EXERCISE
FLEXIBILITY
Flexibility training helps to increase the extensibility of the muscles and the range of motion in the joints, which is critical not only for athletic pursuits and exercise routines but also for carrying out daily activities. Bending, reaching, and squatting are a few of the motions requiring adequate flexibility in order to move optimally. Cardio and weight training are exercise modes that tighten muscles. Integrating a regular stretching routine will aid in muscle flexibility and improve joint range of motion post-workouts. Because stretching is not thought of as an exercise, it is often dismissed. Clients make their attempts at persuading me to skip post-exercise stretching. Some do not find it rewarding because they do not see visible results, while others bypass it because they run short on time. However, it is especially critical to stretch after workouts in order to bring muscles back to their pre-workout condition. All of my client sessions have a dynamic preworkout and static post-workout stretch routines. Additionally, they include a few minutes of foam rolling (a precursor to stretching). This technique frees your muscles of adhesions and knots that develop during the day and restrict your muscles' optimal extensibility.
Stretching, when performed daily, will yield the biggest gains if practiced with correct form and for the right amount of time; however, stretching three times per week will bring some improvement as well. Keep in mind that as we get older, stiffness becomes more prominent, so it is crucial to maintain a stretching routine to allow your muscles to relax and your joints to be more mobile.
Flexibility resources
The Importance and Purpose of Flexibility by Canadian Fitness Professionals Inc.
Stretching Your Way to Flexibility by Teresa Opdycke, Lifescript.com
Benefits of Flexibility Exercises by Harvard Health Publications
Everyday Stretching by Harvard Health Publications
Stretching: Focus on Flexibility by Mayo Clinic Staff
Benefits of flexibility training
Increases range of motion of muscles and joints
Prevents injuries
Improves circulation
Alleviates and prevents back pain
Relaxes the muscles and the mind
"It's not about having time. It's about making time."
CORE TRAINING
Steven Ehasz, an exercise physiologist from the University of Maryland, states, “The core is the essence of every physical activity you do." People often equate core musculature with abdominal muscles, but “the core is so much more than that." The core is comprised of 29 pairs of muscles, and serves as the link in a chain between your upper and lower body. It is basically everything that our arms and legs connect to (hips, glutes, and back). Developing a strong core is the foundation for building balance, strength, endurance , power, and good posture. Your core muscles are used in sitting, standing, picking up the newspaper, bending to put on shoes, and carrying groceries, among hundreds of other daily activities.
Whether we are simply performing day-to-day activities or competing as athletes, a strong core will assist in executing those activities optimally, enhance balance and stability, and, most importantly, minimize the risk of injuries and falls. Core training is not about performing successive repetitions of crunches, sit-ups, and back extensions. Rather, it develops through executing planks, bridges, push-ups, deadlifts, overhead squats, and an array of other exercises. Every client session I hold has a generous helping of core work woven into it. A strong core assists in optimal athletic performance, makes doing the daily activities of life easier, promotes good posture, and combats lower back pain. A strong core is a must to feel great and moving better.
Core training resources
Core Exercises: Why You Should Strengthen Your Core Muscles by Mayo Clinic Staff
The Real-world Benefits of Strengthening Your Core by Harvard Health Publications
Benefits of core training
Alleviates/prevents back pain
Improves athletic performance
Improves balance
Assists in performing basic daily activities involving lifting, reaching, bending, and twisting
Promotes good posture
"An hour workout is 4% of your day. No excuses."
BALANCE
Whether we are walking, climbing stairs, gardening, riding a bicycle, picking up groceries, navigating on the soccer field, or pitching a baseball, we are integrating balance in our activity. Balance refers to the ability to stabilize against gravity and other forces, either in a static position or dynamic motion. Balance training is one of the most neglected areas of fitness. In our youth, balance comes so naturally; however, as we get older, being able to stabilize our bodies as we move is often compromised due to medical conditions, medications, lack of flexibility, lack of core strength, or changes in vision. One or any combination of these factors can erode our balance, so it is imperative to remain disciplined in practicing it.
One in three adults 65 or older falls at least once in his or her lifetime. Ninety percent of hip fractures are from falls, and these fractures often lead to other fractures. Hip fractures can increase the risk of early death. Harvard Medical School reported that a balance program can reduce the chance of falling by 37% and reduce falls leading to injuries by 43%. Furthermore, incorporating regular balance exercises was found to reduce the risk of broken bones due to falls by 61%—a staggering improvement.
As I keep in mind not only your current activities of daily living but also your future ones, I design programs that include single-leg stance exercises on the floor, exercises using balance equipment, plank work, and cardio intervals in every session to help improve balance and core strength.
The goal is to teach you to activate and deactivate muscles while trying to maintain your position as you stand or move. If we improve the communication between your brain and muscles, you improve your coordination, athletic skills, and posture, thus minimizing injury by increasing stability and joint positioning. If we become better at sensing and adapting to where we are in space, we can react quicker and more effectively if we step on a rock, pick up a bar of soap in the shower, or carry bags of groceries. It teaches the body to recognize changes in terrain, allowing our muscles to respond to those changes.
