Basics of fitness whip for the elderly

Choose equipment that suits your own abilities, practice core stability first and then whip strength, and always put safety before improving your skills. If you do any of these three things wrongly, you will either not be able to practice effectively, or you will easily injure yourself. Many old guys around you who have just joined the game stumble, and they basically fall into this.

Let’s talk about choosing equipment first. Last month, Uncle Zhang downstairs saw other people wielding the Kirin Whip with great power. When shopping online, he chose a stainless steel handle model weighing 3 pounds. The first day I got it, I swung it for half an hour. The next day, my wrist was so swollen that I couldn’t even hold chopsticks. I went to the doctor and said it was a soft tissue contusion. It took less than half a month to heal. There are always two opinions in the circle about whether novices should choose a heavy whip or a light whip: one group thinks that novices should start training with a heavy whip, so that they can quickly develop arm strength and have a stable force. ； The other group believes that the light whip has a high fault tolerance and is not easy to get injured, so it is suitable to find the feel first. In fact, there is really no absolute right or wrong. If you usually do farm work and carry heavy objects, and have good arm strength, it is no problem to choose one with a weight of 1.5 to 2 pounds. If you rarely do heavy work and have old problems such as frozen shoulder, just choose a soft whip with a rubber handle of about 1 pound. The tip of the whip should also be made of PU material, which is softer than nylon. If you hit yourself or someone passing by, the damage will be much less.

Many people are eager to crack the whip as soon as they get it. They swing their arms like windmills and are so tired that they are sweating profusely. The whip either makes no sound or hits their backs with a "snap". When I first started learning, Lao Li, who introduced me, didn't let me touch the whip at all for the first three days. He asked me to stand against the wall every day and practice turning my waist and hips - my heels were against the wall and my shoulders should not sway. After practicing for three full days, I was asked to use an empty whip handle to demonstrate the movements. Don't think that the whipping depends entirely on the strength of your arms. The crisp sound you hear is actually the sonic boom caused by the speed of the whip tip breaking through the sound barrier. If you use the right force, you don't need to exert much effort at all. There are also differences in the circle about the logic of exerting force: Most old people who play the traditional Kirin Whip pay attention to "waist urging the whip, hip delivery, and arm control direction". The entire set of force is exerted from bottom to top, which requires high waist and abdominal strength. ； There are also ways to play that are suitable for the frail elderly, which emphasize "carrying a whip on the big arm and locking the wrist." You don't need to forcefully twist your waist to make a crisp sound. If you have an old problem such as lumbar disc herniation, there is really no need to twist your waist according to the requirements of the traditional school. The best way to exert force is the way that suits your body. The only consensus is that the wrist must be locked and do not rely on whipping. Nine out of ten wrist injuries are caused by the wrist shaking out when exerting force.

To put it bluntly, fitness is for the body, not for fun, and safety cannot be overemphasized. Last week, Lao Wang in the community didn't pay attention and was practicing whipping next to the children's play area. The tip of the whip swiped the arm of a child who ran over. Although it was not broken, it turned red. He apologized and paid for medical expenses, which cost more than 2,000. He was too scared to come out to practice for half a month. Some people also think that practicing whipping has to be done in a crowded place to be effective. When you crack the whip, everyone around you will see it, which is a special honor. If you really want to join in the fun, go to the specially designated fitness whip practice area in the park. Everyone does this and knows the rules. They won't rush into your safe zone casually. If you practice in a community, you must at least ensure that there are no passers-by or children within 10 meters, and don't be close to parked cars. The tip of the whip will leave a mark on the car paint, and it will be painful to pay for it. Before daily practice, it is best to spend five minutes moving your wrists, waist and shoulders. In winter, when the weather is cold, rub your hands more. Don't exert force as soon as you start, which will easily stretch your muscles.

I have been practicing for almost two years, and I have never competed with others about whose whip crack or who can do more tricks. It took me five full days of practice before I got the first crack, and I was so happy that I almost threw the whip away. Now I practice for twenty minutes every morning. The old problem around my shoulder is much better. I have also met a bunch of old friends. After practicing, we can drink tea and chat together. It is much better than squatting on the sofa at home and scrolling through mobile phones. To put it bluntly, the purpose of playing fitness whip for us seniors is to keep our muscles active, happy and comfortable. If we lay a solid foundation and practice slowly, we can slowly learn any tricks. We can't make the mistake of hurting ourselves just to show off, right?