There is a folk saying, “People get old before their legs grow old, and all diseases are raised from their legs.” The calf is like the “load-bearing wall” of the human body. Any exercise, including standing and walking, is inseparable from the contraction of the calf muscles. It can be said that more than half of the activities and energy consumption in a person’s life are completed by the calf.
Some people also say that people with strong calves will not have poor heart energy supply. Is this true?
I thought my body was weak, but in fact my lower limbs were weak
“The neighbor next door is almost 80 years old, and he walks more steadily than me.” When he said this, Uncle Li was full of envy, He was only in his early 70s. He walked shaky and often had shortness of breath. His sons and daughters wanted to find a nanny, and he was even more worried that he would go for a walk in the community by himself.
Uncle Li thought that he “must be deficient in qi and blood”, and shouted to seek medical treatment. However, when he arrived at the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Zhejiang Hospital, the attending physician Ren Xuanxuan told him that the main problem was the lack of muscle strength, especially the lack of lower limb strength, which would bring many health risks, one of which is the body’s balance ability and emergency response ability. fall, increasing the risk of falling.
“The decrease in muscle strength and mass is also called ‘sarcopenia’ in Western medicine, and it belongs to the category of ‘atrophy’ in Chinese medicine.” Ren Xuanxuan differentiated and treated according to Uncle Li’s condition, and tailored his clothes, in addition to taking medicine orally. In addition, he also prescribed TCM external treatment drugs, and also reminded him to increase some muscle strength exercises in an appropriate amount.
After a period of traditional Chinese medicine conditioning, Mr. Li walked more steadily, and he felt refreshed. He also brought an old friend with him during his latest visit. An old friend said that when he saw Uncle Li walk from trembling to steady, he wanted to try it to make his body stronger.
The calf is the “second heart of the human body”
It is also the “disease reflection area”
According to Ren Xuanxuan, the role of the calf is very important and is known as the “human body”. the second heart”. This is because the calf is the “traffic artery”, 50% of the nerves, blood vessels and blood of the human body are in the legs, and the blood flow of the human body includes arteries and veins. Arteries run, and the heart’s driving role is the most important; for veins, the pressure generated by muscle contraction is one of the hemodynamic forces. The venous return of the legs mainly depends on the contraction of the calf muscles, and 70% of the blood of the human body is pumped back to the heart by the calf. .
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that “Qi is born from the soles of the feet”. There are more than 60 acupuncture points on the calf. The liver, spleen, gallbladder, stomach, kidney and bladder meridians all pass through the calf. Maintain the up and down of blood. Therefore, actively carry out leg exercises to keep the legs strong and powerful, which has the effect of dredging the acupoints and massaging the meridians.
“So, if the calf is strong, the whole body will follow. Without a healthy calf, people cannot maintain normal blood circulation, so it is correct to say that the calf is strong and the heart function is good.” Ren Xuanxuan said , From another point of view, the calf is also a “disease reflection area”, many diseases will be reflected in the calf, such as calf cramps may be related to calcium deficiency, swelling indicates that the internal organs are sick, cold means the body is deficient, etc. Symptoms are conducive to early prevention and treatment of diseases.
Old people take care of their calves, you might as well do this
Since the calves are so important, how can the elderly exercise and maintain their calves?
Ren Xuanxuan said that for the leg muscle strength training of the elderly, the training must follow the correctness of the training movements, the exercise frequency should not be too high, the exercise load should be gradual and the principles of safety. Elderly people with cardiovascular disease (such as hypertension and coronary heart disease) should take light load and multiple sets of exercises when performing strength exercises, and avoid using heavy and fast explosive movements. In addition, the elderly with high blood pressure should not perform static strength exercises that require long-term breath holding, such as plank support, hanging leg raises, etc.
She also introduced several common methods of leg muscle strength training for the elderly. If your body can bear it, you can follow the exercise, but you must pay attention to moderation and stop immediately when you feel unwell.
1. Squat against the wall
Put your back against the wall, your feet should be shoulder-width apart, your hips should be flexed, your knees should be flexed, and your legs should be gradually stretched forward to form the center of gravity. A certain distance, about 40 to 50 cm. At this time, the body is in a squatting position, so that the calf is perpendicular to the ground.
Note: Because squatting may increase pressure on the patella, this exercise is not suitable for people with knee osteoarthritis, for example.
2. Quadriceps static contraction training (leg stretch)
Lie flat on the bed and actively contract the quadriceps when the knee is straight, so that the Tighten, hold for 5 seconds, then relax for 2 seconds, alternating between tightening and relaxing.
On the one hand, this exercise can maintain or enhance the strength of the quadriceps muscle, on the other hand, it can promote the blood return of the lower limbs and reduce the occurrence of thrombosis in the lower limbs.
3. Straight Leg Raise Training
Lie flat on the bed and lift the entire leg in the straight lower limb position, so that the angle between the leg and the bed is about 30 degrees , hold for 5 seconds, then put it down for 2 to 3 seconds, lift it up and put it down and repeat it alternately. 15/group each time, do 3-4 groups every day.
4. Anti-resistance knee flexion training
The elderly lie prone on the bed, tie a sandbag to the ankle joint, and let the elderly bend their knees actively, 12-15 times/group, 2 times a day -3 sets.
Note: During the training process, be sure to cooperate with breathing, and do not allow the elderly to train while holding their breath.
5. Ankle pump exercise
Lie flat on the bed and perform a full range of ankle flexion and extension training, hook and step down to the maximum position each time, hook and step Repeatedly alternate feet, rest after feeling tired.
The ankle pump exercise can maintain or enhance the strength of the flexor and extensor muscles of the ankle joint, promote the blood return of the lower extremities, and reduce the occurrence of thrombosis in the lower extremities.