Lessons for Beginning an Exercise Program - December 9, 2010

Dear Friends of Roscoe Chiropractic,

As Dr. Chris has been singing this week -- It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Only two weeks away with weather that feels like February, it somehow still doesn't quite seem like it should be winter, let alone Christmas. Either way, I hope everyone is either enjoying or tolerating the weather shift well. Things are looking Christmasy in the office and we're started on our Pancake Pandemonium special which is only the second month in a line of food themed specials that I get to come up with annoyingly alliterative names for. :)

Today I want to share some lessons for beginning an exercise regime.  I know how motivated we all are to exercise in 7 degree weather so this seemed fitting (I hope everyone gets my humor).

Lesson one: Set goals for your program. Are you trying to lose weight, gain strength, or train for a sport? Are your joints stiff, do you have pain or weakness? Figure out what you want to accomplish and then it will be easier to know where to start. If you are trying to loosen up stiff joints but you don't do any exercises that address that you won't see any results and will likely lose motivation. So set a goal and plan accordingly.

Lesson two: Exercise should have three clear phases. Begin with 5 to 10 minutes of warm-ups.  A warm-up is not the same thing as stretching. Warm-ups mean doing low-intensity range of motion exercises that increase your body temperature. This can include walking back and forth, moving the arms and legs or a slow, steady ride on a bicycle.  Phase 2 is the exercise itself, strengthening, aerobic training etc. Phase 3 is a cool down phase, which can include stretching. You should never stretch cold muscles. Research shows that overstretching in the beginning  without a proper warm up can actually cause injury.

Lesson three: The type of exercise is just as important as the three phases. Try to incorporate  different types of programs, such as stretching, strength training, balance training, and aerobic conditioning. They all affect the joints and the body in different ways.

Lesson four:  There can be some discomfort when you begin an exercise program so take precautions to begin slowly and not injure yourself. Your body's response to exercise can be different from day to day but you should never feel pain. If you feel sharp or sudden pain you should adjust the exercise, decrease intensity, find a more comfortable position or discuss it with your health care professional.  If the pain you feel lasts longer than two hours after exercise or if you experience swelling or weakness then you may have overdone it. Ensure that you ice after your workouts to decrease any swelling.

Lesson five: If you are focusing on stretching as your program, choose a time of day when you are generally less stiff or have less pain. When stretching, make sure you hold the position 10 to 30 seconds. Thirty seconds is optimal since it takes this long for the muscle to actually relax. To get better use of your stretching, take a warm shower or apply moist heat to the area prior to stretching.

Make sure to visit our office to find out the other 5 lessons for beginning an effective exercise program. You'll find the information in the November issue of To Your Health.

Take care this week and be safe on the roads and sidewalks.

Karla H.
Roscoe Chiropractic Centre