Exercise “Goldfish” by Katsuzo Nishi for the spine

Goldfish is an exercise from the Nisha health system. It corrects posture, helps get rid of posture disorders, and improves the functional condition of the back. The movement allows you to relieve pain, increase mobility and can be used both in rehabilitation programs and if the athlete simply suffered from a minor injury due to violations of the strength exercise technique. The movement has been known for a long time; it is found in all systems, from classical rehabilitation to yoga and Pilates.

Execution technique

Initial position

• Lie down on the floor. Use a soft rubber mat or mat;
• The back is straight, the body is relaxed;
• The shoulder blades are pressed to the back, the natural deflection in the lower back is minimized, the stomach is pulled up by 30 percent;
• The back of your head rests on the floor; you can place a small pillow, 1.2 cm high, or a towel under your head.

Movement

• Make a wave-like movement from right to left with your body from your heels to the top of your head;
• Imitate the movement of a fish in the water;
• Do all the work using your back and leg muscles, not your arms;
• Oscillations are performed to the side;
• The movement is continuous, there is no synchronization with breathing;
• The exercise is performed for the amount of time specified by the physiotherapist.

Exercise Goldfish Katsuzo Nishi // Exercise therapy for the back and lower back // Sergey Vinogradov

Attention

• Use sportswear that allows your body to glide across the floor;
• Exercise regularly;
• Do not lift your chin or throw back your head;
• Do not lift your body off the floor, the purpose of the exercise is to distribute the load evenly

How to train the heart and blood vessels?

In order to keep the blood vessels and heart in good condition for a long time, you need to pay maximum attention to their regular training. This is especially true for older people who, due to age, have reduced physical activity. A sufficient amount of oxygen and feasible physical exercise - this should not be forgotten by older people.

Training the heart and blood vessels should begin in the morning, immediately after waking up. Rotating your hands and feet is an exercise that will make your blood flow “wake up” and the blood vessels will dilate. Bends, squats and turns of the body must be performed while constantly monitoring the heart rate. If the pulse of an untrained person is within 90-100 beats per minute, then his heart still does not receive enough oxygen and blood. As the degree of general physical activity increases, the heart rate also increases. Accordingly, the heart works more efficiently and receives a sufficient amount of blood due to the good functioning of the aorta.

Several exercises for the heart and blood vessels

• Rise on your toes and walk with your knees raised very high.
• The legs are at shoulder width. Hands rise upward, clasping hands together. When the body tilts to the right, the right leg is moved to the right. Try to perform the tilt as deeply as possible. Repeat the same movements to the left side. Perform 8-9 times, remembering to control your breathing.
• Extend your arms to the sides and rhythmically clap your palms on the opposite shoulder. Right hand - left shoulder, and vice versa. Keep your body straight. Increase repetitions and tempo in the absence of unpleasant sensations in the heart area up to 50 times.
• Place your arms along your body, legs pressed tightly against each other. Make a full circle with your hands: back - up - forward. First carry out the rotation cycle in one direction, then change the direction to the opposite. Repetitions – from 10 to 50.
• Lying on your back, you need to raise your knees bent at an angle of 90° and imitate the movements of riding a bicycle. Do not hold your breath.
• While in a lying position, raise your outstretched legs to a height of 30-40 cm and make cross-shaped movements. Repeat 20-25 times.

Swimming, cycling, cardio exercises, and walking up the stairs help to actively train your heart. Just one thing should not be forgotten: the load should increase gradually. The main thing when doing exercises is not their quantity and intensity, but regularity.

A strict cycle must be observed: load and relaxation. Then the muscle fibers of the heart will increase, the heart muscle and blood vessels will strengthen, and the benefits of training will become obvious.

Video: exercises to improve the cardiovascular system through muscles

Analysis of the exercise

What muscles work

• The main ones are the erector spinae muscles, as well as the gluteus maximus and medius, the hamstrings, the calf muscles, the tensor muscle, the fascia lata, and the hip adductor muscle.
• as auxiliary working muscles.

Advantages

• Suitable for people with zero physical fitness, helps get rid of the effects of physical inactivity;
• Improves peristalsis and intestinal function;
• Strengthens the abdominal muscles;
• Relieves lower back pain caused by compression of nerve roots;
• Helps relieve tone and muscle tension;
• Removes spasms;
• Reduces headaches caused by spasms;
• Improves blood circulation;
• May be useful during rehabilitation, but consult a doctor

Preparing for the exercise

No special preparation is required. You can do some high-knee walking, do some joint exercises, or even do some basic yoga, Pilates, or strength training exercises. “Fish” is not recommended to be done immediately after getting out of bed, and when you have not yet performed any actions. You should train after a short warm-up, or at least after walking around the apartment for about five minutes.

For those who have problems with increased tone of the leg muscles, for example, due to jogging or walking in uncomfortable shoes, MFR was invented - that is, rolling the back of the thighs and calves with a foam roller. After MFR, it will be more comfortable to perform all physical therapy exercises, including the “Goldfish”.

Proper execution

• The vibrations should be the same to the right and to the left, what is called harmonious in physics. It may be more difficult for people with spinal curvature, but it is worth understanding that even in this case you can learn to do the exercise efficiently;
• The amplitude of the work should not be too high, it should not reach the point of discomfort;
• Hands should be crossed in the area of ​​the cervical spine and not interfere with their movements;
• You should move on a hard surface, not on a bed;
• Throughout the movement, the legs, pelvis and back are in contact with the floor;
• Try to breathe evenly, measuredly, do not inhale and exhale too frequently.

