Are you one of the many people that wonder why they haven’t experienced the full benefits of exercise despite going to the gym regularly?
Well perhaps that’s because most exercise advice/articles/books etc. rarely take into account all FOUR aspects of exercise which in turn leaves you, the health concious individual, in the dark. The sad part about all this is that the “experts” who freely hand out this advice, for the most part, know very little about what constitutes proper exercise.
What are the four aspects of exercise?
ONE - Cardio vascular/pulmonary health. The ability of the heart and lungs to function fully and support muscular movement without ill consequence. This can be achieved in any way that increases heart rate. It could be swimming, running, weight lifting or sex - what ever turns your heart on.
It's a muscle - give it a rest!
TWO - Skeletal health. The density of the bones and the health of the joints. Traditional “cardio” does this the world of hurt. Joints are repeatedly pounded and ground away. Continue this self harming activity too frequently and your knees and hips will wave you goodbye - “You’ll miss them when they’re gone” (Sunscreen Song). If you enjoy running for running sake, do it, enjoy, good for you, however, no more than once or twice a week - even that is pushing it. Oh and if you insist on doing it , try POSE running; it helps relieve the impact forces shocking your joints into submission.
"You'll miss them when they're gone"
THREE - Muscular tone, strength and amount. Sarcopenia is a very VERY serious issue that debilitates everyone as they age (I don’t mean old people, I mean anyone that ages, if your’e over 20 then take note). Yes YOU too. It is the wasting of muscular tissue that causes you to stoop, to be weak and frail, to have difficulty getting out of your chair, out of bed or off the floor - to live. Muscular mass and strength is THE most important aspect of exercise when age creeps in. If you do one thing for your health - body build, please don’t show me the shots of you in thongs oiled up though. Seriously, body building isn’t about getting bulbous muscles or looking slimy. It is about building the parts of your body that need building for your health.
FOUR - Flexibility, the ability of a joint and muscles to work together to move pain free through a full range of motion. Not too far, not too short. Ever watch your nan try and reach for the cupboard just over should height and see the strain it is? If you don’t use it, you lose it. That doesn’t quite cover it though, if you don’t use it and keep it strong, you lose it. This means you need to work your exercise through big, full ranges of motion.
Be flexible - but not too much:)
What does this mean for your exercise? It means if you only ever jog or row or swim or lift weights and rest a lot then you need to up your game people. All you traditional cardio crowd, stop it, give your heart a break (it’s a muscle and needs rest too - did you know too much cardio causes scarring of cardiac muscle, that’s bad by the way, really bad long term.) and learn how to work hard for a change :), pick up a weight and thicken up your bones, strengthen your muscles and look better for it. If all you ever do is lift weights in the traditional sense, try cutting your rest periods down to 30 seconds and work through your workout faster with bigger ranges of motion - no half baked squats or curls (you know who you are).
I have adopted and developed various techniques that allow all four of the above criteria to be met, meaning I and my clients get all the benefits of all the above and NONE of the bad side effects. If you want to learn more or jump straight in then call or mail me;
07742 952 208 / admin@hamsfitness.com
Book in with your local Epsom Personal Trainer - ME :)