Working out and Qi

[Dave .]

A quick question -- does working out have any effect/s on our Qi? If so... what effect/s?

 

I ask because I read somewhere that working out hard is bad for your Qi... and I generally overdo it completely when I work out. I use more weight than I should, do more exercises, sets and reps than I should too. The intensity I put into it is like plus 500% compared to what most do, from what I have seen. When I finish it literally looks like someone has thrown a few buckets of water on me, lol!

 

So, is this notion correct?

 

Any opinions, thoughts, advice etc would be greatly appreciated, as always.

 

Peace,

 

Dave

[Spiritual_Aspirant]

Physical exercise is good in the sense that it cleanses the energy system. Used up/dirty energy and blockages can be removed by physical exercise. As far as I know this is the extent of physical exercise's benefits if not coupled with energy generating/circulating work. So, if your goal is holistic health, physical exercise alone is not efficient. You be healthier than an athlete with a sculpted body if you engage in energy exercises like qi gong. You may not look as good, but you'll have a better quality of life.

 

To push the discussion further, diseases ultimately are caused by a blockage between the soul and the body. So engaging in spiritual practice minimizes the risk of physical diseases. The better connection you have with your soul, the more spiritual energy or "tian chi" will come to you, the stronger your energy body and aura will become.

[joeblast]

flowing water never grows stagnant

 

of course it affects your qi. as far as positively or negatively, how do you feel? I'm sure with a good workout regimen you will have plenty of energy...just keep in mind that there can ALWAYS be too much of a good thing. working out hard is good but not every. single. workout! (I'm talking reaching or pushing maximum limits.)

 

what's your measuring stick on what you 'should' do?

 

70% of capacity is a good safe bet for 'normal' workouts, pushing it higher on a regular basis should be beneficial if you can handle it. (there is no 110% in the paradigm I have in mind...100%=point of failure, you dont want to go there.)

[Mal]

When I finish it literally looks like someone has thrown a few buckets of water on me, lol!

 

Sounds like me after Tai Chi

 

My Sifu uses this analogy which I will try to remember correctly because he feel that eastern exercise and western exercise are very different.

 

If we want to look after our health we may decide to go for a run. You push your body to the extreme and it struggles to keep up. Your heart starts beating faster, your breathing quickens. Once you get home and stop running your body is still trying to recover, still breathing hard and your heart is still beating rapidly and you feel exhausted, worn out. As well as feeling stiff and sore the next day.

 

With Chi Gungs Sifu said you activate ("exercise") your heart and breathing first, your body movements follow your breath. The feeling should be very different from going for a run, you should feel energized and refreshed during and after your Chi Gungs (not exhausted) But if you touch your chest you will feel that your heart IS beating strongly, just like when you go running but the method you use to make this happen is very different.

 

I should also point out that my Sifu obviously doesn't like running and this analogy makes sense for a couch potato who has never done any exercise. Eg. A seasoned Jogger is exercising in an "eastern" way IMHO They are not gasping for breath but breathing naturally, enjoying that nice runners high while exercising and feeling refreshed rather than exhausted when they finish jogging.

 

So, if your goal is holistic health, physical exercise alone is not efficient. You be healthier than an athlete with a sculpted body if you engage in energy exercises like qi gong. You may not look as good, but you'll have a better quality of life.

 

Great point (which I missed originally) We think of that "sculpted athlete" as "healthy" because they win their gold medal. But we don't see them 20 years later, when they suffer with aches and pains, struggling to move.

[Dave .]

Thank you everyone for your fantastic replies, you've given me much more useful information than I was looking for.

 

Mal, the analogy your Sifu uses makes much sense. Looks like it's time for me to drop hardcore exercise and go hardcore with the Tai Chi! Haha!

 

Thanks again.

[qirin]

Great point (which I missed originally) We think of that "sculpted athlete" as "healthy" because they win their gold medal. But we don't see them 20 years later, when they suffer with aches and pains, struggling to move.

 

eh, I am not so sure about that one. granted, many athletes succumb to various kinds of injuries over the years, primarily connective tissue injuries. these probably could have been avoided by doing taiji or meditating or just generally being more mindful of your body.

 

but there are lots of researchers in the US who study aging, and my understanding is that the number one most important predictor of longevity and health is regular, vigorous exercise. exercise stimulates and strengthens your bones, connective tissue and muscles. it increases your lung capacity. it strengthens your heart. it circulates blood, lymph and water through your system. it supplies oxygen to your brain. it increases production of neurotransmitters that combat depression, anxiety and other psychological issues.

 

I am no expert on qi or TCM or daoist cultivation so I can't comment on what kinds of effects various forms of exercise have on the subtle body, but I don't think standing still for three hours has the same benefits as jogging, swimming or lifting weights. all are good, but they are different. I think a bias against physical exercise is a hold-over from a feudal society that saw hard work as lower-class.

 

your body was built for work. regularly pushing yourself to your limits will make you thrive. if our definition of qi doesn't include this kind of health, it needs to be revised.

[Pranaman]

Here is another, well MY school does it differently.

 

It seems like my Sifu and I believe in TCM and Western exercise equally. He has us do all sorts of western work. He has us do qigong equally as much, like zhan zhuang and other forms of qigong. If i am in half as good a shape as he is at 60 when i'm 25, I'll feel like a king.

 

All i've heard him mention about this, is that you don't want big muscle, you want strong and dense(mass-wise) muscle. In terms of fighting, he says in physics 'Force = Mass X Acceleration', so you need the muscle mass but not volume/size which is gained at the expense of speed/acceleration. In relation to this, I would suggest getting the book,"Bruce Lee : The Art Of Expressing The Human Body". Mr.Lee was fast and strong, and worked out in slightly different ways. Mr. Lee and Jackie Chan both do their reps as fast as possible, and I don't think it was a hindrance on their existence.

 

As far as the subtle body, i agree with 'judge by your feeling'. All bodies are so intertwined a healthy physical well most likely branch into a healthy subtle.

 

all my opinion, maybe nothing more.