The Best Exercise

The following is an article by Carol Baraff that appeared here.

Nowhere is the term “Use it or lose it” more apropos than in matters of physical fitness. Trim, flexible, well contoured bodies are, by definition, bodies in motion. Sedentary habits quickly give rise to less complimentary adjectives. More importantly, the exterior reflects what’s going on inside, and exercise has far-reaching benefits for circulation, muscles, nerves and more.

Although the best exercises for us must (sometimes by default) be defined as those we actually do, more specific parameters are found in the Cayce readings and in a highly recommended book, The Edgar Cayce Handbook for Health Through Drugless Therapy by master therapist Harold J. Reilly and Ruth Hagy Brod.

One thing we learn is that certain exercises are best for us at certain times of day. For instance, “setting up” exercises, in which the arms are swung and circled and the upper torso rotated were typically suggested first thing in the morning. Cayce commented that this will bring strength to the lungs, vitality to the blood supply, and a new life, as it were, to the muscular forces of the body (4462-1).

Morning calisthenics also often included rising on the toes and stretching the arms high over the head while breathing in and then swinging them back and lowering them slowly while breathing out. This is an excellent exercise for posture and for aiding in keeping this balance (1773-1)

A type of routine that included stretching, bending from the waist and the well-known head and neck exercises, in which the neck is gently stretched in each direction and then rotated both ways was recommended for giving a better circulation through the whole area from the abdomen, through diaphragm, through the lungs, head and neck (470-37).”

The stretching and bending motion in particular (in this case morning and evening) was considered a specific for hemorrhoids, with the claim that if this is taken regularly these will disappear—of themselves 2823-2)!”

A typical Cayce guideline for choosing a program based on time of day was vertical calisthenics in the morning and horizontal ones that exercised the legs and lower torso in the evening. Exercises for the blood flow away from head…swinging, circular motion then of lower portion of body in evenings (298-11) Exceptions to this rule seem to be cat stretches and walking.

Exercises that imitate the arching back and extended limbs of the cat were so highly regarded that Cayce stated categorically, No better exercises may be taken than…the cat-stretching exercises (687-2)

Walking was almost universally endorsed, when properly done:

Walking is the best exercise, but don’t take this spasmodically. Have a regular time and do it, rain or shine (1968-9).

Walking is the best exercise, but this—though—in the OPEN when at all practical (1530-2).

Walking is one of the best of exercises; walking, swimming, anything that has the calisthenics; tennis, handball, badminton; any of these activities for the body (2153-4).

This focus on the health benefits of walking and other types of exercise has received recent confirmation from several long term studies. One, based on records made during the well known Framingham Heart Study, concluded that even waiting until age 50 to start a “very active” exercise program significantly improved heart health and increased life expectancy by up to three and a half years. Another examining close to 500 adults found that cardiovascular fitness was improved by only half an hour of moderate to brisk walking at least three times a week. A third study, which followed nearly 40,000 healthy women over several years, concluded that whose who regularly walked at least one hour a week reduced their risk of coronary heart disease by half.

Finding the right exercise program is an individual matter which takes experimentation to get it right. One clue is that the body will feel deeply relaxed and vitally energized at the same time:

It’s well that each body, everybody, take exercise to counteract the daily routine activity so as to produce rest (416-1).

The best way to acquire the correct amount of pep is to take the exercise (288-38)!

Yes, it’s true. Fitness simply feels better.