Patting all over the body is a simple health-protecting exercise characterized by giving light blows with one's own palms or fists. It is good for strengthening the tendons and bones, facilitating the development of muscles, improving the particular motion, accelerating blood circulation and promoting the function of visceral organs and metabolism. After patting, one will feel relaxed, quick in action, clear-headed and high-spirited. This kind of health-protecting exercise is more effective than massage by others.
Patting is usually performed with hands, but sometimes with a steel-wire bat or sandbag. The exercise consists of eight steps.

I. Patting of the head
Instructions: Stand or walk. When standing, relax the whole body, drop the shoulders and elbows and smile while patting without moving. If walking, saunter while patting at ease. Pat the left side of the head with the left palm and the right side of the head with the right palm, from the front of the head to the back to and fro for fifty times. Then pat the lateral parts of the head with both palms fifty times. Count the number, of pats silently. The mind should be concentrated and the breath natural (see Figs. 1 & 2).
Indications: Prevention and treatment of dizziness, headache, and cerebral ischemia.

II. Patting of the arms
Instructions: Stand or walk as described in Step I. Pat the anterior, posterior, lateral and medial aspects of the left arm with the right palm or fist, twenty-five blows on each aspect (divided into five series of five blows each). Then pat the right arm with the left palm or fist in the same way (see Figs. 3 & 4).
Indications: Prevention and treatment of muscular dysplasia of the arm, acrocyanosis, numbness of the arm and hemiplegia.

III. Patting of the shoulders
Instructions: Stand or walk as described in Step I. Pat the left shoulder with the right palm, and then the right shoulder with the left palm. Pat both shoulders alternately for 50-100 times (see Figs. 5 & 6).
Indications: Prevention and treatment of per arthritis of the shoulder, stiffness of the shoulder, muscular dysplasia and atelectasis.

IV. Patting of the back
Instructions: Stand or walk as described in Step I. Pat the left side of the back with the right fist, and then the right side of the back with the left fist, 100-200 times on each side (see Figs. 7 & 8).
Indications: Back pain, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, atelectasis, muscular dysplasia and coronary heart disease.

V. Patting of the chest
Instructions: Pat the left and right sides of the chest alternately, the left side with the right palm or right fist, and then the right side with the left palm or left fist. Pat from the top to the bottom, and then from the bottom to the top 100-200 times on each side (seeFigs.9& 10).
Indications: Coronary heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, emphysema, at electuaries, pulmonary heart disease, muscular dysplasia.

VI. Patting of the waist and abdomen
Instructions: Taking the waist as the axis, turn the upper torso to the left and then to the right, pushing forwards the motion of the arms. Pat the left side of the abdomen with the right hand and the right side of the abdomen with the left hand, and pat the right side of the waist with the left hand and the left side of the waist with the right hand. Pat the upper and lower parts of the abdomen and the upper, middle and lower parts of the waist 100-200 times on each side (see Figs. 11&12) .
Indications: Prevention and treatment of soreness in the loins, lumbago, hyperosteogeny, dyspepsia, abdominal distension, consumption.

VII. Patting of the buttocks
Instructions.. Pat the left side of the buttocks with the left palm or left fist and right side of the buttocks with the right palm or right fist 50-100 times on each side (see Fig. 13).
Indications: Prevention and treatment of dysplasia, of gluteal muscles.

VIII. Patting of the legs
Instructions.. Stand with the left leg raised and bent into a right angle at the knee. Place the left heel on a rail. Pat the anterior, posterior, lateral and medial aspects of the thigh and shank with the left palm or left fist from the top of the leg downwards 100-200 times. Pat the right leg in the same way with the right palm or right fist (see Figs. 14 & 15).
Indications: Prevention and treatment of muscular dysplasia of the leg, hemiplegia, paraplegia, acrocyanosis of the lower extremities, numbness and weakness of the leg.
Notes: The patting should be light at first and then gradually becoming heavy. It will be effective only if the exercise is performed consistently.

[Close] [comment]