If you stretch this part, you will be healthy and free from diseases until old age.

Modern people do not pay attention to maintenance in life, and it is easy to suffer from back pain and diseases. In fact, it is better to maintain health than to recover from illness. Today, the editor recommends several stretching yoga movements to everyone, and explains the fitness effects from the different viewpoints of Chinese and Western medicine.

Pain in the shoulders, neck, waist and back is a manifestation of muscle contraction, which can cause blockage of the meridians and lead to illness. Dr. Wu Jinwen said that in Western medicine, tendons are ligaments and tendons. Dr. Zou said that the human body has a total of 12 tendons, which are spread throughout the body along 12 meridians. The liver governs the tendons. The liver defined by traditional Chinese medicine includes sleep, hormones, emotions, etc. If you can stretch your tendons more often, you can improve soreness and make your body healthier.

Doctor Wu Jinwen recommends that beginners start by doing each move for only 1 to 2 minutes. After the muscles and bones become gradually soft, the stretching time can be extended. The time can be adjusted according to your own condition. In addition, it is better to stretch after taking a bath because the muscles are more stretchable at this time. Patients with hypertension, osteoporosis, and previous bone and joint injuries should pay special attention and consult a cardiologist or orthopedic surgeon first to avoid danger.

The first method is horizontal stretching

Difficulty★

Steps: Lie on the ground, stretch your arms behind your ears, and spread your legs to the sides. If you are flexible, you can stretch your legs against the wall.

TCM’s view: It can move the hips and stimulate the lymphatic system in the hips, which is called Yin Luo in TCM and helps detoxification.

Western medicine’s view: Lying on the ground can relax the spine and help relieve the waist and back.

The second method is standing stretching

Difficulty★★

Step 1 Hold the door frame with both hands and stretch your arms.

Step 2: Stand parallel to the door frame, bend your left leg into a lunge, and extend your right foot back with your heel on the ground. Then switch legs and do the same.

TCM’s view: It can relieve shoulder, neck and back pain, and also stretch the foot-sun bladder meridian.

Western medicine's view: It can activate the latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major muscles and stretch the hip flexors on the front of the thigh.

The third method is lying position stretching

Difficulty ★★★

Step 1 Place the chair next to the 90-degree corner wall. Lying on a reclining chair, stretch your right foot against the wall with your foot raised.

Step 2: Bend your left knee and place your heel on the ground. You can place a book on it to raise your leg. Switch the chair to the other side and then repeat the exercise with the other foot.

TCM’s view: It can stretch the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian and relieve back pain.

Western medicine's view: It can stretch the muscles on the back of the thighs and calves.

4. Simple stretching method

Difficulty ★★★☆

Steps: Kneel on your right knee, put your left leg on the sofa, stand on the sole of your foot, raise your hands and put them together, with your index fingers together and pointing upwards, pull your arms behind your ears, then change legs and do it again.

TCM’s view: It helps blood circulation, but should not be done during menstrual period.

Western medicine’s view: This exercise can exercise the muscles on the back of the thighs and calves, but people with knee injuries should avoid this action.

The 5th method of horizontal and vertical stretching

Difficulty ★★★★★

Steps: Lie flat on the ground with your back against the wall, raise your right leg and straighten it close to the wall. Stretch your left foot out to the side, close to the intersection of the wall and the floor, then switch feet and do it again.

TCM’s view: It can relieve knee and leg pain.

Western medicine's view: This movement requires rotating the hip joint and stretching the leg muscles more, making it more difficult. Do not move too fast or too vigorously when stretching.

Doctor says

Start simple

Among these five stretching methods, it is recommended to start with the easy horizontal stretching method and lying stretching method, while the horizontal and vertical stretching method is more difficult and can be performed after the muscles and bones are quite soft.

These movements will stretch the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian located on the back of the thighs and calves, covering nearly 60 acupoints. Regularly exercising the Bladder Meridian can eliminate soreness and relieve fatigue.