This was originally published in Magnolia Magazine
We will now start discussing the elements of the actual exercise program. Although nutrition is definitely a key element for fat loss, it alone will not create fitness. True fitness is what enables one to radiate vitality, function better in every aspect of life, minimize pain and maximize well being. To achieve this level of fitness, exercise is the IT factor!
Warm-up and Cool-down
Unfortunately, folks are often in such a rush that they neglect performing a proper warm-up and/or cool-down.
From a cardiovascular and musculoskeletal perspective it’s important to allow the body to move into and out of exercise gradually.
Here are some benefits of a proper warm-up:
• The blood is gradually “shunted” from the core of the body to the extremities, more safely preparing the body for exercise. This directs more blood flow to the exercising muscles, providing them with nourishment and helping to remove waste products.
• Heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen consumption are gradually increased.
• Lessening of premature onset of blood lactic acid accumulation (helping reduce the burning sensation in the muscles).
• Warm-up helps reduce fatigue during higher level aerobic exercise.
• Increased elasticity of the active muscles.
• Gradual increase in heat in the active muscle groups (reducing the likelihood of muscle injury)
• The nervous system is primed to help recruit more motor units within the muscles, enhancing exercise performance.
• Prepares muscles for pre-exercise stretching.
• Provides early awareness of potential musculoskeletal or metabolic problems that may increase at higher intensities. This can help one avoid a potentially dangerous health situation.
• Mental preparation for exercise.
Length: Warm-ups are generally recommended for at least 3-5 minutes. However the duration should be adjusted depending on the level and intensity of the primary conditioning activity as well as the person’s fitness level.
General and Specific Warm-ups:
A general warm-up is one that is non-specific to the activity at hand. Examples are riding a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill before performing resistance training.
A specific warm-up would resemble the primary exercise activity. For example, bodyweight squats before leg presses, push-ups before bench presses, or walking to prepare for running.
When performing resistance training, I highly recommend continuing the warm-up process by doing at least one warm-up set of about 15 or so repetitions of each resistance exercise before moving on to heavier loads.
With my personal training clients I incorporate “Three dimensional warm-ups”. These utilize primary functional movement patterns, giving many benefits of both general and specific warm-ups. They also enhance their overall movement efficiency, making one less vulnerable to injury both during exercise and daily life.
Cool Down
The Cool-down is extremely important on so many levels.
• Gradually decreases the heart rate and overall metabolism.
• Reversal of the blood shunt, helping to prevent post exercise venous blood pooling and too rapid a drop in blood pressure. This reduces the likelihood of lightheadedness or fainting.
• Reduction in incidence of post exercise muscle spasms or cramping.
• Reduction in the concentration of exercise hormones, thereby lowering the probability of post-exercise disturbance in cardiac rhythm.
For Cool-downs, low level activity, similar to that of the conditioning exercise is recommended.
The length should be proportional to the intensity and length of the primary conditioning phase. A 30-40 minute conditioning phase at moderately high intensity should warrant a 5-10 minute cool-down. Stretching is also recommended after the cool-down focusing on the muscle groups most utilized in the conditioning activity.
This is an updated version of an article that was original published in Magnolia Magazine
An Exercise In Patience
One scenario I’ve seen far too often is when folks, who haven’t exercised in a long time, get inspired to suddenly put on their athletic shoes and go for a jog or run. Chances are the next few days are going to be filled with aching muscles and tender, painful joints. In some cases a moderate to severe injury can occur, especially in vulnerable areas like the knees and lower back. Even more serious are the consequences that can result from cardiorespiratory issues exacerbated by inappropriate exercise.
When it comes to beginning an exercise program it’s extremely important not to be too impatient. It takes time for the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems to adapt to the stresses placed on them. You need to build a strong foundation and move from there. But before even starting there’s something else to consider.
Medical Clearance
It is always very important to make sure that you don’t have any pre-existing conditions that would make certain types (or intensities) of exercise contraindicated. Before any client of a Fitness Professional can begin their exercise program, they are required to fill out, in the minimum, a form called a”Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire” ( PAR-Q ). If someone answers yes to any question on the Par-Q, then often medical clearance and guidelines would be required from their health care provider.
Unfortunately many people starting an exercise program don’t consider this important first step. They just assume that it’s safe to start. I’d highly recommend checking with your physician before starting to exercise on your own to make sure you are good to go!
Assessing Before Progressing
For the sake of illustration I will describe how I progress a client in the beginning. This may give you an idea of how to begin.
I always start each session by having them work on their overall body alignment from the ground up.
We start with the soles of their feet, making sure they aren't distributing their weight unevenly and then work up to the knees, hips, torso and neck and head. The reason we do this each time is because many factors can change a person's alignment from day to day and we always want to establish good posture.
This is also an opportunity for my clients to get centered and create a high level of body awareness (i.e. kinesthetic awareness). This in turn helps them create more conscious movement patterns rather than just "going through the motions" unconsciously.
As we begin slowly working through various simple movements I am carefully observing and assessing their fluidity and/or any noticable asymmetries. I also listen to the verbal feedback they give me about how each movement feels so I can make note any tightness or pain they experience. I also scan for any postural deviations that need to be considered. One common concern is an over exaggerated arch (lordosis) in their lower back.
Let’s consider this particular physical issue in relation to jogging. Often tight hip flexors are the culprits that pull the top of the pelvis forward into an anterior pelvic tilt. This creates an exaggerated curve in the lumbar spine. Two of the hip flexor muscles (called the Psoas major and minor), attach directly to the Lumbar spine so if they are tight there is already considerable tension there (imagine a “tug of war” with muscles pulling against your spine).
Now picture the additional forces that jogging or running would place on that badly misaligned pelvis. Every step creates potentially hazardous impact not only in the lower back itself but throughout the whole body (ouch!). So here we have what would appear to be a “healthy activity” fraught with potential danger!
It’s important never to ignore and push through pain. Well known Physical Therapist Grey Cook refers to this as “Putting training on top of dysfunction”. Yet so many people do push through, assuming that once they “whip themselves into shape” they’ll be okay.
Let’s consider a better strategy. Instead of moving straight into a high impact activity such as jogging, we would first release the tight areas and start to strengthen overstretched areas. From there you build a strong physical foundation by increasing the stability and strength throughout the body. We would also use very low impact movements, gradually progressing the intensity as appropriate. This gives the body time to properly adapt through each level of intensity.
