Spring Exercises for Keeping the Liver Fit

YUAN LIREN

AS SPRING returns, all earthly things come back to life.  The change of nature affects the activities of human life. People take part in more activities and metabolism becomes ex­uberant. This means that both blood circulation and the supply of nutrition need to be quickened and increased. The accelera­tion of blood circulation depends mainly on the readjustment of the blood volume, but the increase in nutrients needs good di­gestion and absorption.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, these functions have something to do with the liver, which stores blood and produces it. The liver can also control people's feelings, play­ing an important role in digestion and absorption. In the spring, people can adapt to the changes in the natural world so long as they keep the physiological function of the liver vigor­ous. This is why Chinese doctors believe it is good to do liver-preservation exercises in the spring.

There are many ways to take care of the liver. First, peo­ple should be optimistic and happy, and expand as things devel­op. Depression and anger harm the liver. Those who get up early and go to bed early will be full of vigor. For proper vital energy and blood condition, clothes must be warm, loose and comfortable. As for diet, wheat, dates, oranges, peanuts, onions and coriander are good for spring. Eat less raw and cold food made of glutinous rice, which damages the stomach and spleen. In physical exercise, take part in more outdoor activities so as to absorb the vitality of nature. Exercises should be slow and smooth, such as taijiquan, qigong and "eight-section exercises." In the spring when the grass has just turned green, go on outings, go for a walk in the country, listen to the birds singing in the forest, and enjoy the scenery by the waterside. These help you get rid of worry, mould your temperament, limber the joints and give you more fresh air.

Simple Liver-Preservation Exercises

1.   Stretching. Early in the morning as you wake up and stretch, you will feel extremely pleasant, and this will also do you good physically. After a night's sleep people usually feel slack and weak. Blood circulation is slower. Stretching your arms and legs, waist and abdomen while inhaling and exhaling helps get rid of the stale and take in the fresh. It invigorates the circulation of the blood and vital energy, and frees the main and ollateral channels. Stretching relieves fatigue, shakes off drowsiness, builds up strength and limbers the body.

"The blood stays in the liver when a person lies in bed, but circulates when a person moves," traditional Chinese medicine says. Stretching speeds blood circulation, limbers the body and awakens you. It stimulates the function of the liver. This can also be repeated twice before or after a nap. Old peo­ple doing it can increase the elasticity of the muscles and liga­ments and help postpone aging.

2.   Pressing the palms while turning the waist. Sit straight with legs separated and one hand on the other between the legs. With the palms downward, the arms are kept straight and
pressed downward with force while turning the waist left and right slowly four times.

Attention: The turning range should be short. It is enough if you feel a resistance as you turn your waist while pressing your palms downward. These exercises have the same effect as stretching yourself; they stimulate the circulation of vital ener­gy and blood, and limber the joints.

3.   Take a sitting position. With one hand holding the other, place your hands in front of your chest and pull them out­ward four times. Then turn your palms upward and downward five times.Attention: Inhale as you exert yourself and exhale as you relax. This has the same effect as the above exercises.