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Tai Chi Fitness Basics – Important Things You Need to Know

Tai chi is a mind-body exercise that develops flexibility, strength and balance. It is beneficial for improving circulation, losing body fat and developing self-awareness and discipline. Composed of gentle, fluid and flowing movements, tai chi channels energy in more effective and efficient ways throughout the body to promote overall health and wellness.

What follows below are three basic tai chi exercises. While tai chi is low-impact and can be practiced by the young and old alike, it is always best to seek the advice of your doctor before embarking in it.

Dan Yu (Sitting in the Waist)

Position your feet 1? shoulder widths from each other. Extend your toes slightly pointing out. Both feet should be kept flat on the floor as you do your routine. Sit back with your bottom as if sitting on a chair and slowly bend your knees. Your torso should be kept in an upright position. Push the knees to the side and slowly go down. The knees may move slightly forward but it should not go beyond the toes. Go low at a tolerable height. Never overstrain your muscles. As you reach the limits of your sit, extend your feet on the floor and return to upright position. Repeat the procedure as tolerated.

Tor Yu (Spine Turning)

While standing upright with your feet together, extend one foot out at 45 degrees. Move one step forward with your other foot. In tai chi long step, this is considered as the basic position. Keeping yourself in this basic position, bend your front leg and as you straighten your back leg. As you do this, make sure that your knee does not go beyond the foot. Push forward. Square your hips and adjust in such a way that they point the same direction with your navel. Push back by bending the back leg and straightening the front leg. The navel this time should be in the same direction as your hind foot. As you gain comfort in doing the leg movements, include the hands in the entire routine. Put your hands forward at chest level. Push back with hands crossed and move them straight down. The hands should be slightly away from the body as you do this. When you’re tired of working your left side, proceed with the right side. Repeat procedure as tolerated.

Pa Qua / Ba Gua Stepping

Stand straight with both feet at a 45-degree angle to each other. Try to maintain this angle for the entire duration of your routine. Move your right foot forward. Do not put too much weight on your right foot at this time yet. Just let it touch the ground. Roll off your left heel in such a manner that the heel is up and the ball of the foot is down. As you execute your roll slowly shift your weight to the right foot. Move you left foot forward. Roll off the heel in your right foot and this time slowly shift your weight on the left foot. Repeat as tolerated.

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How to Use Finger Pulse Oximeter

There are many ways in measuring the person’s oxygen saturation and one of those is through the use of a pulse oximeter. However there are still few people who don’t want to buy this device because they don’t know how to use a pulse oximeter. Too bad for them because there are many medical benefits that we can get from the oximeter.

Using the oximeter has generally two parts which are the turning it on and placing the sensor in your body. But before you proceed in turning the button on, it is better that you explain what you are going to do especially when you’re doing it to another person. The first of the two parts on how to use the oximeter is locating the power button and then press it on. It doesn’t matter if it is a switch model or a button model.

The next part of the process is putting the finger inside the finger oximeter. Take note that the device won’t work if your fingernails have nail polish. It is because if there is something blocking the infrared light that needs to enter inside the body like nail polish, results will be voided. In case that the oximeter is not for finger, it can be replace in the earlobe but there should be no earrings for it void the results as well.

After the doing the two steps, just wait while the finger pulse oximeter is calculating your oxygen level and wait until the result appear on the screen. You must stay relax and refrain from unnecessary movements because it may disturb or hinder the reading. The numerical value that appears in the screen is the percentage of how many oxygen molecules are found in your blood. Additionally, the heart symbol will show the pulse of the person and the notation Sp02 will alert you to what the oxygen saturation of the person.

There is nothing to worry about on how to use the oximeter because it is simpler and easier than other medical devices and there are instructions included in the oximeter box or case. Plus you don’t have to be a professional to work on this process. Thus, you can used it for your own health benefits and you can used it to the other members of you family who need an oxygen level monitoring.

Now that you already know how to use or operate the pulse oximeter, you can purchase a finger pulse oximeter from a hospital or from your doctor. By repeating the simple process, you can now monitor the oxygen saturation of your body at anytime and anywhere.

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