keeping fit
Fitness is not about being thin, having a small waist, or having bulging muscles. It is a combination of qualities that enable us to be at our full potential in performing vigorous physical activities. Physical Fitness involves the performance of the heart, lungs, and the muscles of the body. Specifically, it takes into account our Cardio Respiratory Endurance, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, and Flexibility. To some extent, Fitness also influences our mental and emotional development since what we do with our bodies also affects what we can do with our minds.
Although Physical Fitness and good health influences each other, they are not the same. Healthy people could be physically unfit due to lack of exercise. On the other hand, Physically Fit people perform their everyday tasks effortlessly.
Whatever form of exercise we do, during the actual workout, our body condition differs greatly from the normal body condition. Our body’s link between the normal and exercise condition is the warm-up and cool-down.
Warm-up
One of the common misconceptions in fitness exercises is that “stretching is warm-up.” Stretching is a very important part of warm-up exercises, but it is “not warm-up.” Warm-up is the process wherein you literally raise your body temperature (some say for about one to two degrees Celsius) to prepare your muscles from the normal to the exercise condition.
Warm-ups are done at the beginning of a workout. Performing warm-up exercises before you stretch is essential in any activities especially in fitness workouts and trainings. Warming up, when done properly, can do more than just prepare and loosen your stiff muscles for heavier exercises. It can also improve your fitness performance. Your susceptibility to injury from engaging in athletic activities can greatly increase without a warm-up or even a warm-up done improperly.
Some of the common warm-ups are light static (passive) stretches, calisthenics, and skipping rope. Start your workout with several deep breaths by inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. You can perform a slower walk or a gentle jog for a few hundred yards if you plan to walk or run. For an Aerobics Exercise, you can do several minutes of light, dance-like movements to gradually condition your body.
Devote the last part of your warm-up routine to similar exercises that you will be performing during your major workout or activity - only, do it at a reduced or lower intensity. This will greatly minimize the risk of having a sport-specific injury.
- Standing Soleus Calf Stretch (Using a step)
Place your right heel on a step with the knee slightly bent. Lean forward and grasp your right toe with your right hand. Your left knee should be slightly bent and your back should be straight (not rounded). Support your weight on the left leg and place your left hand on the left thigh. Pull your right toes toward the knee keeping the knee slightly bent. Get to the point of a mild stretch and hold for 30 seconds. - Standing Gastrocnemius Calf Stretch (Using a step)
Place your right heel on a step with the knee extended. Lean forward and grasp your right toe with your right hand. Your left knee should be slightly bent and your back should be straight (not rounded). Support your weight on the left leg and place your left hand on the left thigh. Pull your right toes toward the knee keeping the knee slightly bent. Get to the point of a mild stretch and hold for 30 seconds. - Standing Hamstring Stretch (Can be performed using a step or with the leg on the floor)
Place your right heel on a step (or in front of you on the floor) with the knee slightly bent. Lean forward placing your hands on the left leg. Your left leg knee will be slightly bent (this is the leg that is supporting your body weight) As you lean forward, your lower back should curve slightly inward. Try to press the buttocks and back up pushing the hips away front the front knee. Get to the point of a mild stretch and hold for 30 seconds. - Sitting Hamstring Stretch
Sit on the floor with the right leg extended and the left leg bent (the left knee will be next to your chest). Slide the bent leg down to stretch the right hamstring keeping the chest pressed against the thigh of the left leg. Your lower back should be slightly curved. Make sure you don’t round the upper back (if you keep your chest pressed against your knee, the upper back will be OK). Get to the point of a mild stretch and hold for 30 seconds. - Supine Hamstring Stretch
Lie on your back with the left leg extended. Raise the right leg with the knee slightly bent. Grasp the right calf or thigh and gently pull the right leg toward your body. (As the muscle relaxes, you may be able to pull the leg a little closer). Get to the point of a mild stretch and hold for 30 seconds. - Standing Quadricep Stretch
Contract the abdominals to hold the pelvis in a neutral position (do NOT arch your back - you may need to tilt the pelvis back if you feel your back begin to arch). Lift the right ankle toward the glutes. Reach back with the right or left hand and gently hold the ankle (the right knee should be pointing toward the floor). Press the front hip bone forward and slightly extend the hip. Keep the torso lifted with your head up. Get to the point of a mild stretch and hold for 30 seconds. - Side Lying Quadricep Stretch
Lie on your left side with the left arm extended and head resting on it. Contract the abdominals to hold the pelvis in a neutral position. Bring the right ankle back towards the glutes. Reach back with the right hand and gently hold the ankle (the right knee should be parallel to the floor). Press the front hip bone forward and slightly extend the hip. Get to the point of a mild stretch and hold for 30 seconds.
Cool-down
Although it is tempting to forego the cool-down stage, remember that as your body needs to pass the warm-up link stage to reach to exercise condition, it also needs to pass the cool-down stage to return to normal condition. Cool-down Exercises allow your body to relax and to return to a resting state after you have completed it.
Also, performing a cool-down is the best way to minimize muscle fatigue and soreness due to the high muscle exertion from your major activity/workout. Thus, you should never attempt to skip this stage.
The cool-down routine is warm-up routine done in reverse. It slows the pace from your run, aerobic exercise, or workout routine. This enables your heart rate to return to fewer than 100 beats per minute and your breathing to return to normal condition.
For your cool-down, since your muscles are still warm and more elastic from your workout or sport, you can do a stronger and more aggressive stretch than your warm-up.
Both warm-up and cool-down are aimed to enhance flexibility, minimize discomfort, and prevent injury. Also, they involve some stretching and relatively gentle movements.
Proper Weight Training can make you strong. But if you want to be truly fit, add Cardiovascular or Aerobic Exercises to your program. Cardiovascular Exercise is any activity that elevates your heart rate over a sustained period of time.
While it may seem odd, aerobic exercise “is” a basic complement to Weight Training. Aerobic Exercise helps you decrease your level of body fat, but weight training is what tones and firms your muscles. It is important to include both aerobics and weight training in your routine – it’s a package deal for you to achieve a balanced body.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that aerobic exercise should be performed for a minimum of 20 minutes. The exercise should be done at least 3 times a week at 60% of your Maximum Heart Rate (see Heart Rate to know your Maximum Heart Rate or go to Fitness Calculators). If you exercise less than the recommended duration, your health benefits will be minimized. Still, exercising 4 or more times a week will increase your health benefits.
There are a lot of Cardiovascular Exercises to choose from. A few of which are Swimming, In-line Skating, Hiking, Running, Cycling, and Walking. With a wide range of Aerobic Activities to choose from, you can be assured that you will find something you’ll enjoy doing. However, before plunging into any of those exercises, it is important to take note of your heart rate. Monitoring your heart rate will allow you to check your body’s response to various levels of exercises and even help you maximize the effectiveness of your workout.
