The AI-driven commercials on YouTube promising crazy amounts of weight loss and the “booty” of your dreams in 28 days with Tai Chi walking are hilarious.
These bold, ridiculous promises have the potential to ruin how good Tai Chi is for the body.
You may have seen them, and a little voice in your head said, Hmm, what if I tried it? Maybe it could do me some good?
I’m here to tell you that your inner voice of intuition is spot on.
Tai Chi was designed thousands of years ago to help enhance circulation in all of the tissues and organs of the body.
Its fluid-like, rhythmic movements stretch and twist your fascial tissue in ways you haven’t moved since you were a kid.
Those different movements free up circulation of blood to your joints and body while moving stuck lymph.
Rebounders do the same thing, with extra emphasis on provoking lymph flow.
Two weeks ago, a pal in Tacoma let me test out her Jump Sport Rebounder for two workouts.
I had no idea there was a special way to rebound or how much I would feel my muscles react to something new! (Thank you to the free YouTube workouts by Michelle Briehler.)
In the workouts I did, there was a lot of overhead arm motion, something overlooked in modern workouts, yet it reminded me a ton of the good old days sweating to the oldies with Richard Simmons.
The customary two days after my session, I was sore in a good way like I’d challenged my body, and that’s something I haven’t felt in a very long time.
What surprised me most is how much my abdominal and flank muscles felt like they’d been worked over as well, and I didn’t even do one sit-up!
Of course, this got me thinking about the areas where so many folks have cellulite or fat deposits.
Those bat wings under the arms and the over-the-bra fat.
The cellulite along the rib cage under the arms.
Lumpy bumpies on the glutes and along the sides of the legs.
Legs, arms, and abdomens looking like a layer of cottage cheese has been infused underneath the skin.
It’s not normal aging to develop this. It’s a result of fascial restriction, dehydration, poor fat metabolism, and compromised circulation.
How do you kick this stuff that has you avoiding tank tops, bikinis, and shorts?
Maximize how you move your fascial tissue to enhance circulation by adding it to your workout routines.
Fascial restrictions happen because you’re not moving your body in different planes of motion.
The result is poor circulation, leading to trapped toxins being stored as fat.
Most of the world’s population struggles with blood sugar metabolism (thanks, cortisol), which compounds fat storage in the liver and tissues.
Now, to be clear, I’m not saying stop lifting weights.
I think this is very important. I recommend weaving some lymphatic exercises into your workouts for fun, 10–30 minutes at a time, at least 3–4 days a week.
What’s great is you can get on a treadmill or walking pad and do the arm motions while walking, or even on an elliptical if you’re well coordinated.
Short on time? You can get those arms overhead and rotate the spine between lifts. This is my favorite way to do it.
If you’re like me, you may be finding workouts and cooking not to be as much fun as they were back in the day.
Adding Tai Chi and/or rebounding is a great way to refresh your interest in fitness.
I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing during my first official rebounder session.
My cheeks were so sore, but I trust that my nervous system, lymph, and fascia got what they needed.
So, is the rebounder better than Tai Chi for the body?
Nope. They both have potential.
If you have joint or incontinence issues, Tai Chi is a great lymph-moving alternative, and you could add it to a vibration plate to get more lymphatic effect.
Fatigue and nervous system overwhelm? Tai Chi would be my choice.
Love a workout challenge and not seeing your desired body changes with weightlifting?
I’d opt for a rebounder.
Do you need the $400+ rebounder?
I do think there’s something to the design that is worth the money. I’ve played with the cheapies, and unless you’re going to jump lightly, which I’m not sure really moves lymph effectively, it’s better to spend more on a quality product that will last longer.
At the end of the day, everyone is unique, and you have to test things out to see what works best for you.
Try out a friend’s rebounder and test multiple Tai Chi workouts on YouTube for free to see what you like.
The good news is OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace are loaded with used rebounders, as well as vibration plates, to help offset the cost.
As I always say, 90 days is a great amount of time to test out these fun workout additions. Do them for 10–30 minutes a day and take before-and-after pictures of your problem areas to track progress.
Don’t forget, lymph and fat won’t move unless you’re on top of your hydration and watching your fat intake.
Optimal fat intake is individual.
Yet if you’re working to clear out some cellulite and fat from your liver (most people have it, and it’s not diagnosed until it’s much harder to correct), opt to do a metabolic reset diet and see how the combo of Tai Chi, rebounding, or a vibration plate works for you.
What’s the metabolic reset?
Stay tuned. I’ll share more tomorrow.
Here’s to kicking some cellulite and firming up your skin at any age,
Dr. J
