Qi Gong Exercises to Boost Your Energy

Qi gong exercises will help you prevent injury, improve circulation, and keep your muscles relaxed and invigorated. These simple stretches will also help you enhance your overall health, elevate your mood, and strengthen your immune system.

Reading time: 6 minutes

How quick qi gong exercises work

You probably already know that sitting for hours, whether on the couch watching TV or at your desk working on the computer, can harm your health. In Chinese medicine the concept is even more important because sitting for long periods of time has two damaging effects on the body:

1. Blood and qi become stagnant and cannot nourish your organs and muscles, leading to physical and emotional problems.
2. Sitting compresses the spine. Qi flows up the back of the spine and down the front. If the spine is compressed, qi stagnates and cannot flow as needed.
   
   

You can learn more about how important the movement of qi and blood are in our article on the Difference between Chinese and Western Medicine.

To avoid some of the problems that come from standing for too long, it's important to do quick qi gong exercises to move and stretch your muscles. They will also help boost microcirculation throughout your body and support lymphatic drainage.

These simple, easy movements done regularly can have a tremendous, positive impact on your overall health and prevent injuries.

Qi gong exercises for strained eyes

Too much screen time can harm your eyes, and in turn your liver. Yes, your liver. The eyes are the conduit to the liver in Chinese medicine. As a result, stagnated qi in the liver means your body cannot process toxins as effectively, including germs.

Therefore, you should complete each of the quick qi gong exercises below, or others you like, at least twice a day.

Read and do - Reduce eye strain

• Rub your hands together
• Close your eyes and place your warmed hands over your eyes for 20 seconds
• Pat your eyes gently with the base of your palms
• Open your eyes
• Repeat 3 times

Qi gong exercises for a sore neck and tense shoulders

Tight muscles in your neck and shoulder inhibit the smooth flow of blood and qi. As a result you can have puffy eyes, a stuffy nose, headache, and more.

Read and do - Neck and shoulder qi gong exercises

Neck and shoulder massage

• Sit or stand with your spine straight
• With your right fingers together, massage the right side of your neck with your right hand for 15 seconds
• Repeat on the left side
• Return to the right side, but this time you’ll use your left hand
• Put your left fingers together
• Put your left palm on your right shoulder and knead 10-20 times
• Repeat on the left side by kneading with your right hand

Shoulder stretch

• In a sitting or standing position, interlace your fingers with your palms up in front of your belly button
• Lift your hands up to your chest
• Turn your palms up and out as you lift your hands and push them up over your head
• Hold this position for 5 seconds
• Separate your hands and bring them out in an arc, down along your sides
• Interlace your fingers again at your belly button
• Repeat the sequence 3 times
  
  

Qi gong exercises for a tight back and cervical spinal stenosis

These exercises are designed to stretch the spine. Stretching the spine helps release tension that comes from standing. Also, it prevents discomfort and pain, and allows qi and blood to flow from your head to your toes.

Read and do - qi gong exercises for a tight back

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, or sit on the edge of your chair
• If standing, bend your knees slightly
• Tuck your chin into your neck and very slowly roll down
• If standing, roll down as far forward as you can go, resting your hands on your thighs, shins, or the floor
• If sitti