Password for fitness Baduanjin for the elderly

1. Preparatory pose: (stand naturally and inhale through the nose) starting position - (raise both arms and exhale through the nose) fall

2. The first pose: Hold the triple energizer of Heavenly Law with both hands - (raise the arms and inhale), lower the arms and press the front of the abdomen - (drop the arms, exhale)

3. The second posture: Open the bow left and right like a shooting vulture - (inhale when opening the bow) retract the feet, lower the hands, and stand straight - (exhale after closing the posture)

4. The third posture: To regulate the spleen and stomach, you must lift up alone - (raise up and press down, inhale), lower your hands, lower your shoulders and relax your whole body - (drop and exhale)

5. The fourth posture: Five labors and seven injuries, look back - (turn your head and inhale) turn to the front and look back at the body - (return to the right position and exhale)

6. The fifth pose: Shake your head and tail to remove the inner fire - (bend over and breathe naturally) stand up straight and return the air to the field - (stand up and exhale)

7. The Sixth Posture: Climb your feet with your hands to strengthen your kidneys and waist - (reach down and inhale) stand up, straighten your waist and return your hands with your hands - (stand up and exhale)

8. The seventh posture: clenching the fist, glaring angrily to increase the strength - (Punch out, exhale), close the fist, loosen the strength, and the energy will sink into the Dantian - (Close the fist, inhale)

9. The eighth posture: The seven bumps on the back will eliminate all diseases - (stand on tiptoes and inhale) drop the bumps on the ground and relax the feet - (drop on the feet and exhale)

10. Conclude the posture: (clasp your arms together, inhale) rub your hands and face to close the exercise - (wipe your face, exhale)

Many old friends who often go to the park may mutter at first glance: "The password I practiced with Master Zhang is much shorter than this, and I don't even mention breathing." Or, "The version I learned in online classes has several action details after each sentence. This is too simple." It’s so normal. When I accompanied my dad to enroll in a community Ba Duan Jin class last year, I asked about this when I first met the coach. Only then did I realize that there is never a “single standard answer” to Ba Duan Jin passwords. The versions of different schools and different groups of people are very different.

Let’s talk about the two types of traditional inheritance. The Ba Duan Jin handed down from the Shaolin School is more vigorous. There are many force-promoting instructions in the command, such as "clench your fists and glare to increase your strength" followed by "twist your waist, sink your elbows, and buckle your fingers." It is suitable for the elderly who usually like to walk and play croquet and have a strong body without underlying diseases. After the exercise, the whole body will be swollen and warm, and it will be particularly transparent. The slow training version passed down from Wudang is just the opposite. The command is deliberately weakened to exert force, and many breath adjustment reminders are added. For example, before "opening the bow left and right like a shooting vulture", you will first say "relax your shoulders, calm your breath, and don't hold your breath." It is suitable for the elderly with high blood pressure, frozen shoulder or lumbar protrusion. The movement is slow and small, and it is not easy to stretch and touch.

The fitness circle has been quarreling for many years now over whether the passwords for seniors should be unified. Most of the people who support the unification are teachers who promote mass fitness. They feel that many old people don’t understand anything when they are new to the park. If the teachings in each park are different, it is easy to hurt the knees and twist the waist if the movements are wrong, especially the two movements of "head and tail" and "foot climbing". If the amplitude is wrong, it is easy to cause accidents. Unifying the password can at least minimize the risk. Most of those who oppose unification are front-line coaches who lead classes for the elderly. Coach Wang from the community downstairs of my home is of this type. He said that the last time he met a 72-year-old aunt, she suffered from frozen shoulder and could not lift her arms 120 degrees. If he forced her to "raise her head with both hands above her head" according to the standard command, it would not be a fitness exercise but hurt her body. In the exclusive command given to the aunt, he directly changed "lift to the top" to "lift to the highest point you can reach." After practicing for three months, the aunt's shoulder pain has been relieved a lot.

To be honest, I used to think that the more standard the passwords, the better. Until last month, my mother told me about something in their community: There was a big brother who insisted on practicing the fast-paced passwords online. He finished a set in 15 minutes. He already had high blood pressure. In order to keep up with the rhythm, he did not dare to take a deep breath. After practicing for a week, he felt dizzy and went to the hospital. Later, he changed to the slow version of the passwords given by Coach Wang, leaving 3 seconds between each sentence. If he can't keep up, he will stop for more sessions. After practicing for two months, his blood pressure has stabilized a lot. My dad is more casual now. He directly recorded a version of the password himself, and added his own little reminder after each sentence, such as "climb the feet with both hands" followed by "touch my knees if I can't bend." No one said that he was practicing wrong.

After all, the purpose of practicing Ba Duan Jin for us seniors is to be relaxed and healthy. The password is just an auxiliary tool. There is no need to worry about whether it is authentic or not. The core is twofold: first, you can understand it, and second, it is effortless to follow it. I really feel that none of the online versions are satisfactory. Just use your mobile phone to record your own voice. Slow down your speech speed and add any personal reminders you want. If you don’t feel any pain or dizziness after practicing, and feel comfortable all over, then this password is the best one for you.