Chinese kung fu fans

An ancient Chinese system of movement, breathing and meditation, qigong strengthens the qi. Qi means vital essence or life force and going means work, so qigong is a discipline which allows you to gain control over your life force. Qigong aims to maintain or restore balance and harmony of mind and body. Through qigong, you can build up your life force and remove any blockages which, according to traditional Chinese medicine lead to disease.

The art of qigong is thousand of years old, but was suppressed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, possibly because of its close links with warfare. In china, warriors always built up their strength through practicing qigong. It made a comeback in the late 1970s and today more than 80 million Chinese practice qigong every day. Practicing qigong may lower the heart rate and calm you, helping you to breathe more efficiently.

In this movement breathing, you breathe from the abdomen, not the chest. This diaphragmatic breathing may help tone the abdominal muscles but also increase your lung capacity. It is also believed to boost your immune system. A relaxation exercise known as floating on the ground is exactly the same as yoga’s corpse posture and may be beneficial for anyone suffering from stress related allergies.

Studies in chine have shown that people who practice this movement regularly increased their forced vital capacity, the volume of air breathed out when exhaling forcefully by over 16 percent. Practitioners also believe that this exercise increases the capacity to absorb oxygen. It is best to be taught the exercises by a skilled practitioner, but once mastered, you can practice them yourself. Wear loose clothing, such as track suit bottoms and a t-shirt, and exercise on an empty stomach.