Top Ten Series: Exercise For Health Care

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Top Ten Series: Exercise For Health Care

 

1. Aerobics : The word aerobic literally means " with oxygen " or " in

the presence of oxygen. " Aerobic exercise is any activity that uses

large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously for a long period

of time and is rhythmic in nature. Aerobic activity trains the heart,

lungs and cardiovascular system to process and deliver oxygen more

quickly and efficiently to every part of the body. As the heart

muscle becomes stronger and more efficient, a larger amount of blood

can be pumped with each stroke. Fewer strokes are then required to

rapidly transport oxygen to all parts of the body. An aerobically fit

individual can work longer, more vigorously and achieve a quicker

recovery at the end of the aerobic session.

 

How Often

 

Most experts believe that 3-5 times per week for a duration of 20-60

minutes at 60-90% of age-specific maximal heartrate or 50-85% of

VO2max (heart rate reserve).

 

Target Heartrate

 

The general formula for the average person is 220 (-) your age times

60% and times 90% of HRmax. For example, a 30-year old would

calculates their target zone using the above formula: 220-30=190.

190x.60=114 and 190x.90=171. This individual would try to keep his

heartrate between 114 (low end) and 171 (high end) beats per minute.

 

2. Mind Quieting : A disciplined mind is a free mind. Gain control

over your thoughts and you maintain control over your life. Retrain

your mind and you regain your freedom. Calming the mind is a

behavioral technique used to interupt, minimize and

eliminate " psychological noise " . Obsessive, repeatitive thoughts,

anxiety and fears are all apart of negative, self-destructive

patterns that can benefit from the power of music and mind quieting.

 

3. Breathing: Breath is life! Exchange of electrons. Flow of energy.

Air is the primary nutrient. Survival without it is measured in

minutes. It is so important that you do it without thinking. Your

breathing is the voice of your spirit. It's depth, smoothness, sound,

and rate reflect your mood. If you become aware of your breath and

breathe the way you do when you are calm you will become calm.

Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing.

With the addition of music and it's rhythm, the " musical breath " can

even help stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks

to digestive disorders. Fall into the rhythm of the music and

breathe. Focus on your breathing and the music.

 

4. Weight Bearing : exercise stimulates tissue growth in bone and

muscles, strengthening the body's structure. A stronger skeleton

reduces the risk of osteoporosis, arthritic joint pain and other bone

conditions. Also known as resistance training, weight-bearing

exercise can be any activity that involves carrying, lifting or

pushing a heavy object. Walking is considered to be weight bearing,

as muscles and the skeleton support body weight. You do not need

to `pump iron' to benefit from this form of exercise.

 

After the age of 30, bone and muscle mass start a natural decline.

This reduction in body strength continues until we die, but weight-

bearing exercise can significantly slow this process. By following a

program of exercise aimed at the muscles and bones, they will stay

strong for many years to come.

 

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate at which the body burns

calories at rest. This also begins to decline from the age of 30 –

meaning we burn calories less efficiently as we age.

 

One pound of muscle requires approximately 35 calories per day,

whereas one pound of fat needs only 1 or 2.

 

Weight-bearing exercise raises BMR by increasing the amount of

metabolically active tissue – i.e. muscle. Frequent physical activity

or exercise can reverse the decline in BMR, assisting with weight

maintenance and fat loss by burning excess calories – warding off

conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

 

Differences in weight or resistance used, frequency and type of

exercise will have an effect on the body. To increase muscle size,

heavy weights must be used. Lighter weights tone the muscles and

increase density without significantly changing their size.The

changes that weight-bearing exercises produce can be seen in as

little as 3 months, but initial gains in muscle strength appear in

the first weeks of training, without a noticeable change in muscle

size. Depending on the intensity, weight-bearing activities can burn

between 300 and 800 calories per hour.

 

Gym-based exercise usually involves the use of resistance machines,

which are specifically designed for this type of exercise. The

machines make you move in such a way that individual muscles can be

targeted using a pre-set weight, which can be changed to suit the

individual.

 

Free weights, such as dumb bells, are used in much the same way.

Walking, jogging and gardening – in fact, most activities – are

weight bearing to some degree. Carrying the shopping home rather than

driving is a brilliant way to strengthen muscles while improving

cardiovascular fitness.

