INTRO
It’s really important before starting any exercise that you warm up properly. Warming up increasing our heart rate, gets our blood pumping and moving around our body, it loosens off all our body parts ready for the movement and exercise to come.
I’d recommend doing all our exercises within your own comfort zone. Listen to your own body because you know it better than anybody else and if it doesn’t feel right, it possibly isn’t.
I’d also recommend speaking to your GP if you’re new to exercise, if you haven’t exercised in a while or you’ve had a health or medical condition that you might need to discuss before starting off on a new exercise regime.
So the first thing we are going to do is a nice warm up. In Tai Chi and QiGong we take this nice and slowly and gently. We’re going to move each part of our body, one by one, loosening it off and getting ready for exercise.
TAI CHI AND QIGONG WARM UP
HEAD & NECK – Move the head to the right, nice and slowly, just as far as you can and bringing it back to centre. And to the left. Back to centre. Chin to your chest, looking down to the floor. And with care, taking your head all the way to the ceiling and bringing it back to centre. Looking forward we are going to do our ear to our shoulder, so keeping your shoulders down. And the other way. We’re going to look around the room, taking our time, drawing a circle with our chin. And the other way.
SHOULDERS – We’re going to roll the shoulders, three times and three times the other way. Bringing our hands to our shoulders and we are going to increase that circle. Drawing circles with our elbows. And the other way, taking them back.
HANDS – We’re going to bend our knees. We’re going to draw our hands and squeezing in our hands tight and relax. We’re going to do that again, so drawing our hands in tight, squeezing and relax. And last time, drawing them in, squeezing them tight and relaxing.
TORSO & SPINE – We’re going to bend our knees. We’re going to turn from the waist. This is called ‘Knocking on the Door’ but we’re keeping it nice and gentle, just within our own comfort zone. We’re just turning from the waist as far as we can. We’re not turning to put any pressure on our knees, we’re letting our arms swing nice and natural, and just letting our body just loosen off around the spine. Keep it going.
BODY & ARMS – We’re just going to reach out to either side, stretching out the waist from side to side, just as far as you can. Again listening to your own body, keeping it within your own comfort zone. Keeping those shoulders relaxed. Four more, three, two and one.
HIPS – We’re going to do some hip circles. So forward, side, back, side. Let’s do that three times. And the other way.
FULL STRETCH & INHALE/EXHALE – We’re going to take a nice in breath, all the way in and all the way out, bending our knees. Let’s do that again. Bringing it all the way up and all the way down. One more time, bringing it up and all the way down. Yeah good.
LEGS – We’re just going to take our foot out, heel and bringing it back. Pushing it out, heel. And heel, bending that supporting leg and let’s do one more, heel and change legs. So we’re going to go heel and bring it in. And heel and bring it in. Heel, last one. And Heel and bring it in.
We’re warmed up and ready. Enjoy your Tai Chi and QiGong.