Health and fitness go hand in hand. Having said that, this is only ideally. Though often spoken of as one in the same, these are actually two distinct qualities of being. For complete wellbeing, we need to strive for both in balanced measure. To do that, we need to take a little time to examine what these two qualities actually are, how they differ, and how we can bring them together for optimal results.
Fit or Healthy?
It is often the case -- especially in the western world -- that we conflate physical fitness with being healthy. We see this perhaps most clearly in the strong push for people to engage their bodies to the max in their workout routines. The popularity of all manner of extreme workout fads is testament to this mindset. Pain is gain. Gyms are filled with people striving for bigger muscles, better definition, and thinner waistlines. The more progress one makes toward these things, the healthier one is perceived to be.
This focus on outward physical appearance and ability is fitness. The ability to perform high reps in the gym, run marathons, and excel in high intensity sports require fitness.
Fitness is an excellent thing. But we are mistaken when we assume that being fit means also being healthy. One can be healthy without being fit. And one can be fit without being healthy. How often have we seen fit athletes suffer from back pain and joint damage? How often have we seen incredible bodybuilders drop dead from heart attacks? Why is this? You see, while fitness is a measure of ability, health is a measure of how well our bodies are actually functioning. Too often, we focus so much on pushing ourselves to great heights of fitness that we fail to see the damage and neglect we are giving our bodies. We fail to see that we are falling apart on the inside even while we build up the outside.
So as we can see, fitness and health do ideally go hand in hand. For our total wellbeing, we need to build up our external physique, increase our stamina, and improve our capabilities. We also need to make sure that we are building up our internal strength and functionality. Our external appearance and abilities are ultimately meaningless if we are unhealthy and in pain internally.
As a martial artist, I have seen plenty of very strong and talented fighters who had to cut their careers short because of the simple fact that they trained themselves into dust. Especially in the external styles, practitioners regularly beat their bodies to a pulp with scarcely a thought given to the long term consequences. This is also true for many athletes. It has even become expected as "normal" for an athlete's skill to begin to wane around age 30 and then enter retirement 5-10 years later. While blamed on natural aging, that actually has little to do with it. More often than not it is largely due to accumulated damage resulting from overwork and injury and to a lack of understanding of internal training.
Learning How to Train
We need to attain a basic understanding of what type of exercise is actually "good" for the body. Outward body sculpting, weight lifting, and endurance training are excellent practices. They are indispensable for improving overall physical ability. What we need to understand though is that constantly pushing the body to its maximum limits is not natural, nor is it healthy. Doing so will produce great immediate results, but will only serve to shorten the body's functional lifespan.
When considering the long term best interests of the body, the key is balance. We must learn to balance the Yang with the Yin. The outward with the inward. While we ought to occasionally push ourselves to our limits, we must also take the focus inward and balance out the body's energy pathways.
This is why in the traditional Chinese martial arts there is a system of training both the internal and external. While a student may begin at either end of the spectrum, we gradually move to the opposite end. Often we will start with strenuous physical discipline, and then slowly integrate deeper breathwork and meditative training. The opposite may also be done. The idea is that we train the outward and the inward roughly equally. When a practitioner fails to do this, disastrous results can follow. One who has built a strong body yet neglected their inner power will be strong yet brittle. They will have great strength but will often suffer injury and health concerns. Their career will be short. On the other hand, one who has built up great internal power yet has neglected the outward strength, their power will be useless lacking a proper vessel to support it.
Soft and Hard
The traditional Chinese internal martial arts such as Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, and Baguazhang are perhaps the greatest total package exercises available to man. A growing body of evidence is now arising from the scientific community that these disciplines are indeed as effective as popular programs such as Cross-Fit for the outward body, but with the added benefits of balancing the energy and strengthening the mind and intent. It has also been shown that these practices are among the most effective exercises for training the deep core stabilizer muscles which are responsible for maintaining the foundation for skeletal alignment and the outer muscle groups.
One frequent objection to Taijiquan is that it is considered too slow and gentle to be of any real benefit to strength and cardio training. I chuckle when I read even well meaning articles speak of how Tai Chi is a gentle exercise that does not raise the heart rate. I challenge these skeptics and uninformed supporters alike to try real Taijiquan. It is unfortunate that usually the only Tai Chi these people have ever seen are the soft movements of gently swaying senior citizens in the park. While this is certainly one aspect of Taijiquan, it is not the whole. Taijiquan occupies the full spectrum. Just as we practice slowly and gently for one purpose, we practice swift and powerful movements for another. This is to say nothing of the intense strength training that goes with traditional practice (e.g. iron board training, finger push-ups, weighted training balls, etc.)
Unique Benefits of Taijiquan
Not only is Taijiquan excellent for outer physical strength, it has other unique qualities that few other exercises can offer.
Soft Tissue Training
The spiraling energy generated in Taiji practice is excellent for stretching and massaging the soft tissues of the body and for increasing the flow of bodily fluids needed for healthy function, nutrition, and regeneration. This is vital for real tissue growth. Many more conventional exercises actually serve to tighten and stagnate these tissues, leading to injury and degeneration.
Elasticity and Resilience
Taiji trains and strengthens the tendons, ligaments, and fascia, creating a strong and durable body that is elastic and resilient. These are the tissues truly responsible for holding the body upright and keeping the skeleton in proper alignment. If they are weak, the body structure will crumble. This leads to pain, injury, and malfunction. Many people ignore these tissues, leading them to atrophy. Elasticity and range of motion are sorely lacking in many people, even top athletes. I have seen many weightlifters who could not even touch their toes! This level of stagnation is a recipe for disaster, both for potential injury and toxic overload.
Unity of Movement
Taiji teaches the body to move as a single cohesive unit. Many people are disconnected from their bodies. Their movements tend to be sharp and linear, with little coordination among the various parts. Taijiquan requires that the entire body be treated as a single flowing entity in which the actions of one part affect the whole. This builds grace and balance, improves coordination, and trains mental focus and clarity.
Taijiquan - The Grand Ultimate
Practicing the internal martial arts, such as Taijiquan, develops a body and mind that are strong and capable, yet relaxed and healthy. They are hard and disciplined, yet soft and flexible. These qualities of fitness and health must be cultivated simultaneously to be of any lasting worth. As ancient wisdom tells us, and as modern science continues to validate to us, the Chinese internal martial arts are perhaps the best way to create the best body (and mind) you can have.
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