Exercises That Can Injure You

 

Exercises That Can InjureYou

 

In this day and age of sedentary lifestyles, one would think, "Any exercise is good exercise."  But that’s not true and one should be careful when selecting an exercise plan.  Correct breathing and posture during exercise are essential.  Improper exercising can cause or aggravate injuries. Even basis exercise can be dangerous.  A personal trainer shares her experiences with the good and the bad…

 

Doing toe-touching with your knees in a locked position and with a rapid bouncing action places tremendous pressure on the lumbar vertebrae.  This could result in lower back pain or injury.  Always allow your knees to bend slightly and remain in a hanging-over position for three complete, slow, deep breaths.  Then straighten slowly.  Repeat this slowly and do it without bouncing.

 

Perform leg lifts while lying on your back and raising both legs at the same time can cause the pelvis to rotate and lead to swayback (the problem of lower back lordosis).  Eliminate this exercise, as there is no alternative approach.

 

Doing sit ups with straight legs can also contribute to an increased curvature of the lower back.  For your abdominal muscles to get a real workout, bend your knees, keep your feet flat on the floor, fold your arms over your chest, and curl up to only a 30 degree angle from the floor.

 

Deep knee bends can cause injury to the knee cartilage.  Bending the knees so they are directly over your feet and your thighs are parallel to the floor will not cause injury.

 

The most important thing to remember is any repeated movement done in an unnatural position can create problems and potential injury.  Tow key areas of the body to be concerned with are the knees and lower back.  If an exercise is painful, perhaps you are doing it improperly, or it is too advanced for you.  Or, it may be simply a dangerous exercise.

 

Adjust Your Exercise Program to Your Goal

Adjust Your Exercise Program to Your Goal

You’ve decided it’s time you implement an exercise program into your daily routine.  But before you randomly choose the program that, for whatever reason, simply appeals to you, consider and clearly define what it is you wish an exercise program to accomplish for you.  Matching the exercise program to your fitness goals is essential for you to stick with the program and experience success.

So, what do you want to accomplish with an exercise program?  Do you want to…
 

1. Reduce Stress and Nervous Tension

   If this is your goal, taking part in challenging physical activities and high intensity exercise that lasts at least 30 minutes, three times a week that’s located away from your home or office would meet this goal.  Consider activities like tennis or basketball, both will add the benefit of improving your cardiovascular health.
   Other activities to consider are energetic walking; jogging; running; swimming; rope jumping; rowing; playing handball or racquetball; or taking martial arts.  The key is to stimulate the body’s use of oxygen and drive the heart rate.
 

2. Weight Loss

   An exercise program is only a minor supplement to a sound diet program.  In order to lose a pound of fat, you must work off 3,500 calories.  That’s equivalent to swimming the butterfly stroke for 5 hours, nine hours of playing table tennis, and more that 5 hours of running.  Whew!  Exercise should be used to tone and firm muscles.  Recommended activities would be calisthenics, jogging, cycling, running or rope jumping.
 

3. Muscle Buildup and Strength

   Weight lifting, playing football or soccer, climbing or doing isometrics are all good activities if this is your goal.
 

4. Power and Endurance

   Look for an exercise program that offers alternate high intensity bursts of exercise with rests to improve power.  Increase the duration to achieve greater stamina.  The ability to work through pain is a must with this goal.  Some suggested activities include basketball, cycling, running and rope jumping.

5. Flexibility and Suppleness
   An exercise program that provides bending, twisting and stretching a few minutes everyday will improve your flexibility and suppleness.  Choosing calisthenics, yoga, karate, judo, fencing or wrestling are a few recommended programs.

As you can see, the variety of exercise programs and the results of each vary immensely.  Choosing an inappropriate exercise program that does not match your vision of what you wish to accomplish, will lead to disappointment and frustration.  Clearly defining what your goal is in choosing an exercise program will make choosing one easier and promise a more successful outcome.
 

 

Choose the Right Exercise Programs for You!

Choose the Right Exercise Programs for You!

Exercise fads and exercise programs bombard you at every turn.  Jogging, running, cycling, gyms, and workout routines all have their followers.  Popularity, however, is the worst criteria to use in choosing an exercise program for yourself.  The reason?  An effective exercise program must fit the goals and abilities of the individual.

Here are some key components to look for when you choose the exercise program right for you:

Physical Capacity
 
Consider your age, medical problems, past injuries and personal, individual quirks.  These factors can make a program desirable or dangerous for you.  An example is selecting a jogging or running program when you’ve had a previously injury to your knee joints could leave you with destructive results.

