A short word about exercise

Since the most important thing in maintaining health is physical exercise, and then food and sleep patterns, it is necessary to begin the presentation with physical exercise.

We say that physical exercise is voluntary movement leading to continuous deep breathing. A person who exercises moderately and in a timely manner does not need any treatment aimed at eliminating diseases caused by spoiled juices, as well as diseases caused by nature and dependent on previous diseases. At the same time, of course, other modes must be appropriate and correct. And here's why: as you know, we need food and health, which is also achieved by eating suitable food, moderate in quantity and quality. There is no potential nutrient that is completely converted into a nutrient in reality. After each digestion, some surplus remains. Human nature tries to excrete it, but the mere excretion produced by human nature is not enough, and as a result, after each digestion, some traces of excess are sure to remain. Some things accumulate in significant quantities, and from their accumulation excess substances are formed that cause harm to the body in many ways. One of them is as follows: if excess rots in the body, then putrefactive diseases appear, and an increase in this state of excess leads to damage to nature, while an increase in the amount of excess gives rise to the above-mentioned diseases associated with overcrowding of the body. If the excess flows into any organ, then tumors form there, and the vapors of the excess spoil the nature of the pneuma substance.

As a result of all this, the need to empty the excess certainly arises. However, emptying will be complete and good if it is performed with the help of poisonous drugs or poisons. At the same time, these means, of course, deplete human nature; the use of non-poisonous medicines will also burden the nature, for, as Hippocrates said, medicine both cleanses and irritates. The medicine also takes away from the body a good part of the excellent juices, natural moisture and pneuma, which is the substance of life.

As a result of all this, the strength of the ruling and service bodies is weakening. So, all this and the rest belongs to the category of harm from overflow, regardless of whether the overflow remains untouched or the body is emptied from it.

Physical exercise, when properly observed in other modes, is the most powerful factor in preventing the accumulation of the rudiments of overflow, at the same time it increases the innate warmth and gives lightness to the body, because it excites a slight warmth and dissolves those excesses that accumulate daily.

The movement also helps the excess slide and move along the excretory ducts, so that no significant amount of excess accumulates over time.

At the same time, as we have already said, physical exercise increases the innate warmth, strengthens the joints and tendons, and as a result the ability to act and the ability to experience the action on oneself increases, the organs again take food due to the reduction of excess in them. The attracting force will also begin to move, the knots in the organs will be smoothed out and softened, various moistures will become more liquid, and the pores will become wider.

One who gives up physical exercise often wastes away, because the strength of his organs weakens due to the refusal of movement, which attracts to the organs the innate pneuma, which is the instrument of life for each organ.