Without realizing it, we adopt positions and customs that interfere with our well-being. Correcting them will not only avoid back problems, but health problems in general.
Curve your back when walking, always place your weight on one side, sit in any way… They are habits that configure a bad posture that, sustained over time, can alter our quality of life.
The direct consequences of poor body hygiene range from neck, shoulder and back pain, migraine or shoulder impingement to more severe pathologies such as herniated discs or spinal deviations.
It is vitally important to maintain good posture, not only during the workday or when sleeping, but also while performing daily activities such as walking, cooking or practicing physical activities.
A good posture improves our quality of life, because it avoids back, joint and muscle problems, instills self-esteem and stylizes our figure.
Here are some keys so you know how to improve it:
Constant attention. Putting awareness in the posture is the first step to correct it. The key is to keep your back upright, your head in front, and your abdomen inward, whether standing, walking, or sitting.
Physical activity. Physical exercise is essential to improve posture and strengthen all those muscles that, over time, have been weakening. Exercise at least three times a week and you will notice how your posture stands up and increases your sense of well-being.
At work. If you spend many hours in front of the computer, take small breaks during the day and walk to loosen your muscles, do not cross your legs and always keep your feet in contact with the ground. Use a good ergonomic chair with adjustable backrest.
Comfortable shoes. The use of heels can affect balance and alter the way we walk, so it is important to choose footwear that gives us stability to avoid future back pain.
Healthy weight. The extra weight can weaken or overload the muscles (abdominals, pelvis and spine) and affect posture. Maintain a balanced diet and control your weight to promote posture.
EXERCISES TO IMPROVE POSTURE
The sequence of exercises that I propose is designed to help you become aware of your posture, make your spine more flexible, relieve tension and correct the bad habits you may have acquired over time.
Practice it once or twice a week, alternating it with a good exercise routine to strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen.
Put awareness in each exercise and observe the improvements after each practice to integrate them into your day to day.
1. STRETCHES THE WHOLE BODY
Rest your body against a vertical surface (a wall or a tree, for example), making sure your spine is as straight as possible.
Open your arms in a cross. Slide your arms up until they are parallel while inhaling.
Prevent your body from separating from the wall. To do this you will need to keep the core firm and pay close attention while executing the movement.
Exhale by lowering your arms slowly. Repeat six to eight times.
Continue to place your heels on the wall. Raise and lower your hips as much as you can without your body separating. Repeat six times.
2. RELAX YOUR LOWER BACK
Kneel down keeping your spine upright and put your hands on your waist. Look ahead.
Inhale by bringing your pelvis back in a gentle motion, ensuring that shoulders, hips and knees are aligned.
Exhale by moving the pelvis forward (retroversion) and activating the abdomen.
Feel the stretch of your lower back at the same time that you release tension throughout the lower back. Perform this movement about 8-10 times.
Next, rest in the child’s position (sit on your heels and rest your head on the floor). Repeat twice.
3. SOFTENS THE SHOULDER BLADES
Keep your knees in the same position as the previous pose and interlace your fingers behind your back. Stretch your elbows well and lengthen your neck releasing the tension, in one inhalation.
Exhale slowly as you tilt the trunk forward until it touches the ground with your forehead. If you don’t arrive, you have the option of using a rolled-up cushion or blanket to support you.
Breathe five or six times deeply, softening stiffness in the neck, shoulders and shoulder blades.
It favors postural correction with this exercise that is a balm for the entire musculature of the upper back.
4. STRENGTHENS YOUR BACK
Lie on your stomach with your legs straight out and your arms extended forward.
The forehead should rest on the ground. Exhale and lift your head, legs, arms, and upper torso off the ground.
Feel the weight of your body supported by your lower ribs, pelvis, and abdomen.
Maintain the posture six breaths activating the buttocks, opening the chest in each one and resisting the push of the arms.
Undo on an exhale.
5. REVITALIZES THE SPINE
Lie on your back with your legs straight and your arms relaxed on the sides of the trunk.
Lengthen the neck and slightly bring the chin up.
