So that muscle work and relaxation are not an eternal pending issue, you have to set a schedule and dedicate it to the exercise that we like the most.
Any athlete knows the fullness of their training. If you run, your feet go alone and the earth moves underfoot, the mind calms down and feels a spiritual connection with yourself and the environment.
So, exercise is not only worthwhile, but unfolds as a fun way to gain health. The keys that provide a pleasant and healthy exercise are:
- The balance between aerobic and strength exercises, stretching and awareness exercises, and breathing and relaxation exercises. The former provide vigor and security; the latter, tone and expand the movement, and the latter calm and seek general well-being.
- Vary the exercises and make them as enjoyable and interesting as possible.
- Knowing that exercising has a power over the mind. From the beginning, it helps to gain diligence in everyday life.
- Turn exercise into meditation. This requires being attentive and alert, allowing the mind to focus on what we do, effortlessly, leaving it free to become aware of the movement, the thoughts that accompany us and the environment.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE?
- It provides more energy and work capacity.
- Fight stress and relax.
- Increases vitality.
- Improves the tone of bones, muscles and body functions.
- It improves the image we have of ourselves.
- Increases resistance to fatigue.
- Helps fight anxiety.
- It burns calories, helping you lose weight or stay at your ideal weight.
- Improves sleep.
IS THERE AN IDEAL AGE TO START?
All ages are good if the exercise is appropriate to the age and begins to practice little by little. In fact, it was found that weight training can reverse the aging process.
In an experiment at Tufts University, in the United States, with people between 86 and 96 years old, it was found that, when they trained according to their age, they improved strength and balance, and recovered density in their bone mass with only eight weeks of training.
WHERE IS THE IDEAL PLACE TO EXERCISE?
The ideal is to go through a gym to receive advice from teachers or monitors. Then you can continue at home or outdoors.
If you do it at home, choose a ventilated room and train by varying the orientation of the body in all four directions.
Start once a week, at the same time. After two months go to twice a week, later to three.
But if you don’t have time, stick with once a week. It is even better once every fortnight or every month than not exercising at all.
THE BEST WAY TO TRAIN
You can do it in company, which facilitates training and also teaches how to compete, how to lose, but also how to win.
Doing it alone is harder to start, because it requires overcoming inertia alone, but if you succeed, and due to concentration, the response of body and mind is faster and more spectacular.
Always start your training little by little and add power, speed and strength gradually. End sessions by slowing down exercise and relaxing on the floor.
It is also advisable to go to a coach if you want to get faster results, as it will provide you with training tailored to your possibilities and objectives.
AN EXERCISE FOR EVERY GOAL
The variety of sports, body techniques and physical disciplines is a great incentive, as long as we find the exercise that best suits us:
- Aerobic: support the cardiovascular system. Running, swimming, rowing, jumping rope, walking, Aquagym. Skating or surfboarding will give you an unbeatable relationship with your pelvis and feet.
- Strength: they work the muscles, both in terms of resistance and tone. The weights, the rhythmic gymnastics, the colt, the parallels, the rings…
- Games: they need good preparation, especially from the age of 30. These include football, tennis, volleyball, basketball, table tennis. On clay, grass or on the beach.
- Launch: they require a very clear and precise preparation to reach the maximum of our capacity in an instant. They are archery, javelin throw, weight, discus. High jump, long jump, pole vault…
- Dance: increases power, reflexes, mobility, balance and adaptability. Among the funniest are tap dancing, hip-hop or contemporary dance. And in pairs lindy hop, salsa or reggaeton.
- Martial arts: apart from strength, skill, concentration and precision teach a moral code of respect for the opponent. Among these we have karate, aikido, judo and capoeira.
SOME FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- The classes in the gyms are of low, medium or high intensity. Start with low-intensity or low-impact ones. If you don’t like the monitor, don’t hesitate: switch.
- The movement goes well for the back, if done correctly. Swimming prevents back pain if the body is horizontal. Do not hold your head out or swim with your legs dangling.
- If you are overweight and want to run, it can damage your joints, especially your knees. Start walking at a brisk pace.
- If one day for some reason you cannot train, do not worry or be discouraged, look at the process of your training and what you achieved with it and continue.