 

Many people use strap-on wrist or ankle weights while walking, to

combine different types of exercise. Gym-based weight training is the

most common weight-bearing activity, but with the advent of cheaper

equipment such as resistance machines, free weights, exercise balls

and bands, you do not have to be a member of a gym or health club to

benefit.

 

Joint and muscle problems should not be a reason to avoid weight-

bearing activity. Correct exercises may actually assist in treatment

and prevention of a range of conditions. Ask your doctor or qualified

fitness instructor for further advice.

 

5. Yoga : Many different types of yoga workouts exist. But many times

in our quest for fitness and a hard body, At some point it becomes

just a workout and not yoga. If you come to this path with fitness in

mind that is important, but Yoga is extremely powerful. If you try to

rush it, you will only slow yourself down.

 

Yoga is not mind over body. It is harmony between them. In yoga, the

mind is used to perceive (diagnose) and guide (heal) the body. Not

to " control " it and never to force it.

 

The big lesson is that yoga takes time. Time for muscles to

coordinate. Time for tissues to grow. Time for breath, spirit, and

energy to flow. The time you invest in yoga comes back with interest

in greater vitality, presence of mind, reduced need for sleep, and

longer life.

 

Yoga should be conscious action not " learning routines. " The skill,

grace, and poise develop naturally as an inevitable result of regular

practice. No major effort is required or even effective. Trying hard

will make your practice painful, even injurious, and will actually

slow your progress! The therapeutic effect of yoga comes from

involving your mind totally in inspiring (breathing) your body to

wake.

 

6. Stretching: Just as there are different types of flexibility,

there are also different types of stretching. Stretches are either

dynamic (meaning they involve motion) or static (meaning they involve

no motion). Dynamic stretches affect dynamic flexibility and static

stretches affect static flexibility (and dynamic flexibility to some

degree).

 

When done properly, stretching can do more than just increase

flexibility. Benefits of stretching include:

 

*enhanced physical fitness

*enhanced ability to learn and perform skilled movements

*increased mental and physical relaxation

*enhanced development of body awareness

*reduced risk of injury to joints, muscles, and tendons

*reduced muscular soreness

*reduced muscular tension

*increased suppleness due to stimulation of the production of

chemicals which, lubricate connective tissues

*reduced severity of painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea) in females

 

Discover Different Types of Stretching

 

7. Power Walking: Studies have suggested a link between increased

physical activity and a decreased chance for developing disease in

general. Exercise of any kind trims your odds by improving the body's

sensitivity to insulin-a hormone, helps control cholesterol, weight,

and blood pressure, which further guards you from adult-onset of

disease.

 

Harvard University researchers examined the exercise habits of more

than 70,000 women in a recent study suggesting people with risk

factors such as added pounds, high cholesterol, high blood pressure,

or a family history of diabetes, was improved by taking a brisk 40-

minute walk every day. Lead researcher Frank B. Hu, M.D., assistant

professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, says

that, this showed significant improvements in health and dropped

diabetes risk by a factor of 40 percent.

 

Consider your general health and the route when deciding to walk. You

may want to begin slowly, one or two days a week, gradually building

up to walking full-time. Typically, most walkers commute about two

miles one-way to work. Other considerations:

*Select a good pair of walking shoes, and appropriate clothing.

*Try a practice run on a weekend to see how long it takes.

*Find a co-worker or friend who walks and commute with them.

 

Walking Safety

 

*Walkers generally need sidewalks, crosswalks, and signaled

intersections in areas with heavy traffic.

*A weekend test commute may uncover routing problems and will

indicate how much time to allow.

*Most likely you will be walking during rush hour; however, consider

general lighting and the neighborhoods you travel through in off-peak

hours.

*If walking at dawn or dusk, consider reflective wrist or leg bands.

 

8. Swimming: It's hard to beat swimming when it comes to a sport that

builds the body, soothes the mind, regulates breathing, stimulates

circulation, and puts no stress on the joints. That's why it's an

ideal exercise for just about everyone -- old people, overweight

people, young people, people with hip, knee and ankle problems, and

active people with no health problems at all. Plus, swimming has a

calorie-burning potential of 350-420 calories per hour. No wonder

it's one of the most popular fitness sports around.

 

Wet Isn't Always Wonderful Swimming does have some minor drawbacks.

