🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Summer brings high temperatures and humidity, making physical fitness challenging. How to exercise effectively is a tough problem. The Song Dynasty health expert Chen Zhi wrote extensively in his *Shou Qin Yang Lao Xin Shu* (New Book on Elderly Care): "After waking from midday nap, draw mountain spring water, gather pine branches, brew bitter tea, sip leisurely, read a few chapters of the *Book of Changes*, *Guofeng* (National Songs), Tao Yuanming and Du Fu poems, Han Yu and Su Shi essays. Walk slowly along mountain paths, touch pine and bamboo, lie down with oxen and calves in lush forests and tall grass. Sit by flowing springs, rinse teeth and wash feet." After dinner, "fiddle with brushwork at window, write dozens of characters of varying sizes, browse your collection of calligraphy, ink rubbings, and paintings. Step out by the stream, meet village elders, discuss mulberry and hemp, talk about rice harvests, check weather, count seasons, chat animatedly. Return to lean on the wooden gate as sunset paints the hills, purple and green hues shifting in moments, delighting the eye." Chen Zhi proposed numerous summer fitness measures: light labor like drawing water and gathering pine branches; summer tourism like walking mountain paths and touching pine and bamboo; water activities like playing with streams, rinsing teeth, and washing feet. Besides fitness, reading, writing, tea tasting, poetry recitation, friendly conversation, and scenic appreciation in summer are also beneficial to health. What exercises are suitable for summer health preservation?
1. Promote Travel. Summer travel primarily aims to escape heat and enjoy coolness. Based on this principle, ideal destinations are seaside areas and mountainous regions. Reasons include:
First, both areas have relatively lower temperatures. Coastal climates, known as marine climates, differ significantly from land due to the ocean's inherent properties. While inland areas are blazing hot, coastal areas remain breezy and cool. Mountain climates feature lower temperatures but large daily temperature variations. Generally, temperature inversely correlates with altitude. For every 100 meters increase in elevation, temperature drops by approximately 0.5°C to 0.6°C. Thus, mountain temperatures are typically lower than at base levels, especially in summer. Greater the height difference between mountain top and base, greater the temperature variation.
Second, the environment in seaside and mountain areas is pleasant. People living near the coast notice regular wind shifts throughout the day. During the day, cool sea breezes blow from the sea to land, delivering fresh air—especially refreshing in summer heat, instantly relieving fatigue. At night, winds shift from land to sea, carrying away polluted air. Additionally, coastal air contains higher concentrations of iodine, sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, and ozone. Iodine content is 40 times higher than in continental air—meeting physiological needs and offering antibacterial effects. Moreover, wide, soft beaches provide natural settings for sunbathing and seawater bathing. The combined effects of coastal climate help balance organ functions, offering preventive and therapeutic benefits for many chronic conditions such as neurasthenia, bronchitis, asthma, rheumatism, tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases, and various skin disorders. Thus, spending about 10 days at the seaside in summer greatly benefits physical and mental health.
Mountain travel also offers many benefits. Generally, the most beneficial altitudes for human health are mid- and low-elevation mountains, around 500–2000 meters. Benefits stem from the therapeutic effects of mountain climate and longevity factors in mountain environments. Famous mountain health resorts in China include Mount Lu, Huangshan, Moganshan, Jigongsan, and Emei Shan. These areas feature rolling peaks and valleys, lush greenery, blooming flowers, and aromatic volatile compounds from plants with antibacterial properties. Clear springs form spectacular waterfalls, with abundant negative ions around splashing droplets, creating exceptionally fresh air. Breathing such air calms emotions, prevents asthma attacks, and improves lung gas exchange. Furthermore, lower temperature and pressure, stronger winds, and abundant solar radiation—especially ultraviolet rays—in mountains aid calcium and phosphorus metabolism and boost immunity. Majestic natural scenery, transparent skies, and ever-changing cloud seas inspire awe. People can utilize mountain natural conditions for short-term recuperation, cooling off, hiking, sightseeing, and walking, exercising cardiovascular function.
2. Swimming is Best. Among summer sports, swimming is optimal. Despite scorching sun and hot winds, swimming remains most comfortable—exercising the body while cooling down. Swimming offers many benefits.
First, it enhances respiratory system function. Water density is 820 times greater than air. Breathing underwater imposes a 13kg pressure. To overcome this, respiratory muscles must work harder, strengthening them. Stronger respiratory muscles increase lung capacity. Regular swimmers can achieve lung volumes up to 5000ml, while average people have only 3500ml. Thus, after training, oxygen intake increases and carbon dioxide is expelled efficiently, boosting cellular metabolism. This effectively prevents chronic bronchitis and improves emphysema.
Second, swimming enhances cardiovascular function. Water temperature is lower than body temperature, and water conducts heat 26 times faster than air. Contact with water often triggers peripheral vasoconstriction, followed by adaptive dilation. These factors greatly strengthen heart function and reduce metabolic waste deposition on vessel walls.
Third, swimming increases cerebral cortex excitability, enhancing command functions. After work, a brief swim—even for anyone—brings mental refreshment, fatigue relief, and a sense of lightness. Especially for the elderly, regular swimming helps metabolize fat, preventing obesity caused by fat accumulation in the omentum and subcutaneous layers.
All this shows swimming has many benefits, but not everyone can participate. Before entering water, undergo a thorough physical examination. Those with serious internal organ diseases, women during menstruation, those with intrauterine devices, tubal ligation, recent abortion, childbirth, or certain skin diseases (tinea, athlete's foot, severe trachoma, fungal vaginitis, trichomoniasis) generally should not swim. Also, those with chronic suppurative otitis media or partial hearing loss involving inner ear disease should avoid swimming. If none of these conditions exist and doctors approve, swimming is permissible.
