DDA’s Monthly Healthy Living Tips
Summer Motivation
During the summer months, especially in Shanghai where the heat and humidity tend to put the kibosh on outdoor activities and many indoor ones, as everyone suffers from a distinct lack of motivation, it’s good to revisit ways to stay healthy and keep your body toned and strong. Whilst some of us mightn’t want to be ‘sculpted’ CrossFit stars or take up body building; developing and keeping a strong core, stable spine and overall muscle strength is important for maintaining good health and balance, particularly as we age.
The two exercises suggested by Sara Sigmundsdottir will prove difficult for beginners, so easy does it is the right motto, but if you’re experienced perhaps give them a try!
Tips for building and preserving a strong core can be helpful for all of us needing to re-engage those stomach muscles neglected by the Covid-year! While those from Sara Sigmundsdottir are for more ‘seasoned’ practitioners, there are strength training regimens that suit all levels and body conditions.
A strong core can help stabilize the spine and help with good posture and prevention of back pain, something that can be extremely debilitating; but strength training exercises are beneficial for a whole host of reasons.
Building a Strong Core
There are several exercises that can engage our core in a fairly ‘easy-to-do’ manner, and while we may not all have access to a gym, sometimes it helps to mix and match exercises from different systems if they are safe and can work the same muscle groups. Here’s a great ‘beginners’ exercise to try when just starting out on strength training.
If you suffer with back issues, of course check with your doctor first, but generally, rule of thumb for a variety of ailments, especially physical in nature, is that rehabbing those areas requires movement and exercise. And in TCM, (Traditional Chinese Medicine) lack of movement leads to stagnation of the energy and blood, and therefore eventually condition and disease; so movement and exercise are key for good health in both eastern and western health systems. So what are you waiting for, let’s get moving! Check out some of DDA’s back health exercises on our Roseinchina YouTube channel too.
Taiji & Wushu News
In Taiji News over the summer, whilst it may be off-putting to train outside in hot or humid conditions, in China, there are considerable health benefits to sweating and summertime practice.
And check out the latest news from the Tai Chi Union of Great Britain about Taiji classes restarting in your area and what steps are being taken to minimize the effects of Covid on students’ health and training.
Latest Covid Advice
Hopefully everyone has had their full vaccination shots by now, and while we hope Covid is on its way out, there is still cause to be cautious and maintain mask wearing and social distancing in public spaces, particularly indoors. There are also travel advisories in place across the world, and the UK has introduced a three-tier advisory system for travellers. Check out the government’s official news updates on all things Covid.
It seems that several countries, including the UK, USA and others are also now starting to recommend and even implement booster shots for Covid vaccinations, certainly for the elderly and those immunocompromised. It may be that along with our annual flu shots, an annual Covid shot will become a fixture; no bad thing if it means we don’t have to face global lockdowns every season in the future! Read some of the latest news to stay up-to-date:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pfizer-starts-process-seek-us-approval-covid-19-vaccine-booster-2021-08-25/
https://www.ft.com/content/6a6ccde9-7549-4a12-8221-31a5fbe3779a
And whilst this may all seem depressing, there are also countless ‘natural’ means to help keep us healthy and hopefully stave off the worst effects of a Covid infection or even just flu symptoms; especially relevant for the times are some tips for maintaining healthy lungs!
It’s Tea Time!
And finally, China is probably home to some of the best teas on the planet, so it’s always interesting to understand how tea has such a positive impact on our health. This article categorizes the benefits of certain herbal teas for different health issues and body systems!
