Let’s Get Physical

 If you’re unsure about your fitness level and flexibility and how hard or far you should push yourself, be sure to consult your doctor or another health specialist before you commence any activity programme. You don’t want to risk any injuries as a result of exertion beyond your capabilities.

If you are already fit and able to begin a flexibility regime, be sure to develop one that is suitable to your individual needs in order to assure a more holistic body-conditioning programme. Again, speaking to a qualified health advisor can help with this.

Generally speaking, the best way to get fit and flexible is to make incremental changes to your day to day exercise levels – NOT to just dive in with a 10K run followed by a hardcore yoga session. If this doesn’t injure immediately it will certainly burn you out and sap your enthusiasm before you really begin.

As far as stretches are concerned, assure that your muscles are warmed up before you start – just moving around briskly for 5 minutes will be sufficient. Even then make sure that if you are not used to stretching you do not attempt something that is too far out of your flexibility spectrum and potentially harmful.

Flexibility is absolutely essential to the overall health and smooth functioning of our bodies.

The tightness of muscles and stiffness of joints are problems that can start early in all of us and it is important to try to remain flexible as we get older, something that gets harder and yet more important every year.

Once you’ve lost flexibility through lack of use it become increasingly difficult to get it back as the years march on – especially with the desk-bound and stressful lifestyles most of us have. But if we make the time to stretch, even relatively gently, our stresses will actually lighten and our circulation improve.

Unsurprisingly stiffness of joints and muscles comes through inactivity, and, in case we all didn’t already know it, if we don’t exercise we will lose muscle strength and stiffen up. Making that time to stretch regularly and to do something active reduces the risks of heart disease, joint and back problems, improves range of motion and helps blood circulation, and stretching after hard exercise actually reduces the discomfort felt in both short and long term.

The next blog will look at specific training methods that can be used for sports and general fitness in order to keep flexible and fit.

Obesity is rising exponentially, year on year, and is the cause of around 10,000 deaths annually in the UK alone.

Lack of exercise dramatically increases your chances of developing high blood pressure and heart disease.

One fifth of all deaths in the UK is due to coronary heart disease, making it is the premier cause of death within the British Isles.

According to the National Office of Statistics, around one third of all CHD deaths are among people UNDER the age of 75.

Regular exercise reduces unwanted fat deposits in the body (under the skin and in the arteries) and reduces all the attendant health issues of being overweight.

All physical activity helps joints and muscles to some degree, but exercises that involve some compression of the bones and the bearing of weight (like jogging and running), actively improves bone density and reduces the risks of osteoporosis.

Physical activity actually improves mental health, reducing feelings of stress and angst, and even helps with the management of depression.

Regular exercise can help ameliorate some sleeping disorders and other niggling health issues brought about through poor posture and poor digestive processes.

Regular exercise has been shown to help mitigate some of the symptoms of diabetes and back pain.

So what are you waiting for? Dig out those running shoes or swimming costumes! Take up that dance or self-defence class! Get fit and reap the many benefits!