Good physical conditioning of the body is very important. All of us cannot be athletic champions but all of us can improve the functioning of our heart, lungs and muscles. Physical conditioning can be achieved with little or no exercise equipment. All that is required is a little time each day and a great deal of determination and patience. Regular exercise causes the heart-beat to grow stronger and steadier, and breathing to become deeper. As the flow of blood through the tissues is improved, waste products of the cells are removed more effectively; the body uses energy more efficiently in both physical and mental tasks; coordination is improved. This is the basis for aerobics- the word means 'with oxygen'. A goal of aerobics training is to achieve a steady state of exercising in which breathing is heavier than normal. In the steady state, the heart, lungs and muscle work together as an efficient machine at an activity level that is more demanding of the body than the resting stage. Jogging, running and rapid walking are examples of aerobic A exercises. They need no special equipment but they do need comfortable shoes It is- very important, however, to keep the exercise pattern within sensible limits to avoid injury to health. Do not allow it to reach a level which exceeds the normal ability of the lungs to supply oxygen to the muscles. If you have begun to pant and puff you have reached this point and must stop.
As one grows older, exercise can help you look, feel and work better. Different organs and systems of the body, specially the digestive processes are stimulated through exercises, and work more efficiently. The tone of the muscles improve and your posture improves. It reduces the chances of lower-back pain. It can increase your ability to relax and tolerate fatigue. It reduces fat deposits and improves liver and kidney functions; it increases the volume of blood, haemoglobin and the red blood cells, leading to improved utilisation of oxygen and iron. Physically active people are less likely to get heart attacks and other forms of cardiovascular diseases than sedentary people.
Exercise should be something you enjoy doing one of the most practical and enjoyable exercises is walking. Walking is as natural to the human body as breathing. In it, all the foot, leg and hip muscles, and much of the back muscles are involved. The abdominal muscles tend to contract and support their share of the weight, and the diaphragm and rib muscles increase their action. The arm and shoulder muscles move automatically. The shoulder and neck muscles get into play as the head is held erect, and the eye muscles are exercised as you look about you.
Gardening is a good exercise too. Swimming and bicycling also exercise most of the muscles. Bending, squatting and countless other movements of the body also exercise most parts of the body. In addition, spending the time in fresh outdoor air is beneficial for health.
For formal exercise one can join a gym you will need to keep your enthusiasm up to go to the gym regularly. You could also exercise at home- there are books available for exercise programs to follow at home.
One can exercise one's body even while doing one's daily routine. Choose an active way of approaching a situation rather than a lazy way walk upstairs rather than taking the lift; walk to school or place of work rather than ride a bus; walk while playing golf rather than use the cart; run to get the ball that has rolled away rather than walk to get it.
Muscle-relaxing exercises can also have a therapeutic effect on one's emotional state since it is well-known that muscular tension accompanies psychological stress. The basic concept of reducing stress through exercise is to reduce tension by depressing muscular activity, and by degrees induce a state of relaxation.
If you encounter physical problems at any time during exercise you must stop and check with your doctor. Abnormal heart activity such as irregular pulse, fluttering, jumping or palpitations in the throat, a sudden burst of rapid heart-beats, or a sudden slow-down in a rapid pulse rate, pain or pressure in the centre of the chest, arm or throat, during or immediately after the exercise, dizziness, light-handedness, a sudden lack of coordination, confusion, cold sweating, glassy stare, pallor, blueness or fainting are indications of something wrong and you must stop the exercise and consult a doctor.
Fatigue
The blood supplies fuel and oxygen to the muscles and carries away waste material formed by the activity of the muscles. In the case of too long and too strenuous an activity, the blood is unable to carry away the waste fast enough. As a result they accumulate in the muscles and creates a feeling of tiredness which is termed fatigue. Fatigue affects the body adversely by reducing the quantity and quality of work it can do.
Muscular fatigue is defined as stimulation of a muscle or a group of muscles beyond their ability to recover. The other is physical fatigue which affects the entire body and is normal after a physical exercise.
Fatigue results when we use up physical and nervous energy faster than it can be restored. Over activity at work or at play combined with late hours and nervous excitement is a common cause of fatigue. This interferes seriously with normal rest and sleep. As a result one gets up in the morning tired instead of refreshed. The face has a tired appearance with dark circles under the eyes.
The normal human work cycle is, activity-fatigue-rest. The accumulated waste matter of activity are carried off during rest and sleep; the worn out cells are repaired and the body is restored.
Posture
Posture is a sum total of the relative arrangement of the different parts of the body during its various activities. You talk about standing posture, sitting posture, posture while walking or reading etc. Posture is not only indicative of the physical state of the various anatomical parts of the body and of its physiological state, it is also indicative of the mental and emotional state of the individual. Success in an activity is evident in straight back and shoulders, head held high, smart and quick steps, eyes looking straight at you, failure, on the other hand;is reflected in drooping shoulders, bent head, downcast eyes and dragging steps. The whole body reflects the state of your mind. Anxiety in a child can lead to carrying one shoulder higher than the other as if warding off a blow. Shyness or insecurity may cause a hangdog stance. In pubescent girls, embarrassment about growing breasts may result in a round shouldered slump. Certain kinds of chronically poor posture may be an expression of some disorder that should be checked flat feet, nearsighted ness or astigmatism, or a hearing loss, a person who has a slouch or who holds one shoulder higher than the other may have an abnormal spinal curvature. The manner of walking can suggest muscles, bone or nervous system disorders. One should be very watchful of the postures in children as they grow.
Most of us are very impressed with the posture of the soldier on parade. It looks smart but is not a.natural posture even for the soldier except when he is on parade. Can you imagine yourself like that all day long? What is an ideal posture is very difficult to describe. There is no one single definition of a good posture. However, it is possible to say what a good posture should do for you. It should make you look smart and aesthetically appealing, and it should allow the various systems of the body to function unimpeded. Incorrect posture can, on the other hand, interfere with the functions of the body. Playing outdoor games, doing exercises, going for brisk walks, swimming etc. help to build a good posture because the very act of doing these activities will keep the various parts of the body in proper alignment.
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