esoteric and sectarian, while others have been doing gymnastics for many years and feel the health benefits. Science confirms the effectiveness of the practice, but in each systematic review, the authors point out the need for more research and testing.

How to perceive this part of ancient Chinese medicine is up to you. Try a video tutorial or attend one class in your city. You may enjoy the meditative movement, like a flowing, mindful dance, and the feeling of calm and lightness after class.

If you have already tried qigong, write about your experience in the comments to the article.