Facets of fitness (2)

The last article looked at the energy systems that our bodies use while we exercise and what our bodies feel as we use each system. The energy systems really are used as we work our heart for cardiovascular fitness but we must not ignore muscle strength including core strength , joint mobility, stretching for muscle recovery and flexibility. It is important for our muscles to have strength and power and endurance to help us become fitter for our everyday living but it is even more necessary as we age. Muscles start to atrophy (shrink) if they are inactive and this could cause an adult to loose five to seven pounds of muscle in a decade. An inactive fifty-year-old could have ten-fifteen pounds less of muscle than when being twenty years old.

To add to this decline in strength, we also lose flexibility as muscle fibres shorten and reduce in bulk. The muscles become more resistive to stretching and to add to this, a condition like arthritis can cause the joints to deteriorate also. There can then be instability in the joints and tight muscles will cause some basic movements like twisting around in a car to reverse to become painful and perhaps not possible.

Muscle strength is the ability to exert force against resistance. Strength will increase in response to the muscles being made to overload. Progressive overload ( extra work for the muscles) has to be applied to increase strength so this could be achieved by increasing the amount of weight lifted, increasing the number of repetitions or frequency of your exercises. Strength exercises can be performed in many ways. It could be general own body weight exercise against gravity (for e.g. press-ups) using weights either with a machine or dumbbells, medicine balls, poles, or even exercises with a resistive band or tube. These can all be performed either in a gym setting or in a circuit / aerobics/ conditioning class or even at home.

Core strength is defined as the strength of the muscles around the mid section that stabilize the hips and spine during movement. Core strength has to engage the following muscle groups: transverses abdominals, pelvic floor muscles, diaphragm, deep spinal muscles and buttocks. These are the key muscles we need to strengthen so that we keep our posture aligned and so we help to keep the stabiliser muscles in the body supporting us correctly to avoid strains and injuries. General strength exercises alone do not cover this type of training. You will need to be correctly advised on how to engage these muscles. Pilates is the best way to learn this type of strength training.

Flexibility is the range of movement that we have at a joint. To promote this, we must allow our joints to be put through a regular fluid range of movement and also lengthen or stretch the muscles that are attached to these joints. We may be born with different stretching capabilities but as children we are generally quite flexible and this could increase if we were perhaps practising dancing, gymnastics or a sport where our muscles utilise flexibility. To maintain this flexibility as we age, we must include some stretching in our daily lives and exercise routine to prevent a decrease in our joint mobility and prevent muscles from becoming stiff and rigid.

We must be aware that our body could have good flexibility in one area, such as around the shoulder joint, (for e.g. being able to fasten a bra strap or a wetsuit zip at the back of your clothing easily) but we could have tightness in the back of the legs which may inhibit us being able to bend forwards easily from the waist. In your stretching routine it is a mistake to concentrate on the muscles that seem to stretch easily and ignore those muscles that resist and are tight.

Stretching needs to be performed when your body is warm to avoid straining or tearing muscles. If you are at the beginning of your workout, perform some mobility joint exercises such as arm swinging and jogging on the spot for 5-10 minutes before elongating the muscles. This will increase blood flow and oxygen to the muscles will encourage you to breathe more deeply. Stretching at the end of your workout is very important to return your muscles back to their resting length (how they were before you started the workout). This however will not give you more flexibility but it will help your muscles to recover from the workout.

Stretching should feel comfortable and not painful. You should find the stretch position and then hold comfortably into position for a minimum of 10-15 seconds for a basic static stretch. Holding the position for longer than this (30 seconds or longer) and then repeating it more than once, is called a developmental stretch. A form of stretching which may be necessary for some sports people is called ballistic stretching and this involves rocking or bouncing into the position. This should NOT be performed unless you are a trained athlete, dancer or martial arts expert because it can cause injury if the movements are out of control.

Make sure that you breathe deeply, calmly and regularly to encourage oxygen and nutrients into the muscles and organs of the body and while holding your stretches and do not force the muscles, simply think of release. This is essential to encourage yourself and your muscles to relax fully. Yoga is a good form of exercise to encourage all these elements to be practised together.

To conclude, make sure you listen to your body and if you have an injury or medical condition, consult your G.P and seek professional guidance from a qualified exercise instructor about starting or improving your fitness routine.