Zhan Zhuang is nice to do if your knees are sore and you still want to train but don't want twisting movements for a few days. Older you get the more you appreciate a softer more natural rhythm IMO.
I don't really understand the point of the original poster. Of course it's not "fight training". But what about Mohammad Ali skipping rope before a fight? It's not fight training, but in another way it is. Skipping rope is good for you. Meditation is good for you. Anything that's good for you is good for you.
Besides either you trust your teacher or you don't. If you trust your teacher, do what he or she says. If you don't, go somewhere else.