Life lies in movement, but exercise must also be measured to a good extent. It does not mean that the longer the exercise time, the better, and the greater the exercise intensity, the better. So how should we grasp this scale of movement?
Sun Simiao, the king of medicine, said: "The Taoist way of maintaining health and nourishing one's nature is to work a little, but never be too tired or too strong to be able to hear. Moreover, running water does not rot, and door hinges do not become beetles, because of their movement." ”
“Little labor” is exercise with less intensity. "Always desire small labors" means that people should exercise regularly and develop the habit of exercising. But when exercising, you should remember that no matter what kind of exercise you do, it is not advisable to be "too tired" or "overpowered". If a person exercises until he is sweating profusely and exhausted, it is already a "hard work", and the kind of exercise that grits one's teeth and challenges the limit of one's body's endurance will only harm one's body.
Although Sun Simiao did not explicitly state the health-preserving principle of "always wanting to do a little work" in this passage, he used a metaphor, saying that its principle is like "running water does not rot, and door hinges do not become beetles." generally.
Sun Simiao's "Always Desire for Small Lao" health-preserving principle, that is, "Xiao Lao Health Preservation Method", originated from the ancient Chinese people's scientific understanding of human body physiology and pathology.
"Lu Shi Chun Qiu Dayu" said: "Mortal people have three hundred and sixty sections, nine orifices, five Tibetan organs (viscera), and six Fu (fu organs). The skin wants to be compared with it, and the blood is like it. The muscles and bones want to be solid, the mind and the will want to be harmonious, and the essence and Qi want to move. If this is the case, the disease will have no place to live and the evil will have no cause. "
"Lu Shi Chun Qiu· This passage from "Da Yu" explains that a healthy human body should have fine skin, strong muscles and bones, a peaceful mind, and blood and essence flowing smoothly throughout the body. Once Qi and blood are not flowing smoothly, various diseases will occur. Therefore, keeping Qi and blood flowing smoothly is the main goal of health care and disease prevention.
So how can we keep Qi and blood flowing? Then there is only "Xinglao", that is, body movement. Only "Xinglao" can make Qi and blood flow smoothly. But "formal labor" is not uncontrolled exercise, because excessive exercise will consume too much of people's Qi and blood, resulting in the so-called "five labors" and "six extremes". Therefore, in the "Huangdi Neijing", the ancients proposed the movement standard of "working hard without being tired".
This movement scale was further refined by the famous doctor Hua Tuo during the Three Kingdoms period. Warren emphasized that excessive exercise should not be done. He said to his disciple Wu Pu: "I have a skill called the Five-Animal Opera... If there is discomfort in the body, one performs the One-Animal Opera and is soaked in sweat. Because it is powdered, the body becomes light. "I want to eat in my belly."
Hua Tuo believes that when exercise reaches the point of "sweating", that is, the clothes are slightly wet, you should stop at this time, and then apply talcum powder, and the body will feel relaxed and convenient. I want to eat something in my belly.
Sun Simiao's "Xiao Lao Health Method" was established based on the understanding and experience of these predecessors. In addition, Sun Simiao also clearly stated that exercise should be "measured by sweating."
Sun Simiao said in the book "Qian Jin Yao Prescriptions": "The way to nourish one's nature is not to walk for a long time, stand for a long time, sit for a long time, lie down for a long time, look at it for a long time, or listen for a long time. Looking at it for a long time will damage the blood, and lying down for a long time will damage the blood. Standing for a long time damages the bones, sitting for a long time damages the flesh, and walking for a long time damages the tendons.”
Sun Simiao also recorded in detail many specific practices of Xiaolao’s health preservation in Qian Jin Yao Fang. For example, massage methods include face rubbing, belly rubbing, ear rubbing, tooth tapping, drumming, waist loosening, etc.; Daoyin methods include Laozi Daoyin, Hua Tuo's Five Animals, etc.; breathing and qi-moving methods include regulating qi, Fetal breath method, etc. As a result, a relatively complete system of "Xiao Lao Health Method" was formed, which had a profound impact on the sports health science of later generations.
The "Xiao Lao Health Method" summarized by Sun Simiao has benefited countless future generations, and this method has also benefited Sun Simiao himself a lot. According to the "Book of Tang", Sun Simiao was still "unfailing in sight and hearing" when he was nearly a hundred years old, and Sun Simiao himself became one of the longest-lived famous doctors in ancient times.