Bring your right knee closer to your chest by holding it with both hands while you inhale.
You can also flex the opposite leg to increase the stability of the pelvis.
Hold the posture for about six breaths and change legs. Repeat the exercise holding both legs at the same time to finish.
6. RELEASE TENSION
Roll up a blanket and lie on it on your back. Try to get it under the shoulder blades.
Let your head rest on the floor while maintaining a comfortable posture. To do this, you may need to adjust the blanket or rest it on a cushion.
Open your arms in a cross and relax your shoulders that rest on the floor. Softens your lumbar curvature.
Hold the 8-10 deep breath position by noticing the expansion of your chest when inhaling. Exhale and release the accumulated tension.
Some simple stretches relieve upper body stiffness. Take note of what you can do to breathe better and correct your posture.
The shoulder is the joint with the greatest mobility of the body but also, due to its complexity and the continuous frictions to which its tendons are subjected, one of the most unstable and causes the most discomfort.
While the knees and spine have traditionally been the most injury-prone areas of the body, the vulnerability of the arms and hands has become especially apparent in the computer age.
The combination of stress with the physical demands of continued computer use (with repetitive motions) results in a wide range of ailments, from acute neck and shoulder stress to carpal tunnel syndrome or tendinitis.
The shoulders are especially sensitive to worries and tensions, which the body lives as real burdens. Somehow, unconsciously, they seem to bear that weight.
HOW TO RELEASE TENSION IN THE SHOULDERS
Most shoulder pain originates in the muscles, tendons and ligaments surrounding the joint and not in its bony mechanism itself.
These are pains related to poor postural habits and tensions due to physical or psychological overloads, to which they are especially vulnerable. Thus, sagging shoulders may suggest an excess of responsibilities, while others shrunk upwards, stiffness and tension.
Many people are surprised that tension in the neck and shoulders can lead to pain in the hands and wrists, but it is explained by the connection of nerve pathways and because when large muscles and joints are not able to effectively perform their function, minor muscles and joints suffer.
For example, neck, shoulder and upper back muscles that are shortened impair the muscles of the wrists and hands, which are already working on the keyboard more than nature anticipated.
Stress also affects the musculoskeletal system. Just look at what happens after working a few hours in front of a computer screen: the shoulders have approached the ears and the muscles of the upper back and neck have been tightening.
When the tension in the shoulders is intense or prolonged excessively it can compress the nerves of the neck and affect the balance of the back, so it is advisable to learn to relax them and keep them flexible.
Stretching and breathing – two fundamentals of yoga – can be very helpful to unload all this decisive muscle area. It is important to balance the time spent in front of the computer with breaks.
Some exercises help improve sitting posture and increase tone, flexibility, and circulation in the upper body.
A BASIC STRETCH FOR SAGGING SHOULDERS
The shoulders, along with the cervical vertebrae, make up “the hanger” of each person.
If the posterior musculature of the body is shrunken and shortened, the shoulders tend to rise closer to the ears, and the neck appears shorter. Likewise, if the pectoral muscles are contracted, the shoulders are brought forward.
When, on the contrary, all this musculature is stretched, the shoulders are cleared down and back, separating from the ears, and the neck looks slenderer. The result is a much more relaxed and attractive body posture.
A good placement, in which the shoulders are clear, down and back, separated from the ears, so that the neck is “lengthened”, not only improves the silhouette and conveys a sense of harmony; but it favors the relaxation of the chest and the upper part of the back, which allows you to breathe better, fully.
This exercise can be done anytime, anywhere. It is excellent for sagging shoulders.
Sitting comfortably on the floor, cross-legged, or in front of the computer, while you pause, interlace the fingers of both hands on your head.
With your palms up, extend your arms a little back and up, but without lifting your shoulders, moving them away from your ear. Feel the stretch in your arms, shoulders, and upper back.
Then take the opposite elbow with one hand. Stay like this for about 15 seconds, breathing.
Rest and repeat it on the other side.
