Prolonged sitting could be called an enemy of good health. As a countermeasure, four simple movements can help clear the body’s energy pathways, relieve pain from long-term sitting, reduce fatigue, and prevent chronic diseases.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) holds that meridians are channels through which energy flows in our bodies. Sitting for long periods can block these energy channels. Modern scientific research has found that long-term sitting can cause a variety of chronic diseases, such as dementia, fatty liver disease, sexual dysfunction, and neck pain.
4 Exercises to Counteract the Effects of Long-Term Sitting
For students, office workers, drivers, or older people who often sit for long periods, TCM practitioner Wu Jiandong recommends the following movements to keep energy flowing.
1. Two-Hands-to-the-Sky
The “two-hands-to-the-sky” exercise comes from the traditional fitness routine Ba Duan Jin, also known as the eight brocades, which dates back more than 800 years.
Amber Yang
Amber Yang is a certified personal trainer. She met all the requirements of the American Council on Exercise to develop and implement personalized exercise programs. She worked as a marketing manager for natural skin care products for years and as a health and beauty reporter and editor for ten years. She is also the host and producer of the YouTube programs "Amber Running Green" and "Amber Health Interview."