Katsuzo Nishi Goldfish for the spine

Errors

• Lots of too fast and swinging movements;
• Trying to do the exercise while holding your breath continuously;
• Separation of the spine from the floor;
• Moving your head up and down;

Efficiency Tips

• Install a stopwatch app on your smartphone. It will track your training progress and tell you when you need to stop;
• Choose clothes and a rug so that oscillatory movements are easy;
• Always practice the exercise on a hard surface and never on a bed;
• Don't limit your training plan to Fish. It’s one thing if this is the only permitted movement and a person simply cannot do anything else, and it’s completely different if he is lazy and is looking for some one wonderful exercise that will replace all the others for him;
• The complex with “Fish” is usually supplemented with “chairs” against the wall and a plank pose, if we are talking about home training;
• Those who do this exercise because they adhere to the Nishi system must master the entire complex, and not limit themselves to one movement;
• Those seeking to achieve harmonious physical development should do additional strength training, do cardio, and eat right;
• Remember that Goldfish as a treatment method belongs to alternative medicine. It is not the main way to bring the body into shape, and even more so, it is not able to “grow intervertebral discs” as they say in some sources. The effect of such exercises is based on their ability to relieve muscle spasms and reduce pain at once.
• Don't try to achieve greater results by simply doing more reps and spending more time under tension; this usually doesn't lead to results.

How to get rid of cerebral vascular spasms

Poor circulation and vascular dystonia are the reasons why cerebral vascular spasms occur. The clinical manifestations of spastic attacks are familiar to many. This

1. Regularly occurring headaches, dizziness, changes in blood pressure;
2. Nausea, disturbances in speech and coordination of movements;
3. Tinnitus, memory impairment;
4. Fatigue and a sharp decrease in performance.

Vasospasm can be triggered by a stressful situation, changes in atmospheric pressure, or chronic diseases of the spine (osteochondrosis, for example). To minimize the risk of spasms, it is necessary to strengthen the blood vessels of the brain. This will be helped by a healthy diet, adherence to a work and rest schedule, medicinal herbs and special exercises.

To improve blood supply to the brain, daily gymnastics should include movements that require changing the position of the head - bending from side to side, rotating the head, flips and somersaults. When performing exercises, you must monitor your breathing and perform head movements smoothly, without jerking. If unpleasant sensations, darkening in the eyes, or severe dizziness occur, gymnastics should be interrupted and resumed after a short rest, reducing the intensity of movements.

A set of exercises to improve blood flow in the brain

• Performed standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Rotate your head clockwise and back for 2-3 minutes.
• I.P. - Same. Raise your hands up, interlace your fingers. Lean forward while performing “chopping wood” movements. Repeat 8 times.
• I.P. - Same. Swing your legs alternately: the left leg goes to the right hand, the right leg goes to the left hand.
• I.P. - the same, knees slightly bent. Stretch your arms to the sides and perform asynchronous rotations: rotate your left hand forward, your right hand back. Exercise improves memory and speed of thinking.
• I.P. – lying on your back, legs and arms extended along the body. Raise your legs straight as high as possible, supporting your lower back with your hands. Perform the “Birch” stand for up to 5 minutes.

Excellent gymnastics for the blood vessels of the brain is dancing. By performing dance steps, a person trains coordination, the blood is enriched with oxygen, and its circulation improves. Brain vessels become more elastic, their tone decreases. In addition, dancing is a great way to relieve emotional tension and get rid of stress. And this is a very significant factor in the improvement of brain vessels.

Video: a simple exercise to strengthen weak blood vessels

Inclusion in the program

If you have health problems, this exercise can be included in the program twice a day - morning and evening. In both cases, you need to do a short warm-up and do the movement quite dynamically, but with a small amplitude.

You can start with 30 seconds under load, and increase the time to 1 minute. Some people do the exercise for longer, but this is not at all necessary.

Contraindications

Here the opinions of experts differ. Classical rehabilitation medicine does not recommend any movements from side to side until the pain in the spine stops, and then the issue must be resolved individually.

Alternative medicine believes that goldfish are simply an ideal option for treating everything in the world - hernias, protrusions, cervical diseases, headaches, spasms and myalgia. In fact, contraindications should not be formed from a list published on some alternative medicine website.

Objectively, an exacerbation of a hernia or protrusion is not the best time to start doing Nishi gymnastics, even though Katsuzo Nishi himself lived to an old age. It is necessary to wait until the person has recovered and can work completely without pain.

The exercise is not a strength exercise, so there is no progression in it. You should not perform it solely on the number of repetitions, focus on the sensations.

results

How does Goldfish work? First of all, the exercise returns the vertebrae to their correct places. This releases constricted blood vessels and nerve endings. Blood circulation is gradually normalized, and excessive tension is relieved from the nervous system. It begins to send correct and correct signals to the body.

It’s not for nothing that this exercise is called golden. It not only corrects many spinal problems, but also restores blood flow. Blood begins to circulate more actively, thereby strengthening the body and making the body strong.

Many note that after just a few days the exercise helps improve intestinal motility. Other organs of the digestive system will gradually recover.