John Fodor’s Health Corner

This is the first of several follow-up postings to A Well-Rounded Exercise Program that I posted on my site on October 24, 2007. That posting gave a general overview of the four components of a well-rounded exercise program, which included Strength Exercises, Endurance Exercises , Stretching or Flexibility Exercises and Balance Exercises. The follow-up postings will give more details on each of these components.

The Warm Up

A warm up phase is extremely important as it helps your body get ready for more rigorous exercise. Before doing any rigorous exercise you should warm up for at least 5 to 10 minutes. This helps to warm up your muscles and increase your heart rate and blood flow. It is much like letting your car warm up for a few minutes before you drive off.

There are a number of ways you can warm up. The following are some examples:

• an easy walk or walking in place on a treadmill
• light calisthenics such as jumping jacks (As you jump up, slightly spread your legs and bring your arms up over your head. As you come down bring your legs closer together and lower your hands)

• light jogging in place
• light house work
• an easy ride on a bike or stationary bike.

Stretching Exercises

Stretching is also important before doing rigorous exercises. It has some of the components of warming up in that it too helps to loosen up and warm up your muscles. By doing stretching exercises routinely as well as before doing more rigorous exercises, they help reduce muscle tension and prevent injury. However, if they are to be beneficial, stretching exercises should be done correctly.

The following are some helpful guidelines from the National Institute on Aging:

• Get into the habit of doing your stretching exercises daily.
• Be sure to stretch all the large muscle groups in your body, such as the leg and arm muscles, lower and upper back, chest, shoulders, arms and neck.

• Try not to bounce or jerk into a stretch. This can cause damage to your tendons and ligaments.

• Make sure that your stretching movements are slow and steady. It is also important to stretch each muscle group slowly and hold for about 20 seconds.

• If you have pain while you are stretching, especially in the joints, you are probably not doing it correctly. However, it is normal to have mild discomfort or a pulling sensation.

You can find additional information on a well-rounded exercise program in chapter 5 of my book ( Fodor, John (2007). Maintaining Your Health and Vitality: A Health Guide for Seniors and Their Families. Bangor, Maine.) See also Fitness at any age. (2006, May).MedicineNet. <http://www.medicinenet.com/exercise_and_activity/article.htm>.