EXERCISE TO GAIN MOVEMENT IN THE SHOULDERS
The shoulders are complex joints in which the tendons are subjected to constant friction. Over time they wear out and can hurt and lose flexibility.
It’s good to practice some simple shoulder stretches that keep them agile:
To stretch your shoulder and the middle and upper back, take one elbow with your hand from the other arm and gently pull it toward the opposite shoulder. Hold the position for 10 seconds and do the same with the other arm.
With your arms over your head, hold one elbow with the hand of the other arm. Slowly, pull the elbow towards the nape of the neck, causing a gentle and progressive stretch. Hold the position for 15 seconds, without straining. This stretch works the triceps and upper shoulders. Perform the same exercise with the other arm.
As a sport, perhaps the one that most strengthens the muscles of arms, shoulders and back is swimming. It reduces tension and relaxes the entire upper body.
EXERCISE TO UNBLOCK SHOULDERS AND IMPROVE POSTURE
To free the shoulders from tensions and energy blockages, some exercises can be performed that bring the shoulders back and stretch the pectoral muscles, since the contraction of this musculature is responsible for the shoulders falling forward.
This is very simple: it can be practiced in any situation and time, and it is very effective when you have a tendency to slough.
Standing, with your feet in parallel, take your hands crossed behind your back and push your shoulders back and down, keeping your abdomen firm.
Try to join the two shoulder blades and also mobilize the shoulders by pulling your hands towards the ground, to lengthen the trapezoids. The elbows must be stretched to exercise the triceps. Hold a gentle stretch for 5 to 15 seconds, and relax.
In this article we will show the relationship of the head with the body, and how the way we move and use it (and tension) influences it in turn. Being more aware of that link can avoid the dreaded headache, facilitating well-being… and good thinking.
There are two parts that directly influence the head by proximity: the neck and the jaw. We explain how to take care of both areas to avoid headaches and we propose exercises to relax the muscle tension of these areas to avoid headaches and associated discomfort.
JAW STRAINS THAT CAUSE HEADACHE
The jaw is, next to the neck, a pillar of the head. To feel its importance, we can act as if we chew while placing the palms of the hands on the joints of the jaw and temples. At each bite we perceive the tension in the head.
Headache can have very diverse and complex causes, but it is often due to tensions in a number of muscles, such as:
The sternocleidomastoid, which runs from the collarbone to behind the ear, is often involved in headache that occurs behind the ear and above the temple.
The splenium, which comes from the back and is crimped just behind the ear, can produce pain that is noticeable in the scalp, in front of the fontanelle.
Those that join the jaw with the temple can generate pain in the temple, in the eyelids and on them.
The trapezoids, which go up the back, project reflex pain on the nape of the neck, shoulder, neck and temples.
MASSAGE TO RELAX FACE AND HEAD
Massaging these muscles gently and circularly makes us more aware of tensions, helps to relax them and relieves pain in the various areas of the head affected. Remember that a self-massage has no side effects!
From the cheeks to the center of the base of the skull we give a circular massage with the thumbs.
We gently pinch the eyebrows from the inside to the outside.
Rub the first two phalanges of the thumbs, one against the other. When we feel warm, we caress the eyebrows from the inside out. We continue with these horizontal lines from the forehead to the scalp.
With the palms caress the face from the center outwards.
We place the hands horizontally in front of the forehead and with the fingertips we move the scalp to the base of the skull. Repeat three times, drawing three lines parallel to the first.
Stretch your ears up. Then the lobes down. Finally, we press with two fingers the cartilage around the edge of the ear.
EXERCISE SESSION TO RELAX THE HEAD
ENERGIZE THE HEAD
Standing, facing the front, from the waist we turn the trunk and head to the right.
From there we leave the thorax motionless and turn the head to the left, to, without moving it, turn the eyes to the right.
We undo the movement in reverse order: the eyes return to the left, the head to the right and this and the trunk to the center. We repeat to the other side.
FREE SHOULDERS, NECK AND HEAD
We form with our hands a triangle, which is based on the two thumbs joined by their tips.
