They are ‘Cane-Fu’ fighting fit

Singaporeans are ‘Cane-Fu’ fighting their way to good health with a unique exercise routine for people aged 55 to 85 years old.

The routine, called the ‘Sit Exercise’, which will soon hit community centres and homes for the elderly in Singapore, draws on yoga and aerobics, as well as Cane-Fu, a martial art that involves the use of walking canes as a tool for self-defence.

The routine was not discovered by older people looking for a more active life but by a group of Singapore Management University (SMU) undergraduates working on a mini- project during a leadership and team-building module.

“The unique part of our exercise is that elderly people can do it anywhere, any time. The more convenient it is, the more they will feel like doing it,” one of the co-leaders of the project said.

The ‘Sit Exercise’ requires participants to carry umbrellas, or canes, and move their arms and upper body to energetic music while sitting down on a chair. The movements made in the routine are said to increase muscle resistance in the arms, and it is hoped the somewhat untraditional form of exercise will go global in months to come.

Cane-Fu, a martial art for the elderly, was pioneered in the United States by 61-year-old Mark Shuey, who believes that ‘canes’ are a “practical weapon”.

Mr Shuey, who now travels the world teaching his ‘American Cane System’ curriculum to other martial-arts teachers, began studying cane moves about 10 years ago while practicing hapkido, which incorporates stick fighting at advanced levels.

At the time, his father was starting to use a walking stick, and he had heard reports of attacks on seniors who carried canes but did not know how to use them to fight back.

Cane-Fu has now been endorsed by at least eight martial-arts organisations in America. Overseas aged care facilities and retirement communities have also taken up the sport, with Cane-Fu classes available for residents interested in honing their self-defence skills.

The ‘Sit Exercise’ routine contradicts recent studies which claimed ‘sitting’ for long periods may cause life-threatening illnesses, such as the increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and depression.

Click here to read DPS eNews’ story on the risk of living a sedentary life.

What are your thoughts on the ‘Sit Exercise’? Do you think it is wrong to endorse using a cane as a weapon? Let us know your thoughts by commenting in the box below.