There is an acupoint on the front of our thigh called the SP-9 (Futu) point. Regular stimulation of this acupoint can enhance the circulation of qi and blood, dispel wind and dampness, promote meridian flow, and alleviate cold and pain. Due to the depth of this acupoint, it is challenging to stimulate through regular massage or cupping techniques. However, a simple action, known as the half squat or the “phantom pose” in yoga, can effectively stimulate this acupoint to facilitate the smooth flow of qi and blood in the leg meridians.
During the half squat movement, the blood vessels contract due to compression, redirecting the flow of qi and blood to the uncompressed vessels. Upon standing back up, the qi and blood rush back to the previously compressed vessels. This repetitive action flushes the blood vessels throughout the body, benefiting vascular softening and promoting blood circulation. Regular practice can enhance metabolism, accelerate the elimination of waste from the blood, and strengthen the function of the spleen and stomach, attributed to SP-9’s association with the Stomach Meridian. Additionally, as the Stomach Meridian is crucial for transporting qi and blood, the half squat can stimulate smooth flow of qi throughout all twelve meridians in the body.
Specifically, regular practice of the half squat can yield the following benefits:
1. Promotes longevity
Elderly individuals in rural areas who engage in activities like farming, squatting for cultivation, laundry, and other chores tend to be healthy and long-lived. This action strengthens the lower back and legs, aiding in disease prevention and overall health.
2. Strengthens joints, bones, and muscles
Frequent half squats enhance knee joint flexibility, slow down joint aging, strengthen bone density, and increase muscle strength, especially in the lower limbs, preventing premature weakening of the legs.
3. Lowers blood pressure
Regular half squats can improve the elasticity of small blood vessels, expand microvascular arteries, reduce peripheral resistance, and aid in lowering and stabilizing blood pressure.
4. Reduces blood lipids
By stimulating blood flow, half squats enhance the breakdown of atherosclerotic plaques, reducing blood viscosity, preventing atherosclerosis, lowering blood lipids, and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
5. Manages blood sugar levels
Half squats promote heart pumping, accelerate blood circulation and metabolism, ensuring timely supply of nutrients and oxygen to organs like the pancreas, normalizing insulin secretion and aiding in blood sugar control.
6. Tones the buttocks and legs
Half squats are demanding and consume a considerable amount of calories, making them effective for burning fat deposits on the buttocks and thighs. The squeezing of the abdomen during squats can reduce abdominal fat accumulation and promote gastrointestinal function.
7. Enhances sexual function
Half squats boost the vitality of the inner thigh muscles, ensure sufficient qi and blood circulation in the lower limbs, activate reproductive organs, and regular practice can help improve sexual function.
8. Delays brain aging
A reduction in leg movements accelerates leg aging, which in turn speeds up brain aging. Regular half squats can slow down lower body aging, indirectly delaying brain aging and aiding in preventing age-related cognitive decline.
While half squats are a simple exercise, proper posture is crucial. Keep the body relaxed, feet apart at shoulder-width, the head and waist aligned, buttocks raised, knees bent parallel to the thighs and ground. Elderly individuals can start with quarter squats, pausing for a moment when fully squatting down, performing 5 minutes per session. Limit repetitions to 10-20 times, 1-3 times daily. Five minutes of half squats is equivalent to a 1-hour walk or 20-minute kneeling, making it a time-efficient aerobic exercise. Remember to inhale while squatting and exhale while rising.
Initial muscle soreness during practice is normal and indicates the lack of exercise. Consistent practice will ease the discomfort. Elderly or frail individuals can perform half squats while holding onto a bedpost or chair back for support, maintaining a slow descending speed. This exercise has minimal restrictions and can be incorporated into daily routines during work breaks to maintain physical fitness.
