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| Photo Credit: Justin Schott |
After a long hiatus we're back to our series on the Five Taxations. Here are the previous articles:
Introduction/Part One: Goldilocks and The Five Taxations
Part Two: I Can See Clearly Now: Part Two of the Five Taxations--Vision
Get Up And Boogie! Part 3 of The 5 Taxations: Excessive Lying Down
Part Four of the Five Taxations: Sitting Needs Moderation
Part Five of the Five Taxations: Maybe 'Stand Up, Stand Up' Is Not Always Best
Today's topic is the Fifth Taxation: "Excessive Walking, which damages the sinews." Our culture is in love with sitting, but our advice gurus are all about the walking. Walking does have many benefits. People recommend having a treadmill desk so you never have to sit down.
A basic tenet of Chinese medicine is "everything in balance." So we advise against lying down too much, against sitting too much, and against walking too much. Where many people see this as contradictory advice, we see it as common sense. You need to move your body in many different ways and rest it, too.
"Walking injures the sinews" warns against the exhaustion of overwork. Sinews can cover a most non-muscle, non-fatty tissues in Chinese medicine-speak. Anyone who has experienced tendonitis knows it is often triggered by overuse.
The sinews are considered to be governed by the Wood element, which also manages Liver and Gallbladder function. The Liver and Gallbladder are the organ systems most affected by stress. Moderate walking, or other exercise, is great for stress and can help you manage the energy generated by emotions, overthinking, and your response to frustrations and problems.
But too much exercise wears you out. When you are exhausted from overwork, you have a harder time managing stress. You begin to pull on your reserves, which in Chinese medicine means overtaxing the Water element, which deals with the Kidney and Bladder systems. Together with the Liver and Gallbladder, these systems have a huge influence on all the hormonal functions of the body--endocrine, sleep, and reproduction in particular. The Water element also holds your inherited energy, which are your "reserves." When you don't have enough energy from your rest and breathing and eating, your body naturally taps into these reserves. Many people can over-exercise for years because they use this reserve energy as they push themselves too hard. But once the reserves are gone, you have nothing extra to help you age gracefully, manage life's emergencies or major illnesses, or just have the "verve" that makes life a joy.
How much is too much? It depends on the person. Check with your doctor or other healthcare professional for your specific case. My advice is generally to do enough exercise so your joints feel relaxed and loose, and so your daily tension feels relieved. If your exercise leaves you exhausted for more than twenty-four hours after you do it, or if you hurt more than mild aches and pains when you exercise, dial back. If you have a chronic illness, such as diabetes or heart problems, be extra careful and be sure you have health advice from a medical professional who is qualified to help you--that will usually include a doctor at least, but maybe also an acupuncturist, physical therapist, chiropractor, nutritionist, or other practitioner.
So get moderate exercise, including walking. Enjoy it! But don't overdo it. Like everything else, exercise is meant to be done in moderation.
