Shuai Shou Gong. arm swinging to keep healthy.

Certainly found using Nordic Poles - (correctly - watched a video) - improved my speed, mood and even increased my height by an inch - according to the practice nurse!...or was that my posture...? My stamina also improved and my creaky hips stopped creaking so much...

Interesting!
My arms are still fully functional (unlike many other body parts 🙄) so this is doable

There seems to be a lot of arm swinging in Tai Chi as well.

I've been told that you burn many more calories with walking poles too. Surprised over the weekend at how many people go out walking and just use one! Or a couple sharing a pair?

Many years ago I attended Slimming World and part of their Body Magic ethos was to always swing your arms when walking. This had untold benefits on the upper body area including cardiovascular function, also aiding calorie usage.

I really should do it again

When I tore the brachial nerve in my shoulder the Physio recommended using one hand to left the injured arm as high as possible when lying flat. As it gradually improved I was able to swing both arms above my head. I now regularly do this as it helps my back so I’m really interested in this therapy so intend to give it a try - if I can remember when to bend knees!

Try that with two arthritic shoulders…..you’ll turn the air blue !

Some time ago I was discussing with a colleague that orchestra conductors seemed to live to a good age, I credited that to the fact that they were giving their body a good work-out with their baton waving, I still think it's an excellent way to exercise.

I practise Shotokan karate and one of our warm-up exercises is arm swings. We circle our arms, quite fast, at full extension across the body, forwards for eight or ten swings and then backwards the same. We then do one forward one back and change arm direction after eight or ten. I'm convinced these arm swings improve blood flow and lymphatic drainage to the upper body, especially the breast tissue. We also do cross-body, linear arm swings to the same count.

they have this on youtube, just looked it up and i am going to try this as i have lymphedema and my legs swell each day, i will try anything as by the end of the day i have problems moving my feet as they are so swollen.

I was told years ago that you shouldn't just "swing" your arms, but physically use your muscles to move your arms.

I must get back into the habit of doing that.

If I did that I would fall over.

Does swinging your arms improve your balance? Since being badly injured in a fall I am afraid of it happening again. I will try arm swinging if it helps to improve balance.

I started this arm swinging technique this week. I realised on day 2 that one knee was aching, so now I do the double knee bend carefully and it seems to work without pain.

There are videos on YouTube demonstrating the technique. The Chinese demonstrator said when you do the knees bend on 5 keep you back straight, don’t bend forward.

I am managing 2 lots of 5 mins a day.

I have added this to my list of things I do each day including a 10 minute meditation and 15 minutes DuoLingo Spanish lesson.

Annie1 this technique is taken from the martial art Qi Gong which is similar to Tai Chi and yes these exercises can help with balance. When I do a QiGong session from YouTube I have a chair at my side so when there is an exercise on one leg I support myself by holding onto the chair. This was recommended by a Qi Gong teacher.

A form of this exercise is used in my Tai Chi class and it certainly helps.

I'm interested in this. I'd like to try it, but would it aggravate my shoulders? I have had problems with both, one last year and now the other side this year. I think it might be a rotator cuff problem? Not sure.
But if the arm swinging helps my back that would be great.
I'll give it a go, gently.

Be careful with Nordic Poles as they are attached to your hands. I tripped over one of mine and fell head first into the road! I am still recovering over a year later.