Forgot when was the last time you exercised? Time to catch up! Exercise is a reliable remedy for many ailments: backache, overweight, osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease and even constipation. Choose the type of physical activity that is best for you.

Total fatigue, bone breaking, overweight, civilization diseases, and finally insomnia and irritability are just some of the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. You have to be moving for at least two reasons. First of all, in order to prevent many ailments. Second, to help heal them when they occur. Before you start exercising, find out whichphysical activityis best for you.

Choose the best type of physical activity for you

As long as you are okay, making the decision to choose an activity is very simple. You can engage in any type of sport that you enjoy. Each systematic effort activates previously little used muscles. Thanks to this, they become flexible and strong. They ensure correct body posture and smooth movements. As a result of burning subcutaneous fat and increasing the amount of proteins inside muscle cells, we lose unnecessary kilograms and improve the body shape. Movement strengthens your bones, heart, and lungs. It stimulates the production of digestive enzymes and speeds up digestion, preventing constipation, hemorrhoids and colon cancer.

However, if you are at odds with sports, and you spend your free time mainly in front of the TV, gradually dose the effort according to your abilities and age, so as not to strain your muscles and joints that are not used to work.

You must do it

What form are you in?

Stand slightly with your back to the seat of the chair. Cross your arms over your chest and, bending your knees, lower your buttocks onto a chair (but don't sit down!). Hold for 2 seconds, straighten your legs. If you manage to repeat this exercise:

  • Less than 10 times- your muscles are very weak
  • 10- 14 times- weak
  • 15 - 19 times - medium strength
  • 20- 25 times - strong

Test yourself: 6 most popular fitness tests

The specialist will select the type of activityphysical

If you suffer from backache, hypertension, arthrosis, osteoporosis, diabetes, rheumatism or obesity, things get a bit more complicated. The problem is that you can't afford every kind of activity. Even Nordic walking or jogging, which are considered exercise for almost everyone and have many benefits, can be harmful in some situations. Therefore, before making a decision, you need to consult your doctor and physiotherapist. The specialist will select the form of activity according to the type and severity of the disease, general he alth and physical fitness. Exercise is not recommended in acute arthritis and uncontrolled diabetes.

Note!People with non-normalized hypertension should not exercise.

In the case of discopathy, degenerative changes in the spine, rheumatic disease or osteoporosis, they must be selected individually and learned under the supervision of a physiotherapist, in positions that will relieve the diseased joints.

Types of physical activity:

Aerobic exercise

Walking, running, cycling, rollerblading, Nordic walking, as well as hiking in the mountains or digging a garden. They have a common feature: they improve the efficiency of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, resulting in better oxygenation of all internal organs.

Benefits:The breath becomes deeper and we tire less. The lungs are well ventilated to help prevent and treat asthma and other lung diseases. Steady movement while walking or jogging improves the work of the heart, improves blood flow in the legs, preventing varicose veins. Aerobic exercise, without putting too much strain on the skeleton, stimulates the bones and increases their endurance. They also improve the muscles of the legs, arms, back and abdomen.

Indications:obesity, diabetes, back pain, rheumatism, osteoporosis, asthma, varicose veins, cardiovascular diseases.

Contraindications:acute respiratory failure, imbalance (bicycle, roller skates, skis), acute arthritis, advanced osteoporosis (roller skates, skis, bicycle), decompensated blood pressure.

Stretching exercises

It's stretching, yoga, pilates, callanetics. They rely on gentle stretching of individual muscle groups. It is best to do them every day after warming up the muscles during a few minutes of aerobic training (then the muscles are more flexible). Each of the stretching exercises should take no more than 1-2 minutes. It's best to do them several times a week.

Benefits:They lead to relaxation and elongation of the muscles, increasing the range ofmovement in the joints and reducing their soreness. They eliminate overload back pain, improve posture, and restore an elastic gait. They improve blood circulation, prevent varicose veins, blood clots and embolism, and relax.

Indications:back pain, obesity, rheumatism, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases.