We separate the arms at the sides of the body, without lowering them, while with the hands we form a fist (without making force).
At the same time, with our eyes and head we follow the right hand.
Then we repeat to the left.
STRETCH YOUR NECK
We drop our head to the left side.
We hold on for 10 seconds and raise our right arm at an angle of about 30º. We raise the hand out of the body, at an angle of about 90º.
We stay like this for 10 seconds and slowly raise the arm to chest height without turning the wrist, so that the fingers end up looking at the sky.
We return to the starting position and repeat to the other side.
STRENGTHEN THE NAPE OF THE NECK AND NECK
Standing, we cross the fingers of our hands and place them, intertwined, behind the head, with the elbows pointing forward. Try to bring your hands to your head and not the other way around!
We try to push with our head back while our arms prevent it.
The exercise can also be done with the hands above the ears or intertwined on the forehead, but always opposing the thrust of the head.
OPEN BACK, NECK AND HEAD
Standing, facing forward and with our hands forming a fist on the sides of the head and forearms at a 90-degree angle, we stretch our arms upwards.
With the eyes and the head, we look at the right hand that, like the other, has the fingers extended.
We return to the starting position to repeat the exercise looking at the left hand.
RELATE HEAD, PELVIS AND FEET
Kneeling on the floor, we support the palms of the hands and forearms on both sides of the head, and use them to raise the knees slightly, leaning on them.
From that position, we bring our knees and legs to the left side and close to the ground, but without touching it, and then bring them to the right. The toes do not move.
The legs rotate right and left, almost like a pendulum. Back and head are kept aligned. Tilt about ten times on each side.
ALIGN HEAD AND PELVIS
Similar to the previous exercise, we place the forearms on the floor; But this time we do it with our hands intertwined forming an equilateral triangle, with the weight distributed between arms and feet.
From there we tilt the hips back and up, to stretch the entire back. We hold the position and bring the hip forward again. Repeat the exercise four times.
POSTURE ON THE HEAD
From the previous position, we place the head between the hands and move forward with small steps to place the vertical trunk.
When you can’t get any closer, lift your feet and try to stick your thighs to your abdomen with your legs shrunk.
Once you sit balanced in this position, stretch your legs towards the sky. Take ten deep breaths.
ALIGN YOUR TRUNK WITH RESPECT TO THE HEAD
The neck supports the head and allows it to be turned in all directions. Along with the lumbar, the cervical vertebrae are the most mobile vertebrae, but that virtue is also their weakness.
Unlike the lumbar vertebrae, which have solid bases of support in the pelvis, thorax and abdominal muscles, the cervical vertebrae are attached to the muscles of the neck, which has very sensitive channels, such as the tongue that is set in its center (where the mouth, nose and ear communicate) or the large arteries that irrigate and nourish the head.
As a general rule, it is not advisable to tilt the head towards the nape of the neck compressing the neck to the extreme.
If we want to look up, we will slightly tilt the trunk backwards, with the abdominals contracted towards the back. In this way, both the front and back are stretched forming an arc. To look at the sky or the clouds we will use the whole body and not only the cervical.
If we spend a lot of time sitting and our neck hurts, the cause may be a misalignment of the trunk with respect to the head.
An exercise to avoid this is to stretch on the floor face down, taking the left foot with the left hand, trying to get the groin to touch the ground and without making force with the back (only with the arm). Then you change your foot and hand; and finally, the exercise is performed with both feet.
Next, we sit and relax the head and trunk by tilting them forward, as if rolling them down, and then return to the sitting position aligning vertically with the ischia.
To dispel it, place the left hand on the forehead and the right hand taking the lower jaw. We slowly move the latter with the right hand: down, up, right and left or in a circle, while the forehead remains immobilized with the left hand.
IMPROVING THE HEAD FROM THE BODY
Brain activity, like life itself, is never still: it moves forward or backward. Therefore, either we use it or our abilities will be diminished.
The body is reflected in the brain and the more we use the first the better the connections between the circuits of the second.