Balance resources
The Benefits of Balance Training by Loma Balfour, PassionateAboutFitness.com
Core Exercises Key to Good Health, Balance & Proficiency in Sports & All Activities, Harvard Reports by HelpingYouCare.com
The 5 Major Benefits of Balance Training. Do Not Neglect It! by ActiveCenterFor HealthAndWellness.com
Benefits of balance training
Improves coordination
Stabilizes joints, especially of the ankles, knees, and hips
Improves reaction time
Prevents falls and injuries
Increases body awareness (sensing where your limbs are in space)
"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."
STRENGTH TRAINING
Strength training or resistance training is a form of exercise where your muscles are challenged by a stronger-than-usual counterforce. This can involve the use of dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands, weighted vests, ankle weights, or body weight. Whether you are looking to lose weight, maintain your weight, contour your body, or build strength, resistance exercises are the main avenue to reach those goals. More importantly, strength training becomes integral to fitness routines because it protects against bone loss and builds muscle. Bone mass declines at the rate of 1% per year after the age of 40. Eight million women and 2 million men suffer from osteoporosis in the United States, which increases the risk of fractures. Strength training not only slows bone loss but can also build it back up. Aerobic exercise such as walking, running, and playing tennis are great forms of resistance training, but Dr. Robert Schreiber, an instructor at Harvard Medical School, says that is not enough to protect against osteoporosis. “Unless you do strength-training, you will become weaker and less functional,” he says.
Women are often apprehensive about picking up weights because they think they will end up resembling linebackers. That just will not happen, ladies, because women do not have the hormones to promote that kind of growth. You have to train regularly, eat a high-calorie diet, and lift massive amounts of weight to get bulky. The benefits of weight training are plentiful if performed correctly and consistently. The feeling of empowerment and confidence that comes along with strength is remarkable. Please do not shy away from the weights because you will actually be doing your bodies a disservice. I have been training with weights for 20 years, and the physical and emotional benefits have been numerous.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that everyone needs two types of activity each week: aerobics and muscle-strengthening. The CDC recommends two or more days of resistance exercise per week in order to improve health and fitness. The benefits below make a strong case for including weight training in your fitness routines. It will help you look better, feel better, and live a longer and healthier life.
Strength training resources
Weight Training: It's All about Technique by Mayo Clinic Team
Weighty Fix for Women's Midlife Fat by Miranda Hitti, WebMD
Weight Training Helps Women by Daniel J. DeNoon, WebMD
Benefits of strength training
Helps with weight loss and maintenance
Increases lean muscle
Protects bone health by increasing bone density
Increases muscle mass
Improves muscular tonicity
Builds strength
Prevents injury
Improves coordination
Manages chronic conditions
Increases energy levels
Improves mood
"I'm not training for a 5K. I'm not preparing for a competition.
I'm not trying to impress you. I'm trying to save my life."
AEROBIC
Aerobic exercise conditions the heart, lungs, and cardiovascular system to pump oxygenated blood to deliver oxygen quickly and efficiently to every part of the body. Cardio (gym lingo for aerobic exercise) is an integral part of most fitness goals. Whether you aim to improve your overall health, lose weight, maintain your weight, or improve your sports performance, including aerobic activity is highly recommended. Cardio exercise includes any number of activities such as walking, hiking, jogging, kickboxing, skiing, cycling, dancing, swimming, playing basketball, etc. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week just to build endurance. If your goal is weight loss, however, 45 minutes of moderate cardio exercise is recommended most days of the week. Regular aerobic exercise helps the heart become stronger and more efficient at pumping oxygenated blood to our organs. It also helps minimize the amount of visceral fat (fat that has negative effects on our health) that lies within our abdominal cavity and cushions our organs. On average, our heart beats 60-80 times per minute, which equates to approximately 100,000 beats per day! This calculates to 30,000,000 beats per year and over 2.5 billion beats in a 70-year lifetime. That is an astounding number. Our heart works hard to keep us going, and it is up to us to keep it healthy by eating well and conditioning it through regular exercise.
Unfortunately, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the #1 killer in most developed countries. Fifty
million people suffer from CVD in the United States alone. The main causes are sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition. Aside from those influenced by genetics, this is a preventable disease.
Regular cardio exercise is one of the main avenues of reducing the staggering rates of this disease. Numerous studies have revealed that the incidence of stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and colon and breast cancer are also significantly reduced through regular cardio routines. Additionally, regular aerobic activity increases good cholesterol, reduces bad cholesterol, decreases blood pressure, decreases body fat, increases blood circulation, and decreases anxiety and depression. For those looking to control their weight (lose or maintain), cardio exercise is a must. If you aim to train a healthy heart, you will have a happier heart and a healthier you!
Each of my training sessions emphasizes a cardio component for heart health. If your goal is weight loss, then the cardio component is weighed a bit heavier during the sessions. Walking and running are great cardio modes, but I rely more on cardio intervals using medicine balls, battling ropes, jump ropes, mini hurdles, and body weight. Not only does it make the training more fun, but it also works multiple muscle groups, and it gets your body moving in different planes of motion.
Aerobic training resources
Aerobic Exercise by Richard Weil, MEd, CDE, MedicineNet.com
Benefits of aerobic training
Assists in weight loss and maintenance
Improves cardiovascular efficiency
Improves efficiency of respiration
Reduces health risks
Manages chronic conditions (blood sugar/blood pressure)
Increases circulation
Increases muscle strength
Boosts mood
Improves artery condition