Old Folks in the Park

As my grandfather has attested to me throughout my life, keeping your mind and body healthy is essential to living a long, happy life. Which is why I support people of all ages exercising, even and especially the elderly. I hope to one day join the ranks of 'old folks', so rest assured I try to study and learn from my elders in all matters, including exercise. What I found in China however, may be a group of teachers I should better avoid.

When you think of older Chinese men and women I bet you imagine them waking up early and heading to the park for some Tai Chi. I'm sure many due, but none that I have seen. Instead the elder statesmen of the Middle Kingdom choose far more unique ways of exercising. My walk the other morning left me extremely puzzled about the exercise habits of the ageing Chinese.

I cannot list or remember all the 'characters' I saw on my walk through the park, but I can remember some of the highlights. There was the old man walking and clapping loudly in front and behind his body with each step. Then there was the stranger man walking backwards while clapping behind his back. The idea behind this sort of exercise is to work not only the body, but different parts of the mind (like the part that helps you walk backwards). While I fully support going for a walk (it's what I plan to do when I get up there), I question if this, uh, extra mental exertion really adds to the work out.

My old apartment had a little gym outside, the kind you might see on a school playground, but instead for adults. Every Saturday morning I would be woken to the sounds of old men grunting. Its not that they were working too hard, but that they felt the grunting helped them work out better. I watched them sometimes and the tasks weren't strenuous; they didn't require grunting. Yet I woke up to a small Asian Monica Seles every morning.

Each culture has its own sports for the old. In America we encourage walking, swimming and golf. In China its grunting and clapping. Perhaps we are not so different after all.