Today, I will introduce to you all a stomping exercise that can help maintain youth. The feet are known as the "second heart" of a person, highlighting their importance. The feet are one of the hardest-working parts of the human body, bearing the entire weight of the body and coping with activities such as walking, standing, running, and climbing stairs. With every step, the feet endure an impact force 1.5 to 2 times the body weight. For a person weighing 60 kilograms, each step subjects both feet to over 100 kilograms of impact force.
If the feet are not well cared for, various diseases can easily develop. Since the toes are farthest from the heart, some cases of hypertension may be caused by microcirculation disorders in the toes or ankle joint areas, and even colds can start from the feet being cold. The Yongquan acupoint on the sole of the foot can expel turbid qi downward and absorb clear qi from the ground.
Toe exercises involve moving the toes in specific ways to improve overall health. These exercises are divided into three parts: dynamic, static, and independent toe exercises:
**First Rule: Static**
While standing, curl both big toes upward simultaneously or alternately. The same method applies while sitting. Especially when using a computer or working in environments with strong electromagnetic fields like radio or television stations, not only should your hands move, but your toes should also be curled upward forcefully to enhance the body's bioelectricity and resist interference from external magnetic fields on the body's micro-magnetic field balance.
Before sleeping or upon waking up early, set aside some time specifically for using your toes to grab and scratch or pressing the second toe with the big toe and pulling it down 100-200 times.
**Second Rule: Dynamic**
When walking, every time your foot leaves the ground, curl your toes upward once. This can also be done while running or going up and down stairs. When riding a bicycle, press your toes down once when pushing the pedal forward, and curl them upward once when lifting the pedal from below to the back and up. This action is neither difficult nor has any side effects, and long-term persistence will surely yield results.
**Third Rule: Independent Toe Movement**
As people age, if they do not practice independent toe movements, they are more likely to fall when walking or standing. One reason is the accelerated shrinkage of the cerebellum. The balance center of the human body is in the cerebellum, and regularly practicing independent movements can easily overcome this problem. The instability experienced by middle-aged and elderly people when first learning Tai Chi is due to this reason. Therefore, elderly people who want to delay cerebellar atrophy should practice independent movements (beginners should stay close to a table or wall to prevent falls). The methods are as follows:
1. Stand on one leg with the other leg raised parallel to the ground, the lower leg hanging naturally. Using the ankle joint as the axis, curl the toes upward, which will also lift the foot, then press it down again, returning to the upward position counts as one repetition. Repeat this action 16 times. Then switch legs and repeat the same number of repetitions or do a few more repetitions with the left leg.
2. Switch to standing on the other leg with the other leg raised parallel to the ground, the lower leg hanging naturally. Using the ankle joint as the axis, kick inward like playing shuttlecock and then outward, returning to the inward position counts as one repetition. Repeat this action 16 times.
3. Using the ankle joint as the axis, rotate the foot inward 16 times.
4. Perform the same action but rotate outward instead.
After enhancing independent stability, you can combine the first and second actions. As the independent actions become more stable, you can combine three or four actions together. As stability improves further, you can add forward kicking or split kicking (lifting the toes upward and kicking with the heel) actions.
Through the practice of independent actions, the cerebellar atrophy can be delayed, and natural aging can also be alleviated. With enhanced stability, falling becomes less likely.
The toe health method is suitable for everyone. It is best to start practicing during the middle and young adult years. If you cannot go outside due to weather changes (strong winds, rain, snow) or other reasons, you can still practice at home.
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