Contraindications:acute pains in the lumbar spine.

Isometric exercises

They work by tightening a group of muscles without changing the length of their fibers, keeping the joints still. They are performed at rest, in a lying or sitting position, e.g. by leaning against a wall or floor, without putting any strain on the joints. They do not require any devices or rehabilitation devices. For them to work, you need to exercise every day. As they are tiring (they raise your blood pressure and heart rate quickly), do them in series and take breaks. Muscle tension lasts 5 seconds, break 10, repeat each exercise 6-10 times.

Benefits:They strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, spine, thighs, buttocks, creating a muscular corset that supports the bones. Tensing individual muscle groups reduces bone loss and stimulates the bone formation process. They are symmetrical - they load the right and left sides of the body equally, preventing and eliminating overloads that lead to joint degeneration.

Indications:osteoporosis, obesity, pain in the spine and joints.

Contraindications:circulatory and respiratory failure, rheumatic inflammatory diseases during exacerbation, asthma, unbalanced pressure.

Cardio Workout

These are aerobic exercises performed at a steady, rhythmic pace. Training must be moderate, followed by calming exercises. The effort cannot exceed 60%. our abilities (you have to stop when you are out of breath). As your condition improves, you can increase the intensity of your exercise. You have to do them regularly 3-4 times a week for 45-60 minutes.

Benefits:They improve the work of the circulatory system and the heart. It becomes stronger, it increases capacity. It beats evenly, which makes the blood flow faster and the amount of oxygen supplied to the cells increases. By exercising, your body produces more good cholesterol. Moderate exercise will protect you from blood clots, which can cause a stroke and a heart attack. Vessels become flexible - circulation and blood pressure improve. An additional benefit is protection against varicose veins and atherosclerosis.

Indications:cardiovascular diseases, bone and joint diseases, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, back pain.

Contraindications: acute inflammation of the joints, unbalanced pressure.

Water gymnastics

Water "reduces body weight", so exercise is easier than in the air, which is important for people who are in poor condition and are overweight. By relieving, and thus reducing the pressure on the articular surfaces when trying to make a movement, it relieves the pain, giving the exercising people mental comfort. The water temperature reduces muscle tension, allowing you to move more smoothly.

Benefits:Water gently compresses blood vessels, supporting the muscle pump, stimulates them to work. By improving blood circulation, preventing varicose veins and ischemic heart disease. By forcing your muscles to work, it regulates blood sugar levels. It improves the nourishment of the cartilage in the joints, alleviating the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Exercising in the water brings harmony to your movements and allows you to lose weight. They improve respiratory efficiency - the pressure of water on the chest makes it difficult to inhale, forcing the lungs, circulatory system and heart to work hard; the exhalation in the water is facilitated and deepened thanks to the water pressure on the chest and diaphragm.

Indications:spine and joint pains, osteoporosis, diabetes, asthma, heart and circulatory diseases.

Contraindications:skin diseases, acute respiratory and circulatory failure.

Resistance (strength) exercises

They lead to an increase in muscle strength and mass by forcing them to exercise. There are various forms of resistance exercises - from gymnastics without external load, such as push-ups or squats, where body weight is used as the resistance force, through exercises with weights, rubbers, and ending with gymnastics using various equipment and exercises in the gym. They should be performed twice a week for 20-30 minutes, repeating each exercise and engaging the most important muscles 10-15 times.

Benefits:They protect the joints from degenerative disease, overload and reduce the progressive bone loss with age, and even increase bone density in the event of osteoporosis. They increase the strength of muscles, tendons and ligaments. They also improve the body shape and allow you to get rid of excess weight. They improve the efficiency of the respiratory and circulatory systems. Losing weight alone can normalize blood sugar levels, and extra exercise increases insulin sensitivity.

Indications:overweight, diabetes, high cholesterol, osteoporosis (exercises must be performed lying down), back pain.

Contraindications:obesity (joints are burdened anyway), acute spine pain, inflammatory rheumatic diseases (RA).

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