Life with Chronic Disease: Qigong for Winter Ails

My husband had a cold, which resolved but left him with a miserable cough. No, it’s not Covid.  He’s been under a lot of stress and we went to several gatherings over Thanksgiving, so am not surprised he came down with something. 

I’ve had nasty colds/coughs in the past, where trips to the doctors did little to relieve the symptoms. What I found that helped was daily Qigong, with specific exercises when I had a cold and/or cough. Since my husband asked me for some Qigong exercises he could try, figured I might as well do a post about it. 

 

If you aren’t familiar with Qigong, it combines body movements, muscle relaxation, meditation, and breathing to improve physical, mental, and emotional health. It originated in ancient China more than 4,000 years ago. 

 

I started doing Qigong around 15 years ago. We had a house fire and were displaced for close to two months. My local gym was offering a free Qigong course. Even though I was first introduced to it while working in AIDS, it hadn’t stuck beyond the introductory workshop. Given how I was working daily in pretty nasty conditions, and was stressed to the max, the Qigong class was the break I needed.  

 

Thanks to the Internet and uTube, I’ve been doing it ever since, though I’ll admit there are periods of time I get lack about it and then something happens and I find myself feeling much better resuming my daily practice. 

 

With the various winter ails looming on the horizon, below is more information on Qigong and some exercises you might try to boost your immune system and find ways to reduce stress and anxiety. 

 

Why Qigong: Most medical centers today offer complementary and alternative services, with Qigong being a main stay for many cancer centers and Integrative Medicine programs.  The following review article explains why Qigong is a good option, particularly for those with chronic conditions:

•  Qigong for the Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of COVID-19 Infection in Older Adults

• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health-Part of the NIH 

• A Comprehensive Review of Health Benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi 

 

Videos to try: There are many Qigong teachers. I learned a lot from taking a class, and if they were readily available where I live, I’d certainly take them. I’ve also found some on-line videos particularly helpful when learning the breathing aspects. 

As with any exercise, please talk to your medical provider before starting. They may even be able to direct you to a specific class, workshop or even a video they find useful for people with your condition. 

• Immune Boosting Qigong 

• 3 Simple Seated Exercises for Seniors to Strengthen the Immune System 

• "Immuni Qi" Qigong Routine for Lungs and Immune System - with Jeffrey Chand 

• Qigong Series for Healthy Immune System 

• 20 Minute Morning Qi Gong Exercise by Lee Holden