But there are two impediments to this: sedentary lifestyle and excessive specialization, which blocks the ability to perform many movements to the detriment of one.
According to the capacities they stimulate, actions to combat physical and mental sedentary lifestyle allow you to win:
Concentration and perception. How to sew, play a musical instrument, DIY, practice chikung or yoga, juggle, meditate… Or any daily action to which we add small changes: for example, brushing our teeth or operating the computer mouse with the left hand if we always did it with the right.
Capacity for action and reaction. They work on strength, endurance and elasticity: running, jumping, cycling, rowing, skiing, skating, surfing, aerobics or ballet, lifting weights, stretching… All this cleans the organs and facilitates the blood supply of the head, eliminating its pain, muscle blockages in the back, shoulders and neck.
To unlock ourselves physically and mentally we possess conscious bodily techniques that go from thought to body and those that take the opposite path. Among the first, the Alexander technique or the cos-art method stand out; and among the latter, yoga, the Feldenkrais method and Body-Mind Centering.
If we want to improve the oldest network of circuits in the brain, it is best to return to the primary movements we know.
This is what the therapeutic technique Body-Mind Centering teaches, which recovers the movements from the exit of the mother’s womb to standing up, renews them and opens new connections in the brain.
AN EXERCISE FROM THOUGHT:
Sitting in a chair with a straight back, we feel the center of the head, where the fontanel is, and the center of the neck, where the tongue is inserted.
Between these two points we throw an imaginary line that, on the one hand, passes through the center of the pelvis and goes between the feet to the center of the Earth and, on the other, projects towards the sky.
We get up from the chair and try to make the line move with us, perceiving the environment or performing everyday tasks.
AN EXERCISE FROM THE BODY:
We lie on the ground, with our legs bent and the soles of our feet on the ground.
We drop the legs, feet and hips to the right and pick them up, about ten times, feeling the movement of the back and observing at the end how the relationship of the back with the ground has changed (does it support better?).
Then we make the same movement by adding the head, which we try to roll like a ball to the right, next to the hips, legs and feet.
When we have repeated it ten times, we feel the points of contact of the back with the ground and the differences between one side of the body and the other.
A sedentary lifestyle or the type of clothing chosen can generate or aggravate circulatory difficulties. To prevent disorders, movement is essential.
The arrival of heat is noticeable in the legs: swelling of feet and ankles, heaviness, tiredness, stiffness and even night cramps are symptoms that appear more frequently in the hot months, although they are not exclusive to these.
Poor circulation disorders in the legs are aggravated, in addition, if you maintain the same posture for a long time, either sitting or standing. Without movement, blood flow tends to stagnate.
Hence, to facilitate venous return it is essential to get used to, from time to time, moving your toes, rotating your ankles, flexing and stretching your legs … In short, to perform any movement that implies a change of posture.
HOW TO PREVENT CIRCULATION PROBLEMS
Some simple stretches relieve the feeling of heaviness and swelling. It is also necessary to:
Avoid oppressing garments
Opt for loose-fitting clothing and comfortable shoes
Trying not to sit by crossing your legs, which hinders circulation
Drink plenty of fluids, such as water or juices
Minimize the consumption of coffee and alcoholic beverages
Exercise regularly.
STRETCHES TO REACTIVATE LEG CIRCULATION
A good option is stretching: they help blood circulate better through muscle fibers and activate microcirculation.
They can be done after sitting for several hours, if you have been driving for a long time, or after a plane trip; and, in general, if one feels stiff, tired or with swollen ankles and feet.
One of the most effective exercises to relax and tone the legs is to lie on the floor, with your arms at your sides, and raise your legs to form a 90º angle.
The feet are flexed, directing the tips of the toes downwards. You have to concentrate the energy in the abdominal area and, with the back relaxed, breathe normally. The posture is maintained as much as possible.
STRETCHING TO RELIEVE HEAVY LEGS
Standing, with your feet together, bend your right leg backwards holding your foot with your right hand and keeping your knees next to each other at all times. Fix your gaze on a distant point to keep your balance.
