Origin and Development of Exercise Prescription in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In this paper, the history origin of exercise prescription in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was summarized and combed through the TCM literature by the method of literature review. The exercise prescription in TCM started early and was widely used. It was rich in content, but matured late. Its development and application of theory had experienced six main historical stages. It was sprouted in primitive society, formed in the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States Period, initial developed in the Qin and Han dynasties, enriched and flourished from the Western Jin dynasty to the Five Dynasties, prosperous from Song dynasty to Qing dynasty, a brief period of stagnation after the Opium War, and redevelopment after the founding of new China. Its growing systematized gradually. At first, it was mainly for the purpose of treatment, and gradually added the prevention, fitness and rehabilitation purposes. The exercise prescription in TCM developed gradually with the progress of science and technology, medicine, culture and so on. With the integration of exercise prescription, under the promotion of TCM policies and the combination of exercise and medicine, the theory system of the exercise prescription in TCM will be improved on the systematic and normative aspect, and be an important part of exercise prescription system. It will have a wider application value in the future.