Summer is approaching and there is a fresh feeling in the air. The worst of winter is behind us and people are considering returning to sport.The experience of starting a new sport or hobby and discovering that it causes more discomfort than relief is disappointing.
For this reason one has to select one's sport and routine thoughtfully.
The body is organic and responds negatively when bullied into physical activity. Encouragement, not force, is the recipe of the day and so an over-zealous return to exercise after months of absence is inadvisable. The body requires time to adjust. A regular routine of fast walking between 20-30 minutes 3 or 4 times per week is a good way to start before taking it to the next gear. Whichever sport you decide to adopt begin slowly. Run for 10-15 minutes at a slow pace, again 3-4 times before increasing the speed or the distance. Similarly, with swimming; excessive activity will strain the neck, shoulders or back. A moderate return to physical activity gives the body a chance to adapt and get stronger.
It is inadvisable to do the week's exercise in one fell swoop. To go from sedentary work all week to playing 2 hours of energetic football is not giving the body's soft-tissues time to adapt organically. Not only can it lead to injury, it is a strain on the heart.
Anyone above the age of 30 years will have noticed how the body feels less flexible than it did ten years ago. Body tissue is made up of elastin and fibrinogen protein. With age, fibrinogen becomes the dominant protein resulting in lost elasticity and injury. These proteins are however dynamic and we can restore the quantity of elastin through exercise.
Recovery is vital - after an episode of exercise where physical demand has been placed on the body, our "architecture" and physiology need time to adapt and meet the demand. This does not occur immediately, rather over 2-3 days following exercise. Therefore recovery time is important. Interrupting the recovery period with further exercise reduces the body's opportunity to reorganize itself and potentially weakens it.
Once in a routine exercise must put a demand on the body in order for there to be a significant improvement in health. All too often people in the gym read newspapers on the tread-mill or bicycle distracting the person from serious exercise. It lulls a person into a false sense of security thinking they are caring for their body but the benefits are minimal. Instead, exercise must leave one feeling puffed-out with fatigued muscles. Once that feeling has dissipated recovery has occurred.
There is more to say on this subject but I will conclude here and return at a later date, but the important matter to remember is; return to exercise slowly, carefully and push the limits when ready. I should stress that doing exercise does not mean that the body can handle better the likes of cigarettes and poor diet. On the contrary, doing exercise in an otherwise unhealthy environment is potentially more damaging.
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ReplyDeleteNice blog - agree fully! So, how long should recovery take i.e. what about me (a distance runner) running 15km in the morning then rowing at night? Vig. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteYour recovery period will depend on 2 factors; how fit you are and how much you are exerting yourself during exercise. I am assuming you are not new to these sports and so your body is recovering quickly. As a guide, leave yourself at least 24 hours to recover but use the feeling of stiffness as your barometer. If your muscles still ache post exercise don't rush back to the sport. Some of the pain is due to micro-tearing in the tissue and interrupting the healing process with more sport distorts recovery. In summary, wait 24 hours at least to recover but be honest with yourself and check how your body is feeling; remember recovery makes you stronger.
ReplyDeleteCame across your blog from a comment you left on Benji's (at least, I think it was Benji's) blog. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you recommend for a relatively sedentary savta? I used to(in my youth)love to run, but now, bad knees and lots of pounds later, am trying to figure out what to do(that doesn't cost $$)to get back into shape and lose weight.
I have started to exercise a little each day (except Shabbat), by doing modified push-ups (some call them 'girlie'), leg lifts, mild lunges, and mild crunches (I wouldn't call them sit-ups; I barely get off the ground).
This routine takes me 5-8 minutes; that's what attracted me to it--like speed dating! Oh, and on Shabbat I walk about a mile to shul .
What are your thoughts on all this?
Lady-Light, to the sedentary savta, as a sports instructor in Jerusalem, I suggest you get into Water Aerobics. It's excellent exercise, especially if you've put on those extra pounds, as you feel much lighter in the water (is it 50% lighter, can't remember!) and is amazing for your knees, back and other joints. With Water Aerobics you get both a cardiovascular workout (for your heart) and build muscle strength using the resistance of the water and usually specially designed water weights. Don't know if you live in Jerusalem, but if you do, there are excellent water classes at the YMCA (you can get a week's free trial membership there - go speak to Rena), or Ramat Rahel and the Jerusalem Pool. I suggest at least 30 mins a day - and yes, walking is excellent too. Nadia Levene
ReplyDeleteP.S. Danny - I suggest you speak about aerobic vs. anaerobic exercise. For fat burner exercise I suggest aerobic exercise which means that you push your heart rate high, but not too high - approx. 75 - 85% of your maximum heart rate. Aerobic exercise would be jogging for 45 mins - where you can talk but not sing - but anaerobic exercise would be sprinting fast - and you certainly couldn't do that for more than a few minutes (if you're not a great athlete of course). I agree that one should always push oneself, but certainly take it easy at the beginning (especially as you Danny said, when waking up to sport after a cold inactive winter). What's important is to set yourself goals and push yourself harder, but I generally suggest 30 - 40 mins of aerobic activity at least 3 times a week TOGETHER WITH muscle strengthening through resistance training (eg. weights, exercise bands, and water weights). Resistance training is extremely important for women from the age of approx. 25 upwards to avoid the onset of osteoporosis.
ReplyDeleteNadia