Strength or Resistance, a Method of Exercise
The sweat experts divide exercise into three general categories:
- Aerobic (also called endurance).
- Strength (also called resistance).
- Flexibility(Also called stretching
A balanced program should include all three. (Speed training is also a major category, but is generally practiced only by competitive athletes.)
A few simple rules are helpful as you develop your own routine.
- Don't eat for two hours before vigorous exercise.
- Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after a workout.
- Adjust activity according to the weather and reduce it when fatigued or ill.
- When exercising, listen to the bodys warning symptoms, and consult a physician if exercise induces chest pain, irregular heartbeat, undue fatigue, nausea, unexpected breathlessness, or light-headedness
- Warming up and cooling down are important parts of any exercise routine. They aid the body in making the transition from rest to activity and back again and can help prevent soreness or injury,
especially in older people.Warm-up exercises should be practiced for five to 10 minutes at the beginning of an exercise session,such as walking briskly, swinging the arms, or jogging in place. To cool down, one should walk slowly until the heart rate is 10 to 15 beats above resting rate. Cool-down exercises slow the heart rate and stretch warm muscles.
1. Aerobic (also called endurance):
http://ndri.com/article/aerobic_or_endurance__an_exercise_method-113.html
2. Strength or Resistance Training:
Many people associate strength training only with athletes. At one time, perhaps, strength training was reserved only for athletes. Certainly the world of muscle building (apart from body building) was relatively unknown. But all that has changed in the last few generations as the health benefits of muscle strength and endurance have become known for men and women of all ages. Strength training, or resistance training as it is often called, involves performing a series of movements with the goal of improving the capabilities of the muscles involved in those movements. Each muscle in the body has a specific function and acts in a specific way on the skeleton. For example, the biceps muscles on the front of the upper arm act to bend the elbow. The triceps muscles on the back of the upper arm act to straighten the elbow. To make those muscles stronger, the elbows are bent or straightened against some form of resistance such as weighted bars held in the hands.
Types of Resistance Training:
There are three types of muscle contractions involved in strength training:
- Isometric contractions. There is no change in the length of the muscle. For example, pushing against a wall.
- Concentric contractions. These movements shorten muscles (for example, the "up" phase of when the bicep curls up while lifting weights).
- Eccentric contractions. These movements lengthen muscles (the "down" phase as the weights are lowered
Benefits of Strength Exercise:
While aerobic exercise increases endurance and helps the heart, it does not build upper body strength or tone muscles. Strength-training exercises provide the following benefits:
- Builds muscle strength while burning fat.
- Helps maintain bone density.
- Improves digestion.
- It is also associated with a lower risk for heart disease, possibly because it lowers LDL (the so called "bad") cholesterol levels.
- Strength exercise is beneficial for everyone, even people in their 90s. It is the only form of exercise that can slow and even reverse the decline in muscle mass, bone density, and strength that occurs with aging. (Please note: people at risk for cardiovascular disease should not perform strength exercises without checking with a physician.)
Strength-Training Regimens:
Strength training involves intense and short-duration activities. For beginners, adding 10 to 20 minutes of modest strength training two to three times a week may be appropriate. The following are some guidelines for starting a strength regimen:
- The sequence of a strength training session should begin with training large muscles and multiple joints at higher intensity and end with small muscle and single joint exercises at lower intensities.
- Both concentric (shortening) and eccentric (lengthening) muscle actions should be performed. Emphasizing eccentric contractions (the movements that lengthen muscles) is of increasing interest.
- This approach involves slowing and increasing the duration of these "down" movements. It appears to
- significantly increase blood flow, and some evidence suggests it may achieve stronger muscles more
- quickly and improve cardiovascular function compared to a standard movements. It may be particularly
- beneficial for older people and some people with chronic health problems. Eccentric training increases the risk for muscle soreness and injury, however, and this approach is still controversial.
- Strength training involves repetitions, i.e., moving specific muscles in the same pattern against a resisting force (such as a weight) for a preset number of times. Students should first choose a weight that is about half of what would require a maximum effort in one repetition. (In other words, if it would take maximum effort to do a single repetition with a 10-pound dumbbell, than the person would start with a five-pound dumbbell.) In the beginning, most people can start with one set of eight to 15 repetitions per muscle group with low weights. As individuals are able to perform one or two repetitions over their routine, weights can be increased by 2% to 10%.
- Breathe slowly and rhythmically. Exhale as the movement begins; inhale when returning to the starting point.
- The first half of each repetition typically lasts two to three seconds. The return to the original position lasts four seconds.
- An alternative technique called "super slow" training stretches out one repetition to a 14-second count. This method places far more stress on the muscle group, so fewer repetitions are needed. A
- full week of recovery is required before repeating this workout. The goal is to initiate changes in the muscles so that the body continues to burn calories after the exercise. Some people report dramatic results from this approach, but scientific verification of these anecdotes is not available. It is very tedious, in any case, and people have a hard time sticking with it. People with high blood pressure should not use this approach.
- Joints should be moved rhythmically through their full range of motion during a repetition and not locked up.
- For maximum benefit, one should allow 48 hours between workouts for full muscle recovery. A 2003
- study of endurance athletes found that heavy training causes DNA damage in skeletal muscle cells, and over long periods of time damaged muscles have a decreased ability to regenerate.
3. Flexibility (Also called stretching):
http://ndri.com/article/flexibility_or_stretching_a_method_of_exercise-1...
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