Choosing the Right Exercise for You


By: Kimberley Norton, Oriental Health Practitioner

Is there any such thing as the 'right' exercise?

When you break down all the benefits and motivations for exercise, it comes back to creating balance to an otherwise one-sided lifestyle. For some, exercise is an obsession, for others, it's a nightmare of avoidance, guilt and low self esteem. And then there are those who define and measure themselves by their own and others' image of fitness and perfection. Choosing the 'right' exercise can be a physical, emotional and financial minefield.

There are some basic guidelines, which can help you to assess what you might be suited to in terms of exercise. However, you need to remember that as your condition and energy capacity will change daily, so should your selection of exercise.

1. Is my life predominantly sedentary or active?
Choose the opposite to exercise, eg - if you are quite active, choose a low-key exercise to relax, and vice versa.

2. What season are we in?
Respect the season and the energy requirements, eg. Winter - retain internal warmth to nourish & revitalise internal organs;
Spring - begin to shift stagnation and bring internal energy out to the surface;
Summer - release internal heat and encourage sweating;
Autumn - begin to minimize overly heating and exhausting activities.

3. Am I feeling hot and dry or cold and sluggish?
If hot and dry, overly heating /active exercise will deplete internal fluids even more. If cold and sluggish, heating /active exercise will assist to move the stagnation and warm the internal organs.

4. Do I need to move Qi to clear the fog, or sedate Qi to quieten and settle?
If bogged down by a foggy head, then cardiovascular exercise will help. If stressed out with excessive mental activity, then cardiovascular exercise will increase the mental stress, whereas quiet breathing & stretching will invigorate.

5. What type of exercise do I habitually engage in?
We habitually choose exercise that aggravates our individual conditions, choosing a variety of exercise based on your moment to moment condition will assist in regaining balance.

6. Am I exercising to punish or nourish?
Ask yourself this question honestly. Is what you are about to do (or avoid) going to nourish you? What are your motivations for partaking in or avoiding exercise?

7. How is my health today? How has it been in the last week?
If you have been affected by any sort of external virus then you do not want to partake in exercise that will induce sweating. If you have been affected by a cold or flu, then only partake in exercise that will induce a very mild sweat.

Each type of exercise has a different energetic effect. Consider the following:

Cardiovascular - tonifies the respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive systems. Increases qi and yang, moves stagnation but can deplete yin and vital bodily fluids.

Yoga / Pilates /Stretching - tonifies qi, massages internal organs.

Lower Abdominal Breathing - stimulates qi, blood, spleen and kidneys.

Tai Chi /Qi Gong - Tonifies qi and yang. Can be too stimulating for those with heart or emotional imbalances.

Chanting - tonifies lungs and spleen. Restores the vital link between the lungs and kidneys - therefore excellent for any type of respiratory or reproductive condition.

In Oriental Medicine, exercise is sometimes described as an activity of cleansing the spirit. Mix it up, consider the above checklist and most of all, choose an exercise that makes your eyes shine, your complexion glow and turns your lips to a nice pink hue. Then you will know that you have nourished your spirit, relaxed your liver, invigorated your heart and tonified your digestion. Now that's what I call a good workout!


Kimberley Norton is a Oriental Dietary Consultant, a practitioner of Oriental Health Sciences and a Pilates and Movement Therapist who practices in Annandale, NSW. For appointments and enquiries telephone Kimberley direct on 0414 600 930 or email to [email protected].

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