What Are the Benefits and Effects of Clapping?

For a long time, people have believed that clapping hands is a way to express excitement, welcome, and enthusiasm. However, as people become more concerned about health and wellness, they have begun to habitually use clapping as a method for maintaining good health. Nevertheless, some individuals remain skeptical about the benefits and effects of clapping, wondering if there are any specific details to be cautious about during the process. In moderation, clapping hands can help alleviate cold symptoms, relax the brain, and loosen muscles. However, it is advisable not to clap for too long each time to avoid any negative impacts.

1. Relief from Cold Discomfort: Clapping hands can alleviate symptoms of a cold. Since colds often cause a lack of energy and a feeling of exhaustion, clapping can vibrate the body, and the reflex zones in the hands can stimulate the acceleration of blood circulation through the meridians, thereby relieving cold symptoms.

2. Relaxation of the Brain: Long hours of driving, studying, or working can easily lead to feelings of drowsiness. Taking a break to clap for twenty minutes can help relax the brain, while also accelerating blood circulation in the body. This allows oxygen ions to be transported to the brain, effectively eliminating feelings of drowsiness.

3. Relief from Fatigue: For office workers and those who spend long hours in front of computers, maintaining the same posture for extended periods, especially with the mouse hand and arms suspended, can lead to a lack of exercise. Clapping can actually exercise a series of muscles in the arms, stimulating the muscles that have been held in the same position for a long time, thereby relaxing the tightened muscles. Stretching the arms and clapping after a long period of work can also serve as a stretching exercise, helping to alleviate feelings of fatigue.

4. Adjunctive Treatment for Chronic Diseases: Clapping can assist in the treatment of some chronic conditions, such as cold hands and feet in winter, dizziness and headaches, physical weakness, palpitations and cold sweats, insomnia and excessive dreaming, neuralgia, irritability, presbyopia, astigmatism, eye pain, dry eye syndrome, tinnitus, and constipation.

The time and place for clapping are generally not restricted. It is recommended to wait at least twenty minutes after eating before engaging in clapping, as doing so immediately after a meal can affect digestion. When clapping, it is best to do it in a well-ventilated area, and it is advisable to walk while clapping rather than sitting, as walking while clapping can accelerate blood circulation and metabolism throughout the body, resulting in better effects.

Regularly engaging in clapping has significant benefits for maintaining and improving health. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the hands contain numerous acupuncture points, and stimulating these points through clapping can promote smooth blood flow throughout the body, helping to prevent various diseases such as constipation, insomnia, and hypertension. When clapping, the movements should be slow, rhythmic, and with moderate force. It is recommended to clap continuously for thirty strokes each time, with a duration of fifteen to twenty minutes being suitable.