Can Qigong replace standard exercise?

What's a good workout?

Yes, we believe (and studies support us in this) that a well-rounded Qigong workout is more beneficial than weight training and aerobics. The gentle cardiovascular and stretching exercises can do more for you to build your body than high-exertion workouts. The concept is that through slow movement combined with conscious, deep breathing, the body retains more energy (Qi) than it loses through strenuous muscle-building. Actually, deep diaphragmatic breathing can do a lot to build the abdominal muscles and flatten the belly--I've stopped doing sit-ups over the years and have nice, flat abs. Tendon strength is improved with Qigong and the super-oxygenation benefits help the brain and whole body. Tests also show that the body/mind complex moves towards Alpha level on the EEG--the relaxed state where we experience deep rest and the immune system (the body's natural healing mechanisms) can work at its optimal level.

A daily morning workout of about 10 to 30 minutes can start to show positive results. I personally pick a few of the Wuji Long Form moves--ones that resonate with me at the moment--and do those in a random order during my workout. I start with the Wuji Swimming Dragon for about 5 minutes, do a few moves from the Long Form, and then end with the Shaolin Qigong Self Massage. There are a few great stand-alone Qigong exercises from our Wuji Short Forms video that I intersperse as well, especially the Bagua Xun Dao Gong move as it's a great stretch for the back and legs. The ones on that tape are designed to be complete Qigong workouts in about 10 minutes.

Remember, it's what you put into the move that makes it work for you. The physical workout needs to reflect what your body needs at the moment…the mental and spiritual aspects should reflect where you are as well. The more we can listen to our needs, to monitor our "state" in the moment, the more we can'trust what we should incorporate into our workouts and craft our personal routine to best suit our needs for balance and good health.

Please remember to consult your physician or healthcare provider before you do any kind of exercise to make sure it is safe for you.