Although it is not cardio or weight-lifting, practicing meridian exercises regularly can help your weight loss efforts because of their many beneficial effects. They increase blood circulation, which helps more nutrients, oxygen, and other things the body uses to work optimally to get to where they need to go. This also revitalizes your brain and metabolism, igniting fat-burning activity and normalizing hormone secretions.
Meridian exercise also relaxes your body and mind, helping you to manage stress and improve your mood, common sources of overeating or too little exercise. Some squeeze toxins out of your body, another potential source of weight gain. With mood and hormone control comes appetite control. Together, these changes can help you manage your eating habits and give you more energy to exercise regularly to help you lose weight.
Here are some exercises from Meridian Exercise for Self-Healing by Ilchi Lee that promote weight loss, one for each major part of the body:
ARM TWIST
- Stand with your feet shoulder width-apart. Extend your arms to the side with your palms down.
- Inhale. Bend your torso slightly. Turn your hands so the thumbs point upward, continuing until your palms face behind you. Hold for a few seconds.
- Exhale. Return to the original posture.
- Inhale. Turn your hands so the thumbs point down, continuing until your palms face behind you. Hold for a few seconds.
- Exhale and return to the original posture.
- Inhale. Twist your arms in opposite directions, allowing your torso to bend with them. Hold for a few seconds. With your eyes, follow the arm that reaches behind you.
- Exhale and return to the original posture.
- Repeat each motion eight times.
- When you finish, massage your muscles from your shoulders to your wrists.
LEG LIFT
- Lie on your back with your legs extended, feet together, and your arms resting at your sides.
- Inhale. Raise your right leg to a 90-degree angle. Keep your knee soft but not bent.
- Flex your ankle and notice the tightness in the thigh and lower abdomen.
- Exhale. Lower your leg.
- Inhale. Raise your right leg again, this time bringing the leg toward your chest and wrapping your hands around your ankle. Gently raise your head to meet your leg.
- Exhale and return to resting.
- Repeat with your left leg.
SIDE BEND
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Extend both arms to the sides, palm down, at shoulder height.
- Inhale. Bend slowly to the left side, allowing the right arm to come overhead and touch the right ear. Follow this movement with your eyes.
- Allow the left arm to glide down the left leg to touch the left ankle. Focus on the right side of your body and your right underarm. Hold this position.
- Exhale. Return to Step 1 and bend to the right side.
- Repeat twice to the left and right.
GROIN STRETCH
- Stand with your left leg in front of your right.
- With your left hand on your left knee for support, bend your left knee and lean forward to place your right hand on the floor, parallel to the left foot. Stretch your right leg back, toes flexed.
- Lower your hips and look toward the horizon while you bounce up and down gently several times.
- Then lower your hips farther while holding this position for as long as you comfortably can.
- Repeat with the opposite leg.
HALF-MOON STRADDLE
- Sit with your legs outstretched to the sides and your toes flexed.
- Interlace your fingers in front of your abdomen.
- Slowly move your body with a circular motion toward the left toes and follow this movement with your eyes.
- Expand the circular motion and slowly bring your body to the center, parallel to your abdomen.
- Continue to circle around, now toward your right toes with a circular motion. Circle to the starting posture.
- Repeat the motion 3 times, alternating directions.
SUPERMAN POSTURE (VARIATION)
- Lie on your stomach with your legs and arms outstretched.
- Inhale as you lift your left arm and right leg while raising your head slightly.
- Exhale and relax.
- Inhale and raise your right arm and left leg while raising your head slightly.
- Repeat the motion 5 times.
- Inhale and lift both arms and legs very gently with only your belly touching the floor.
- Exhale. Lower your arms and legs gently to the floor. Relax.
Practice these exercises mindfully and daily to achieve your weight loss goals. You can find more exercises for weight loss, and other health conditions in Meridian Exercise for Self-Healing by Ilchi Lee.
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