Strenuous exercise 4-6 times a week is a fairly new concept.  Nowhere in history do we see humans willingly working themselves to exhaustion.  Traditionally, gardening, farming, hunting, and gathering was the exercise that humans have partaken in for centuries.  These movements are extremely slow and repetitive and have a therapeutic effect on the nervous system.

However, these types of movements are all but gone in most of the general population and have been replaced with more modern movements such as running and endurance type exercise.  Couple this with a standard 9-5 job and we can see that the body is under immense amounts of stress both physically and mentally.

Many are unknowingly depleting their Jing levels and setting themselves up for a shorter lifespan.  Experts tell us that exercise is healthy, but much of the exercise practiced by the western world is extreme and counterproductive to health.  Tearing muscles day in and day out, sweating buckets, and running to exhaustion is not something our ancestors did willingly, and was definitely rare if done at all.

With that being said, why would you believe exercise recommendations from the same “authority” that recommends eating 11-12 servings of grains a day!?

Physical Exercise is a Stress on the Body

Many fail to acknowledge or realize that strenuous, long, hard exercise is a stress on the body.  This stress adds a burden on the body and takes a toll on the health of an individual’s nervous system.  If done long enough, the body’s nervous system will begin to collapse on itself.  This will inevitably lead to slower and slower recovery from such exercise and emotional issues such as anxiety and depression are likely to develop (1).

It must be understood that the body’s nervous system can only handle so much.  The best way to understand this is to picture a bucket filled with all of your life’s stressors.  There is only so much room in the bucket for a certain amount of stress.  When our body becomes overwhelmed with both physical and mental stress, this bucket begins to overflow and health problems involving nervous system dysfunction begin to arise.

It’s for this reason that you should always be attempting to remove from this bucket and not willingly adding to it.

 Overtraining and Hormonal Dysfunction

If you’re a fitness buff and your hormones are unbalanced, it may be time that you begin to look into the effects your “health training” may be having on your body.  A constant onslaught of physical exercise and the impaired ability to recover from such exercise is a recipe for hormonal dysfunction in the body.

Research published in Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine found that overtraining often leads to several dysfunctions in the body such as asthma, anemia, infection, hypothyroidism, high cortisol levels, chronic fatigue syndrome, suppressed immune system function, and depression (2).

For those unaware, thyroid disorders such as hypothyroid cause the body to store excessive amounts of weight and makes weight loss near impossible (3).  Interestingly, this is usually counterproductive to the goals of those who frequently partake in strenuous types of exercise.

Furthermore, chronically high circling levels of cortisol in the body have been linked to both obesity and metabolic disorders such as diabetes (4).  Also, it’s a well-known fact that high cortisol can contribute to difficulty falling asleep, inability to hand stress, and high prolactin levels (stress-related hormone) in the body.

To put it simply, if you want to be as unhealthy as possible, be sure to exercise vigorously at least 4-6 times a week.

Reduced Collagen Levels in the Body

Another big problem faced by those who are over-trained is the reduction of collagen levels in the body.  Collagen is like the glue that holds everything together and makes the skin elastic.  It also helps protect against joint deterioration and inflammation in the body (5). It’s for this reason that joint pain is often associated with over-training syndrome.

Constant pounding from hard physical exercise naturally uses up the body’s collagen levels in order to assist in repair.  Also, it should be noted that most of the population is consuming a collagen deficient diet due to lack of vitamin c, little to no consumption of gelatinous cuts of meat, and a complete absence of traditional bone broth soups.

Even if the individual is consuming a collagen rich diet, they still run the risk of running a deficiency in collagen levels due to the body’s natural demands of this vital protein.

Chinese Medicines View on Exercise

When we examine exercise that is often recommended by Chinese Medicine, we can see that it differs greatly from much of the exercise of today.  In fact, running long distances or marathon type running in order to increase one’s health is completely unheard of in Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Below is a list of exercise that should be avoided.

• Long distance Running
• Endurance Exercises
• Vigorous Weight Lifting (cross fit)
• Fast Paced Exercise with no Recovery Time

The above type of exercise is extremely demanding to the nervous system and can lead to over-training if done long enough.  These types of exercises are not healthy for the body and can effectively age the body at a faster rate.

Chinese Medicine believed that all exercise should be mindful and done with purpose.  Weight loss will come naturally once a correct diet is followed and hormones are correctly balanced.  Exercising to lose weight is not sustainable and diet should always be the number one factor when an individual is attempting lose weight.

Slow and Mindful Movements

As mentioned above, Chinese Medicine believes in moving the body with purpose and with mindfulness.  This means exploring the body’s natural range of motion and building a body that can move freely and elegantly without struggle.

It can be seen that Qigong masters still move with grace and fluidity well into their later years.  It should be noted that many of these Qigong masters live well into their 100’s.  Below is a small list of movements that are considered great ways to move the body in a way that will promote longevity.

• Stretching
• Martial Arts
• Qigong
• Capoeira
• Meditated Breathing
• Walking
• Gardening

The movements above are the best types of exercises for both the nervous system and long-term health.  In fact, you should stop thinking in terms of “exercise” and begin thinking in terms of “movement.”

Simply walking is the best way to clear one’s mind and reduce overall stress in the body.  However, all the above movements can be used to naturally reduce your stress load and are natural promoters of longevity due to their gentleness on the body.  Also, taking adaptogens can be a great way to lower stress levels in the body naturally and effectively.

Conclusion

• Exercising vigorously is not the best and most healthiest way to lose weight or promote health
• Proper diet should always be addressed when trying to lose weight and not vigorous exercise
• Vigorous exercise disrupts normal hormone function and makes losing weight harder
• Endurance types of exercise should be avoided all together
• Natural Movement is much more beneficial for health long term
• Always practice breathing and mindfulness during movement in order to naturally reduce stress levels in the body.