WELLNESS: EXERCISE GUIDELINES
Appropriate Exercise
For many, exercise is regarded as inconvenient and
even painful. Appropriate exercise however can be relaxing
and fun. Exercise promotes energy, mental clarity, health,
strength, physique, and wellbeing.
Overexertion in exercise can be damaging, not only
to the body, but in the production of excessive oxidation.
This is the reason that one often feels sluggish well
after initial recovery.
Types of Fitness Exercise
There are several types of exercise:
- Aerobic or Cardiac exercise
building strength in both the heart and lungs
- Anaerobic exercise
which is more focused on strength, endurance and flexibility
- Stretching Exercises
Yoga – in its many forms takes
surprising strength with benefits to the mind, body,
and spirit. It can improve posture, mental clarity,
flexibility, immunity, physique, weight, mood, and overall
wellbeing.
Pilates – a derivative from
yoga uses continuous movement rather than the held yoga
poses and focuses the breathing in a different region.
Isometrics - an exercise program of
intense muscle contractions designed to signal the muscle
to grow and strengthen. Ideal for sports such as skiing
that require consistent positioning of the body.
Breathing – yes, there is strong
evidence on the power of learning to breathe correctly.
It is said that the mind follows the breath; if you
are short of breath, it will be difficult the think
clearly. Correct breathing optimises oxygen intake and
focuses the mind.
A good exercise plan incorporates a range of muscle
building and cardiac exercise for at least 30 minutes
5 times per week.
Exercise Plans
Ideally, incorporating one form of the above exercise
each day is ideal, but 4-5 weeks is sufficient to maintain
a good program.
This does not mean pounding pavements or going to
the gym. A well balanced program can be maintained at
home using a combination of free weights, yoga, pilates
and exercise videos for aerobic routines.
Gym equipment certainly does have its value, but if
you have neither the space or the financial resources,
there are many alternatives available.
Alternate your exercise between aerobic and anerobic
– both systems benefit from the rest and results
actually improve when the body is given sufficient time
to recover.
Don’t overdo it – elevating your heart
rate beyond the level which the body can manage both
the additional blood flow and the increase in oxidation
is dangerous and counter-productive.
Take care of your joints – it has amazed me
how many 40 year olds are now having knee replacements,
and hip replacements are no longer just for elderly.
An indication of our fast paced, over energetic lifestyles,
perhaps?
Always cool down after exercise for 5-10 minutes.
This helps the body deal with the build up of toxic
lactic acids and for systems to return to normal levels
of functioning. Don’t jump straight into a hot
shower after vigorous exercise.
Avoid eating one hour either side of exercise; juice
smoothies, protein shakes, alkaline drinks etc can be
consumed within about 30 minutes and depending upon
the ingredients can be beneficial in helping the body
to deal with the additional toxins and acids released
during exercise.
Breathing
Correct breathing is often overlooked as an exercise
in itself. Done correctly, breathing exercise provides
benefits associated with yoga; balancing the mind, body,
and spirit. We are often not aware of how we are breathing,
stress often induces short shallow breathes, and sometime
holding the breath completely. This reduces the oxygen
in the blood and makes us tired and jumpy. Thus, whilst
poor breathing is not the cause of anxiety or stress,
good breathing can initiate mental and physical responses
to reduce them.
Breathing is a time tested and proven method of improving
mood, energy, awareness, consciousness, health, vitality,
and removing the ailments caused by mental and physical
restlessness.
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