Bending upto a certain point is easy, beyond this point you feel tension in your muscles and if you still go further you will feel pain. Do you exercises upto the point of tension. If you keep on doing exercises the mobility of the joints goes on increasing. The point of pain becomes the point of tension in a few days and gradually you can still go beyond this point without pain.
This principle has been used in exercising the patients with stiff joints passively. Movement and pain are indirectly related. A patient has more when the movement in the movement in the joint is less. With the help of exercises as he increases his movement, the pain goes on decreasing, ultimately he becomes pain free. If the movement is done upto the point of pain, the muscles become tense in protective response and desired result will not be achieved.
Speed
Do not exercise in a haphazard and careless manner. Exercises should be done carefully, gracefully and at the right speed. When you do exercises, do them with all concentration. At every moment your mind should know what your body is doing. You should not do exercises as a punishment. Enjoy doing them. You may do exercises along with music or select the right exercise for a particular time.
Combine your exercises with breathing. It will enhance their good effect and do them when you are relaxed. Even a slight tension causes waste of nerve energy. Exercises should not be completed at a single go. After each exercise relax for a while. This will help your exercising muscles fill up with blood and circulation will equalise in all parts of the body. It will help the lungs to catch up and clear all fatigue poison from the blood.
Alternate your exercise with games, boating or swimming to keep the interest alive. You can alternate exercise with yoga asana. Do exercise for one day and yoga asana the next. Yoga asanas make the body healthy and nerves strong.
Sleep and Rest
If exercises are important, so is rest. In fact both should alternate. After rest, you will feel energetic and this energy should be utilised for doing exercises. It is constructive for the body. If you do not utilise it either it is wasted or the body stops generating it.
During rest, the body eliminates waste material, builds new cells and repairs the old ones. When you feel tired you must rest. If you have done the right amount of exercises you will get up fresh after a restful sleep in the right. The requirement of sleep differs for different people. Many can do with six hours others may need 8 to 10 hours. If you know to relax well, relax before your sleep, your requirement of sleep will reduce.
Physiology of Exercise
A strong and well built is a great asset in life. It helps to face adverse situations and to achieve greater heights in your professional career and day to day activities. A well worked out system of routine activity with an intelligent diet can lead you to higher attainments and help overcome mental and emotional difficulties and bring happiness from within.
Better health and great physical power can be acquired by exercises and an adherence to certain rules. It does not come naturally as you grow to maturity. What is the most important factor in building a beautiful body and superb health? Food, what we eat is important. Food provides energy for daily work, helps in growth and provides vitamins and minerals which help us maintain good health.
Breathing
It is one of the most important factors required for building up the body. We can live without food for days, without water for a few days, but we cannot do without air even for five minutes. Pure air is an important factor for body building. Open up the windows in your bed rooms. Be sure there is fresh supply of air day and night. People are unnecessarily afraid of a draft. They think that a sudden cold will happen only if the body is weak and the body has less vitality.
More and more people are regulating the temperature, humidity and ventilation of the room through air conditioners. At least, it helps in proper ventilation.
Exercise and Growth
We know that 50% of the body is made up of muscles. Proper exercise must be taken for their proper growth and development. When man exercises his body, he becomes muscular and when a woman exercises her body, it helps to become more rounded and curvaceous. Nature has made the woman’s body in such a way that muscles do not grow in the same way as the man’s muscles. Beauty and charm of a woman are greatly enhanced with exercises, and so is the case with the male counterpart.
Many people think that better health comes from something unknown. This is not correct. It is clear now that superior health can be achieved by anybody who is prepared to make an effort and a small sacrifice.
Many people seem to have more body energy and prolonged youth. This comes when they are lucky to have inherited it from their parents. They seem to abuse and misuse their body and still keep themselves healthy. They are, in fact, spending the vitality from their forefathers. But their progeny may have to pay the penalty. If we study the lives of people who had a long existence, the secret of their longevity is found in their diet and daily exercises. Women grow old much faster than men, because, by and large, men keep themselves more active.
Many brain workers will say that they do not have time. It is not true. When you exercise you have a strong heart, strong stomach and so your brain also gets better nourishment. A strong mind, in a strong body. What exercise we do is not rally important. You choose an exercise and do it regularly, but, remember, it takes years to build a beautiful body.
Walking is the Best
Not everybody has gymnasium in the vicinity. The private ones are expensive. Still, if one cannot afford to go to a gym, the best alternative is to take a walk, a brisk walk or go jogging. This can be regulated according to age and strength. If you are sad or depressed, walk and walk deliberately and you will come out of your depression.
If you have a problem or an emotional strain, get out of the house and go for a walk and you will be able to solve it. Walk and you will have time to think. Understand your problem and plan your strategy to make life better. Remember do not talk while you walk. Walking is an interesting activity. You may choose a different route every day, it will bring you in contact with nature, you will be able to see, feel and know it better. You will make many new friends and it will give you a feeling of sharing in human activities.
It is good for old and middle aged people. Youngsters should make more strenuous exercises or jog vigorously. They should participate in games.