Perform between 5 and 10 breaths maintaining the posture, trying to bring the foot raised towards the buttock when you exhale, so that the quadriceps is stretched.
Return to the starting position to perform the exercise with the other leg.
To prevent stiffness and pain that can affect the back, rollers, shoulders or ankles, it is advisable to perform non-repetitive exercises, which strengthen the muscles and favor balance and harmony in body posture.
More and more people are suffering from joint problems, such as osteoarthritis or arthritis. Part of the responsibility is both the lack of exercise and the practice of high-intensity sports that overload the joints or are based on the repetition of certain movements, such as jumping and running. Of course, the activity is always positive, but it is advisable to protect the joints with specific exercises.
EXERCISES TO PREVENT PAIN AND OSTEOARTHRITIS
Joint pain (mainly in the back, rollers, shoulders and ankles) can limit movement and even hinder daily activities such as walking, bending or climbing stairs. The problem is that joint pain does not warn and manifests itself when there is already an injury or a rheumatic disorder. That is why it is important to be alert to the first symptoms (punctures, stiffness, inflammation …) to prevent them from leading to chronic diseases.
The good news is that osteoarthritis and other problems can be prevented, just start as soon as possible to take care of the joints through gentle exercise routines such as yoga, which favors mobility, flexibility and helps keep the musculoskeletal system in good general condition at any age.
The execution of the postures and practicing conscious breathing on a regular basis (twice a week, at least) are the best allies to avoid this type of ailment, as well as to protect the bones in general, since it strengthens the whole body and corrects the posture. In addition, it calms the mind and improves mood, which favors a better quality of life.
PROMOTES YOUR JOINT HEALTH
Other factors that affect joint health are genetics and age, but again the key is to lead a healthy life. If you want to have healthy joints, integrate exercise and yoga into your life and consider the following goals:
• Maintain an optimal weight, since the joints do not support too heavy loads permanently.
• Eat in a balanced way, with products rich in vitamin C to stimulate the production of collagen, without industrial sugars and reducing the intake of foods with high concentration of purines, since they generate uric acid (red meat, seafood, etc.)
• Drink plenty of water to keep joints lubricated and facilitate mobility.
• Take care of postural hygiene: sitting correctly, bending your knees when lifting weight and avoiding repetitive movements on a joint, are small gestures with great benefits.
Practice the sequence that I propose and you will notice how your joint health improves, your discomfort is relieved and your agility increases.
EXERCISES TO PREVENT JOINT PAIN
STRONGER KNEES
The posture of the goddess strengthens the legs, tones the abdomen and makes the spine more flexible.
Inhale and spread your legs apart by directing your toes outward.
Exhale and lower your hips to the floor, bending your knees and keeping your spine upright.
Place your hands on your thighs and take two breaths connecting with the strength of your legs.
Turn the trunk to the right in one inhalation and look over your right shoulder. Feel how the torsion frees your vertebrae.
Hold the pose for five breaths and return to the center in one exhale. Repeat to the other side.
WAKE UP YOUR SPINE
With this exercise you will give mobility to your spine and release tensions.
Stand in front of the mat with your feet open across your hips.
Inhale by raising your arms above your head and lengthening your spine.
Exhale and bring your hands to your thighs. Bend your knees slightly, direct your chin towards your chest and bring your gaze to your feet.
Breathe dynamically: inhale by sticking your navel in and rounding your back; Exhale by expanding the chest and performing an anteversion movement of the pelvis.
Take about six full breaths, rest, and repeat the exercise.
ACTIVATE YOUR SHOULDERS
With this posture you will mobilize your shoulders and release emotions.
Sit on your heels with your back straight and your spine elongated and aligned.
Inhale, open your arms and interlace your fingers behind your back. Expand your chest upwards.
Exhale, feel your shoulder blades come together, and try to raise your fists.
Hold the pose for six breaths and undo it as you exhale. Stay still until the tension in your upper back eases.
UNDO TENSIONS
This posture favors the mobility and flexibility of the hip and offers a great relaxing effect.
Lie on your back with your legs straight and your arms at your sides.
