This form of exercise actually makes me feel better. Not exhausted.

By NATALIA HAWK

Some of you might know that I work full time, and that I also study law full time. This is because I am on crack have a long history of making poor choices relating to my personal health and sanity.

A normal week for me looks like this: work study eat sleep work study eat sleep work study eat forget to sleep work study forget to eat sleep work study work work work work wine.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by the Fusion Health. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in her own words.

As if that isn’t enough, I am also currently participating in a fitness regime that I like to think Ian Thorpe would look at and go, “er, no thank you.” (He would actually probably look at it and laugh in disdain, but it’s my fantasy so whatever.) I’m training for a bridge run and also for a 10-day ski trip and so there is a lot of cross-fitness and cardio and strength-training happening, and sometimes I just find myself in a strange daze doing Zumba in front of my TV at 11 o’clock at night.

The only problem? Exercise is supposed to make you feel better. And over the last few weeks, I’ve generally been so exhausted that I’m left wondering: why does exercise make me feel worse?

So I’ve decided that I’m going to listen to my body. I’m going to sleep more. I’m going to eat better. And – because modern exercise isn’t working for me – I’m even going to look at incorporating some ancient remedies into my exercise routine, in some kind of attempt to restore the sense of balance and calmness that I’ve been so desperately craving.

First up? Tai chi. I’ve loved tai chi ever since I did a body balance class that incorporated some elements of tai chi into the lesson. Ever since, I’ve taken a few lessons here and there but never really practiced it – which is a shame, because the benefits of tai chi include exercising the body and clearing the mind.

The health related benefits of Tai chi has attracted millions of people worldwide – it can help with stress, fatigue, anxiety and poor posture as well as arthritis and joint stiffness. Additionally, it improves flexibility, strength and – for me anyway – concentration.

BUT HOW, I hear you cry? Doesn’t tai chi just involve doing a bunch of martial art poses veeeeery slowly?

Well. Let me enlighten you. (Warning: very simplified version of Chinese philosophy coming up.) The main concept behind tai chi is the ancient Chinese idea of Qi – an energy force that flows through the body to balance the yin and the yang. Tai chi helps to balance the ying and the yang – because if one of them is out of whack, it will cause illness.

These days, there are endless Youtube tutorials and websites outlining the basics of tai chi, although I’d highly recommend going along to a class – it’s better to pick up the moves, plus you don’t feel so ridiculous doing the moves when 18 other people are doing them too.

I also want to try Qigong, which is less of a type of exercise and more a type of meditative practice based on Chinese philosophy. It’s extremely low impact and can be done by just about anyone, including people with injuries. Like tai chi, it can result in incredible health benefits through cultivating the Qi – but unlike tai chi, it is not particularly focused on the forms, where as Qigong forms are less intricate.

There are hundreds of styles of qigong, the most common being Baduanjin qigong, which incorporates eight different movements such as “Wise Owl Gazes Backwards” and “Two Hands Hold Up The Heavens”.

I’m feeling better just thinking about it.

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Ancient wisdom, modern medicine.

Fusion® Health products integrate the recorded tradition of Chinese herbs with the science of Western herbal medicine in addressing specific health issues. In traditional Chinese medicine, working towards a state of balance is the fundamental basis of good health, enabling your body and mind to function at their best. Fusion® Heath products are manufactured in Australia.

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Have you ever tried traditional forms of exercise such as Qigong and tai chi? Did you feel the benefits of tai chi? What did you think?