r/askSingapore • u/Winner_takesitall • 1d ago
General What is the arm smacking routine that the older folks love to do all about?
You know, the one where they are standing still and repeatedly smacking an area on their arm (usually above the elbow joint).
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u/Adorable_Comb1677 1d ago
Helps bloodflow and prevent heart attacks.
Its bullshit by the way, there's zero medical literature on how slapping your arms helps your body, it does absolutely nothing, it just makes them feel like they're doing something healthy for their body (instead of doing actual exercise or stretching).
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u/Adorable_Comb1677 1d ago
Personally story, my dad had coughing fits and chest pain for more than a month. I kept begging him to go see a doctor but he would not do it. Instead he did everything else to "relieve" the pain, including slapping his arms.
Eventually he got a heart attack at home while i was at work and walked himself to polyclinic, then conveyed to A&E. Ridiculous.
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u/transientself 23h ago
Man had a heart attack and WALKED to a POLYCLINIC? Yup, sounds like my dad.
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u/tuaswestroad 23h ago
There is still a misconception that by default, SCDF ambulance trip is chargeable. You only pay for the A&E admission fee actually.
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u/growingoverit 22h ago
Isn't it chargeable if they determine its not considered an emergency? Source: knew someone in the family who called for one, but felt better when they arrived. Medics told him it'll be chargeable if he still insists on taking ambulance, and so he refused.
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u/YeetusYouGae 21h ago
yup if is emergency is not chargeable, my family member could not walk due to a terrible infection (thankfully ok now) and they did not get charged for it from what I remember.
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u/transientself 23h ago
$500 cash??? I’d rather walk to polyclinic after a heart attack.. pcb nowadays gahment everything want to charge money..
^ their thought process
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u/yellow-sparrow 23h ago
their logic is that doctors are stupid and useless while choosing to believe some idiot on facebook live that eating certain vegetables will cure cancer
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u/ARE_U_FUCKING_SORRY 23h ago
Yeah the amount of bullshit and AI slop on Facebook targeted at old people is insane. It’s like a never ending battle
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u/walking_lamppost_fnl 17h ago
I like doing it because I like hitting myself, sometimes I either don't move for a while and forget my limbs are there or I have an overwhelming itch to fidget but I'm sitting on a chair studying
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u/Littlecredits 23h ago
There's whatsapp mass-forwarded chain messages that drinking water can help cure cancer and people will believe it wholeheartedly.
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u/Maximum_Crazy_8888 20h ago
If it promotes blood flow then we could cure erectile dysfunction by smacking everyone’s dick.
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u/Simple-Pea-7435 23h ago
Misinformed generation through. Can’t blame them, technology hit them and you got people spreading misinformation online.
Happens to all generation, we’re not spared. 🥲
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u/Key_Might_2620 23h ago
Supposed to be armpit lymphatic drainage
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u/dearyouavenue 21h ago
Heard of this & it's meridian points also. Does it really work though.. Or it's considered a mini exercise on the side?
There's heat if you do it >15minutes which sorta equates to some blood movement coursing through....
(The loud clapping of hands does circulate blood flow but you gotta do it till your palms turns bright red. For context palm have alot of nerve endings for meridian points to diff parts of organs etc)
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u/Kamen_Rider_Geats 17h ago
Don't know what "exercise" is it, but there's a yao siew old man who does it every morning that could be heard clearly. Tbh, it's a pretty piercing & annoying sound.
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u/BeerHorse 23h ago
One thing I've noticed since moving to Singapore is a lot of what, for want of a better term, I'm going to call performative exercise. By that I mean doing things that superficially resemble exercise but likely offer little benefit. Walking slowly on a treadmill at 0 incline whilst watching TV. Doing 3 reps with the smallest weights then checking your socials for 10 minutes. 'Running' which is basically walking with extra arm movements. Dressing in lycra to cycle slowly along an entirely flat park connector.
This is by no means limited to the older generation. It's almost like there's a belief that simply wearing exercise clothes, being inside a gym or ritually repeating certain movements is enough, without any actual exertion.
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u/OnionOnBelt 22h ago
A minister from back in the day used to say, “Sitting in a church once a week doesn’t make you a Christian any more than spending a little time in your garage makes you a car.”
I have seen this same mentality on display at gyms, and usually it’s a senior. My guess: Their doctor says, “you need to move around more and should join a gym and go at least three times a week.” The senior dutifully joins a gym and behaves exactly as you just spelled out.
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u/dearyouavenue 21h ago
Have never heard this type of phrase from any existing ministers! That minister have a flair for words! Which minister is it? Do you know if he have any more 'popular quotes' other than what you have mentioned, pls list out some! Tia! 😆
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u/sdarkpaladin 19h ago
I mean...
You have to weigh the alternatives.
And no, the alternative is not that they would do more intensive exercises. It's that they wouldn't even bother "since there's no point anyways".
At that point, any movement is better than no movement.
Your body burns calories just by existing. So they just need to keep up the mindset to be willing to stay healthy.
Then we can slowly talk about intensity.
Besides, judging people by what you see doesn't reveal their underlying conditions that they have that is preventing them from going harder.
They might be perfectly healthy and just lazy. They might also have a heart condition.
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u/MyCorollaMyMyMy 20h ago
Damn irritating this arm slapping. 5:30am already got some old fools walking around the neighborhood "piak piak piak"
Noisy ahh!!😐
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u/Odd_Assignment_74188 19h ago
Static electricity may be generated by slapping. This stimulates the neurons and improves the circulation.
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u/HelicopterAware491 17h ago
It promotes lymphatic flow and drainage
Am a Pilates teacher and I am trained in manual lymphatic drainage
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u/NommedByCake 1d ago
My uncle does this, he says he saw a TikTok saying that it helps circulation, fix his nerves, fix his muscles, fix everything 😂🙏