Exercise, to some it entails actually having to get off the couch and exerting themselves. To others, it is a welcome diversion from the stresses of a day. And to a slightly larger group its a taboo word that will never become part of their vocabulary unless its to exercise their right not to exercise.
Thanks to the influx of infomercials we can watch on late night TV, there appears to be many ways one can pump it up and get those tired old muscles into tip top shape. Whether your exercise routine is to follow a video from inside your home,heading out to the gym,playing sports, or just going for a walk there are still some guidelines you should follow.
The first is to always stretch ! This loosens your muscles and allows your body to absorb any impact that comes its way. Work your way from the bottom up or from the top down. Make sure each side of the muscle is stretched out. Now you are ready to tackle that pair of dumb bells, a six foot five basketball player, or the dog walker with a German Sheppard and a Pit Bull blocking your path.
Your goal is to strengthen your muscles and increase your heart rate at the same time. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Try not to over exert yourself. If you are lifting weights, don't go so heavy that it affects your form. Try to avoid unnatural body movements. A twist can turn into a twinge that can turn into a doctors appointment. Know your bodies limitations if you are playing sports. I constantly have to remind myself that the mind of a 30 year-old coupled with the body of a 50 year-old is a good way to injure yourself.
Once you have been able to complete your exercise choice safely, then you can try to challenge your body. Increase the impact of your routines in increments. Cut down on the reps (the amount of times you perform the exercise) as the weight increases. This allows your muscles to grow slowly with maximum effect. If your a walker or a jogger, increase your distance every time you go out. After reaching a certain point you can then exert your body more and try for more distance at a quicker time.
The last thing you need to do is to repeat the first thing you did. Stretching helps cold muscles get warm and warm muscles stretch more allowing your body to expand and the muscles to fit more snugly.
For most people, its just a question of taking that first step. Once you get your hand out of the chips bowl and start exercising you'll see how much more energetic you feel both physically and mentally.
Stretching, a vastly underestimated element of all exercise. In fact, some of my workouts are just stretching. I like here that you told us why stretching is important, by both giving the warning of injury and benefit of to your body. Also, the advise of incrementally increasing the duration and intensity of exercise is the best instruction you get on the subject. I like how you were able to fit both these themes within the context of any type of exercise someone might wish to do. From your picture it looks like your in pretty good shape so follow your own advise as well.
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