Additionally, swim one hour after meals. Eating causes stomach pressure, potentially leading to pain or vomiting. Always perform adequate warm-up exercises before swimming to avoid cramps and colds. Do not jump straight into deep water; first splash face and arms with shallow water, rub chest and abdomen to acclimate before moving to deeper areas. After swimming, if water remains in ears, try tilting head and hopping on one foot. After swimming, thoroughly rinse the body with clean water to remove contaminants. To prevent eye diseases, use eye drops.
3. Playing with Fitness Balls. Fitness balls, mainly produced in Baoding, Hebei, are also called Baoding iron balls. This exercise harmonizes qi and blood, stretches tendons and bones, strengthens internal organs, and enhances brain function. It requires minimal effort and is不受场地、气候限制, making it ideal for summer. Regular practice helps treat paralysis sequelae, cervical spondylosis, shoulder periarthritis, coronary heart disease, and finger dysfunction. Why? The five fingers contain many acupoints—starting and ending points of several meridians. Meridians link the brain and internal organs. Regular practice stimulates these acupoints and meridians, achieving unblocking of meridians and harmonization of qi and blood. Additionally, frequent friction between iron balls and palm skin generates static electricity and thermal effects, improving circulation and treating various ailments. How to use fitness balls for exercise?
(1) Single-hand double-ball friction rotation: Place two balls in one palm, use fingers to rotate them clockwise and counterclockwise. Keep fingers tightly pressed against the balls to ensure friction without collision.
(2) Single-hand double-ball centrifugal rotation: After mastering the above, gradually progress to rotating the balls apart. Finger movements and directions remain the same, but extend fingers to push the balls rapidly spinning in the palm without collision. Speed should generally be 150–200 rotations per minute.
(3) Double-hand four-ball exercise: Build on single-hand exercises to advance to double-hand four-ball movements. Method: Perform single-hand actions simultaneously with both hands, requiring full brain engagement. This is more difficult and technically demanding but yields better results than single-hand exercises.
(4) Use iron balls to massage, knead, or hammer painful body parts, alleviating pain and strengthening hand strength—great benefit for elderly with shoulder and back discomfort, waist and leg pain.
(5) Firmly grip the ball with one or both hands' thumb and palm, feeling a sensation of soreness and heat. Regular practice enhances finger, wrist, grip, and arm strength.
4. Fishing.
Fishing is not just about catching fish but also about cultivating temperament and enriching life. Many literati regarded "fishing on misty waters" as a refined activity. Legend says Jiang Ziya, who helped King Wen of Zhou conquer the world, once fished by the Wei River. Today, the site near Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, is said to be his fishing spot. Zhuge Liang fished to change his mood; President Roosevelt fished to relax tense nerves. Before congressional policy debates, he often took time to fish.
Summer, when you arrive at reservoirs or ponds, beneath lush shade trees, with gentle breeze, observe flourishing life, hear cicadas singing in the evening sun, watch white floats jumping on green waves... Find this serene joy, naturally feel cool and calm, dispel annoyance and agitation—how delightful! Frequently experiencing such pleasure naturally benefits health and longevity. As Chen Junli put in "Fishing Joy":
Fishing by lakeside, heart tranquil, tender willows draping my shoulders;
Birdsong delights my ears, gentle breeze caresses my face;
Lake light and water reflections fill my eyes, worries and distractions vanish;
Fishing rod bends like a bow, caught carp lively and fresh;
Villagers laugh and ask: "Why do you fish all day?"
"I catch a springtime of endless beauty, a lifetime of happiness and longevity!"
Indeed, regular fishing promotes health. Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty noted fishing relieves "heart and spleen heat." Summer heat often causes irritability, restlessness, and easy "fire" symptoms, so fishing is especially good in summer. Ancient wisdom says: "Standing by the lake cures illness, cultivating mind and nature surpasses medicine." Fishing nurtures mind and nature because it involves brain, hand, and eye coordination, combining stillness, intention, and motion. During fishing, eyes, brain, and spirit focus on float movements—silent, intent focused on the lower abdomen, physically still but mentally active. It actively enhances visual and mental responsiveness.
5. Air Bathing.
The above are just examples. Numerous other summer exercises are suitable. As the saying goes: "Train in the coldest winter, train in the hottest summer." This shows summer exercise is crucial for health. Experimental observations indicate that those who regularly exercise in summer have better heart function, lung capacity, and digestive function, and lower disease rates. But summer heat consumes the body significantly, so summer exercise must be methodical—only reasonable planning ensures good fitness results.
First, eat more alkaline foods to prevent acid-base imbalance: Summer exercise often causes profuse sweating, losing large amounts of salt and potassium ions. Excessive potassium loss leads to muscle weakness, generalized aches, arrhythmia, drowsiness, and mental dullness. Additionally, intense exercise consumes vast energy, accumulating metabolic byproducts like pyruvic acid and lactic acid. Blood alkaline reserves drop, easily causing acid-base imbalance. To maintain normal pH, blood alkaline reserves must increase. Alkaline foods, primarily fruits, include watermelon, pineapple, apricot, peach, plum, and honeydew melon—all rich in potassium salts.
Second, best to exercise outdoors in cool mornings or evenings. Upon waking, go to parks, lakesides, courtyards, etc., where air is fresher. Activities include radio calisthenics, qigong, tai chi.
Third, moderate exercise intensity—avoid overfatigue. After intense exercise, thirst is natural, but avoid drinking too much or too quickly cold food or drinks, which may cause sudden intestinal vessel constriction, leading to digestive dysfunction—abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea. Drink some salt water instead. Better yet, take a hot shower to relieve fatigue and feel exceptionally refreshed.