Temperament

The exercise program you choose must become a routine part of your life.  Your choice absolutely must fit your chosen lifestyle–Solitary verses team workouts; high intensity or long duration exercise; competitive versus non-competitive sports.  Your selected exercise program must be able to be integrated easily into your daily routine.

Personal Goals

What are your personal goals you want to achieve with an exercise program?  Weight loss, reduction of stress and nervous tension, a build up of muscles, flexibility and suppleness, a build up of strength, power and endurance or relaxation?  Knowing your ultimate goal for selecting an exercise program will help ensure your success.

Keeping in mind these three key important considerations when you review and select an exercise program will help eliminate failure and disappointment and, hopefully, lead to your success in attaining your fitness goals.

Exercise Program For Beginners

Exercise Program For Beginners

If you’re new to physical fitness then figuring out an exercise program can be a daunting task. There are so many recommendations to that can confuse you. Do you do cardiovascular, strength training, or both?
Well, help is here, to provide answers to some of the questions that beginners starting to exercise often become confused about and offers a beginners exercise program to get you started in meeting your fitness goals.

Know your goals

Why are you looking to start an exercise program? Are you looking for relief for a painful medical condition such as arthritis? Are you trying to lose weight? Or are you just looking to tone your body in certain areas? Your needs determine the type of exercise program that you should start with. If you suffer from arthritis walking could be difficult because it puts stress on the joints of the bodytherefore  swimming or cycling could be a better option.

After you have determined your goals the next step is to create an action plan. This action plan should include how long it will take to complete your goals, the money you expect to spend on fitness equipment and any other information relating to your exercise program. To prevent overdoing your exercise program you should break goals down into small weekly achievements, this gives you a chance to chart your progress over time and adjust your goals if needed.

How much does your exercise program cost?

Any exercise program will incur some expenses. If you choose to join a gym then you will have to pay a membership fee. Other expenses should include clothing appropriate for exercise. Clothing needs to be comfortable and breathable and if exercising outside you will need to dress for the weather. Sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat, a portable mp3 player and appropriate sneakers will probably all be needed for comfort and convenience.

There are no shortcuts!

The biggest mistake that people new to exercising make is to assume that their weight loss goals can be achieved overnight. You can’t lose ten pounds in one week and keep it off, and no legitimate exercise program will make that claim. It’s important that you be realistic about what you can change and how long it will take. Taking dangerous diet pills, going on liquid diets, and only eating one food type are all dangerous practices that could lead to serious injury or even death. It took time to get into the physical condition you are now it’s going to take time to repair the damage and get back on the right path.

Choose Carefully Your Exercise program

The exercise program you choose should be well thought out.

For example taking a one hour cycling class for your first time exercising is only going to cause you pain and probably keep you from trying again. You should start with between 10 and 15 minutes of continuous activity. If you’re in poor physical health even less time may be needed. To ensure your safety you should consult with a doctor first.

Walking ,almost certainly,should be included as part of the best exercise program to begin with. It is easy to do and needs no special equipment or location. Try starting out with walking 2 days in a row and then rest the next day. Don’t focus on covering distance or walking as fast as possible. Your goal should be to increase your endurance. Pay attention to your body and use the correct form as you walk. As your walking exercise program gets easier you can add in a few more minutes of continuous walking every week, until you can do at least 30 minutes a day.

Strength training is a must if you are trying to lose weight. Add it to your exercise program by starting with light 1 or 2 pound dumbbells. Try starting with only 2 or 3 repetitions. There are a variety of strength training exercises that can be done, try consulting with a fitness instructor for the first time to make sure you understand how to hold the weights and control each movement.

Is it Your Fault Your Fitness is Below Par ?

A lot of us live our lives like penned animals. Built to move,but  too often we put ourselves in a cage.

We have bodies designed for racing across the savannas, but we live a lifestyle designed for migrating from the bed to the breakfast table; to the car seat; to the office chair; to the restaurant booth; to the living room couch and back to the bed.

It was not always this way. Not long ago in the United States, a man who worked on a farm did the equivalent of 15 miles of jogging every day; and his wife did the equivalent of 7 miles of jogging.

Today, our daily obligations of work and home keep us tied to our chairs, and if we want exercise, we have to seek it out.

I am going to discuss ways we can help ourselves.