I have nothing against exercise in combination with dieting; I know it is good and it is important, however, I want you to know that you can lose weight without strenuous exercise.
I’m doing it.
I have rheumatoid arthritis throughout my body. My feet and toes hurt almost all the time despite wearing very good support shoes and taking medication.
The only physical exercise I’ve done in the past few years is swimming, walking, and light household chores.
Since I started my diet, I have not done any swimming nor have I done any walking other than that I’ve done when doing grocery shopping and running errands, yet I’ve managed to lose weight.
Having lost 30 pounds already I can attest to the fact that it is less painful for me to walk now that I’m carrying less weight.
As I lose more weight, I’m going to make an attempt to increase my physical activity again. I’m sure it will mainly consist of walking, and I want to again start doing the Sit and Get Fit exercise program designed by Michael Horn.
Sit and Get Fit is an exercise program that relieves stress and tension, improves range of motion, and increases circulation. It’s great for seniors, people who spend too much time behind a desk, travelers, people who are recovering from illnesses, and those who have arthritis.
Hopefully, at some point I will again be able to try the Kathy Smith Fat Burning Workout. It’s not as difficult as many aerobics workout exercises. I was able to do the whole workout in my pre-arthritis days when I was already in my late 40s.
Currently I need exercises that are of a gentle conditioning type.
Here’s what I do: Many years ago already I purchased a book that has helped me immensely over the years. The book is so important to me that I keep it on my bedside table so that it’s within close range when I want to refer to it. The book is The Complete System of Self-Healing: Internal Exercises by Dr. Stephen T. Chang.
My copy of the book was published in 1986 by Tao Publishing. Besides the used books available through Amazon.com, this book and others by Dr. Chang are available through the Great Tao website. There is a wealth of incredibly useful information available on the site.
There are two Weight Reduction Exercises contained in The Complete System of Self-Healing: Internal Exercises book by Dr. Chang. Here they are:
Dr. Chang’s Weight Reduction Exercise Part One
- Stand against a wall so that your heels, buttocks, upper back, and head are against the wall.
- Inhaling through your nose, stretch your body upward, pulling your abdomen in as far as possible so your chest expands fully. Keep your arms by your sides. Your shoulders should feel as if they are expanding and pressing against the wall.
- Exhale as quickly as possible through your mouth. Blow the breath out fully and push your abdomen outward. Your entire body will tighten automatically on the exhale if done properly.
- Practice this inhale-exhale repetition 7 to 12 times.
- You will find that with consistent practice, the muscles in your abdomen and belly will tighten and become toned and strengthened. Excess fat, water, and flesh will be eliminated, and the belly will shrink.
Dr. Chang’s Weight Reduction Exercise Part Two
- Stand away from the wall and bring your heels off the floor so that you will be standing as high on your toes as possible.
- Keeping your spine erect and straight, bend you knees slightly as if you were going to sit on a chair. Your arms will fall at a 45 degree angle from your body.
- Keeping your breath regular, stay in this position from 10 to 20 seconds, or longer if possible.
At first it will be impossible to keep your back straight and your heels up very far. With practice and practice, you will be able to get your heels perpendicular to the floor, your thighs parallel to the floor, and your back straight.
This pose strengthens and tones the thighs, calves, and ankles. It makes the abdominal muscles strong and increases the circulation in the legs and body, as well as strengthening the back and the nerves in the body. It also stimulates the meridians of the bladder, gallbladder, and stomach. These meridians lie along the legs, and so it helps to reduce water retention and excessive weight and lowers the blood pressure.
Always practice both parts of the exercise at the same sitting as they balance and complement each other.
The Complete System of Self-Healing: Internal Exercises book contains drawings showing the correct position to use to practice these two exercises.
The exercises are deceptively simple. I find it difficult to keep my body in the correct position for Part One, but I do the best I can and I think that is all that is expected.
If you practice Part Two correctly and have your arms at a 45 degree angle from your body, you will find it difficult to stay in the position for even 10 seconds in the beginning. You can do these two exercises anywhere.
When I was still working full-time I would quickly do them in a handicapped bathroom stall when I used the restroom facility. Obviously you need very little room.
Another exercise that I practice virtually every day is contained in a Dr. Chang pamphlet called How to Rub Your Stomach Away: The Crane Exercise.
It is a combination of visualizing energy transferring from your hand to your stomach and abdomen as you rub the area gently in a clockwise starting from the navel, then in a counterclockwise direction from the outer reaches of the stomach back to the navel. Please refer to the instructions for this exercise on the Great Tao website under the section titled Tao of Revitalization: Exercises for Self-Healing.
The site states that this exercise is contained in the currently available Internal Exercises book. When I first started doing this exercise I couldn’t reach the whole way to the left side of my abdomen area with my right hand as I did the gentle rubbing. Now I can.
I believe strongly in the effectiveness of this exercise. Since I’ve started on my diet, I’ve lost 4 inches from the measurement around my hips and stomach. I truly believe it stimulates the digestive system.
There are several other exercises that I practice regularly that are contained in Dr. Chang’s book: The heart energizing exercise, the liver exercise in combination with massaging the stomach side of the body, the kidney exercise, and the toe wiggling and body stretching exercise.
It would be best for you to obtain a copy of the book so that you can read the complete instructions and the benefits to be derived from the practice of these and many other exercises.
Another book in which I find inspiration and gentle exercises that I’m able to do with my arthritic body is the Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth, Book 2, by Peter Kelder.
This book introduces the Rites of Rejuvenation, yoga-type exercises that were developed in Tibet and are said to rejuvenate the body, help with weight loss, and, in general, improve your energy and well-being.
The Rites of Rejuvenation are exercises. There are also a series of warm-up exercises, stretches, and strengtheners to do in preparation to doing the Rites exercises. I’ve never been able to do all Five Rites, but it is perfectly OK to substitute warm-up exercises for the Five Rites. That’s what I do.
It doesn’t take long to do the exercises; I figure I don’t spend more than 15 minutes on them each day, and all I need is the space adjacent to my bed in which to do them. I usually put a polar fleece throw on the carpeting to keep the carpet clean.
I’m not saying that I do these exercises every day; I don’t. Sometimes I don’t do them for months at a time. But if I come home with my neck and back very tight, I immediately do the ‘Rag Doll’ exercise or I may do the ‘Spinning’ exercise to stimulate energy flow in my body.
Ragdoll Exercise
- From a relaxed standing position, bend at the hips as if you were bending down to touch your toes.
- In this position, allow your torso, head, and arms to hang limply. You should feel loose and relaxed. Your legs may be straight or slightly bent at the knees.
- Remain in this position for 15 to 20 seconds, and then slowly return to a standing position. Do this only once.
It is one of the yoga-type warm-up exercises that are recommended before doing the Five Rites. That is another exercise I used to do in the handicapped restroom stall when my back and neck needed it after long hours working at the computer.
None of these exercises burn many calories, but they will reduce stress and tension and help keep you limber and active. Hopefully they will prepare you to increase your activity levels over time.