It's not a weight-bearing exercise, so it won't help prevent

osteoporosis. And it will definitely get you wet, which can be a

hassle in terms of wet clothes, wet hair, etc. Also, swimming

requires a pool, and that may mean joining a club and traveling some

distance. Is it worth the trouble? Ask anyone who is hooked on

swimming. It's one of the healthiest addictions you can have.

 

Great for Rehab Working out in the water is also a great way to come

back from a sports injury, recovery from surgery, or keep your

fitness up while you're waiting to get back to your usual weight-

bearing sport, like running. Indeed, that's how some people discover

swimming. They swim in the pool because they're too weak or hurt to

run on dry land, and then they like it so much and see such great

results, they never leave!

 

Perfect Cross-Training Sport Runners, cyclists, in-line skaters and

athletes of all persuasions like to swim because it's such a great

complement to their usual routine. Swimming is also a required sport

in triathlons, and more and more folks are discovering the joys of

training in multiple sports, whether or not they actually plan to

compete.

 

There's a Magic There There's something just a little bit magical

about the healing effect of water on our bodies, physically and

mentally. Our bodies are 60 percent water and we developed as fetuses

in a watery environment. There is just something special about being

in and of the water that is soothing and calming ... and has been for

thousands of years.

 

by Marilynn Preston - Tribune Media Services syndicated columnist.

 

9. Tai Chi, QiQong, Aikido: these Asian art forms have been practiced

for centuries.

 

Qigong- is one of the four pillars of traditional Chinese medicine:

Acupuncture, Massage, Herbal Medicines and Qigong. Of these, Qigong

is the one that can be most easily self initiated. Both massage and

herbal remedies can also be done as self care, however, Qigong is the

mother of Chinese self healing. Patients who use Qigong faithfully

need less medication and heal faster. While Qigong has strong roots

into mystical and philosophical ground, the practical healing and

stress management applications are the most popular aspects of the

tradition in China today. Both the health and spiritual applications

are rapidly gaining in popularity in the Western world as people

realize that disease and stress are relieved by peace of mind.

 

Tai Chi- a martial arts form that enhances balance and body awareness

through slow, graceful, and precise body movements, can significantly

cut the risk of falls among older people and may be beneficial in

maintaining gains made by people age 70 and older who undergo other

types of balance and strength training. The news comes in two reports

appearing in the May 1996 issue of the Journal of the American

Geriatrics Society. Participants had a 25 to 50 percent improvement

in three different measures of balance after completing balance

training, while strength training resulted in a 17 percent

improvement in strength. Some of the gains immediately following the

balance and strength training were lost after 6 months of the Tai Chi

follow-up program. However, the participants tested significantly

higher than they had before the interventions began.

 

Aikido- Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba

(often referred to by his title 'O Sensei' or 'Great Teacher'). On a

purely physical level it is an art involving some throws and joint

locks that are derived from Jujitsu and some throws and other

techniques derived from Kenjutsu. Aikido focuses not on punching or

kicking opponents, but rather on using their own energy to gain

control of them or to throw them away from you. It is not a static

art, but places great emphasis on motion and the dynamics of

movement. Upon closer examination, practitioners will find from

Aikido what they are looking for, whether it is applicable self-

defense technique, spiritual enlightenment, physical health or peace

of mind. O Sensei emphasized the moral and spiritual aspects of this

art, placing great weight on the development of harmony and

peace. " The Way of Harmony of the Spirit " is one way that " Aikido "

may be translated into English. This is still true of Aikido today,

although different styles emphasize the more spiritual aspects to

greater or lesser degrees. Although the idea of a martial discipline

striving for peace and harmony may seem paradoxical, it is the most

basic tenet of the art.

 

10. Elastic Bands : Resistance training is the benefit of elastic

bands or tubing. As long as we have gravity, we can challenge our

muscles effectively. Doing a push-up is one example of a resistance

exercise. Instead of using weight from another source, you're using

your body weight to challenge your chest and arm muscles, and you

will get toned up just as well as you would using a pec deck or a

bench press. Elastic tubing and bands are great for those who want to

get the benefits of weight training without using traditional

weights. If the gym doesn't work for you, these will. As long as your

muscles are challenged, they'll rebuild themselves between workouts

and you'll get the results you're looking for. Resistance training is

possible for everyone. No more excuses!

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac

http://www.peacefulmind.com/exercise.htm

Therapies for healing

mind, body, spirit