Bring the soles of your feet together, move your knees as far away as you can, and bring your heels closer to your pelvis.
Close your eyes, internalize the opening, release tensions and maintain the posture as long as you need.
Undo the pose gently by bringing your knees together and hugging them to your chest for a few breaths.
GAIN MOBILITY
If you can’t fully stretch your leg, keep it flexed or help yourself with a belt.
Lie on your back with your legs straight out and your arms next to your trunk.
Bring back one leg keeping it straight. The other may be flexed or stretched.
Breathe a couple of times and take the thumb of your right foot with your hand on the same side.
Keep your shoulders relaxed and your head on the floor. Breathe 6-8 times and repeat by switching sides.
FLEXIBILIZES THE HIP
At first it may be difficult, but little by little you will notice how the hip gains mobility.
Sit on the mat with your legs straight out and your spine upright.
Surround the right tibia with both arms and place the sole of the foot on the left forearm. Try to keep your foot and knee at the same height. The other leg may remain stretched or flexed.
Inhale and bring the tibia to your chest as much as you can.
Take about five or six breaths by keeping your spine upright and your tibia next to your chest.
Undo the pose while exhaling and repeat with the other leg.
The human body possesses a natural gift for balance, harmony and fluidity of movement. Potency it and you will see how your relationship with your body changes!
We are a miracle in motion. Sometimes we look in distant countries, in times to come or past, the wonders that help us cope with everyday problems, but the miracle happens in the closest place, right now, in our body.
Forty-five liters of water, two hundred and eleven bones, a hundred organs, four hundred and fifty pairs of muscles, more than eight hundred kinds of tissues, approximately one hundred thousand genes, which cover, in adulthood, 4.5 square meters of skin, sixty billion cells in total, agree to produce the three million substances that exist in the universe of the body, to move and move us.
Allowing us to think, listen, feel, look, like, crawl, walk, run, talk, read, live or be who we are. Our body organizes itself admirably, it learns diligently to adapt to the most difficult adventures that life brings us. He has an innate intelligence that we can help.
BODY AWARENESS: THE ART OF BEING CONSCIOUS WITHOUT JUDGING
Feeling the body and its vital optimism, giving it support and taking care of it allows the cells to do their job efficiently, helps their intelligence and to see life from the most positive side. But how did we get to that goal?
When we are children, we realize if someone loves us or not, even if we do not know why: we are not aware of it.
As adults, we know that we are climbing a ladder instead of walking down a street, we notice the steps, even if we do not know how many rungs the ladder has; To know it and be aware of them we should count them.
Awareness is a form of awareness that looks, observes, contrasts, is surprised, non-judgmental and allows us to be aware while we are moving. Look within, but also see the changes in the environment.
According to Moshe Feldenkrais, it is the most positive way to reach the body, because by the mere fact of realizing we perceive obsolete body habits, which do not respond to our current needs, and we can adapt and adapt better to the changing environment.
With this type of awareness, bodily intelligence grows and offers us a fuller life.
QUESTIONS TO IMPROVE BODY SELF-PERCEPTION
We will begin by perceiving the body in everyday life. For example, when we are in line at the supermarket or waiting for the train, we can try to bring attention from the contact of the feet with the ground:
How do the soles of the feet touch the ground? Do they lean more on the ankle or tip, on the inside or outside? Is the support different in each of them?
Is the body weight equally distributed in both feet?
Are your knees straight, tense, or slightly bent?
Do we have the hip tilted to one side, forward or backward?
Is the spine stretched? Does it tend forward or curve backward?
Do we have relaxed or tense shoulders? Are they up towards the neck?
What area of the body would we like to feel more relaxed?
Where does the breath go: to the chest, belly, or back?
Has our mood changed since we observed the body?
Where do we look when we do this exercise? What happens if we change the position of the eyes?
If we specify and refine this perception, we will observe three fundamental principles of bodily intelligence:
The body is an organism and, as such, organizes the mind, mood, feelings, sensations, thoughts and the relationship with the Earth: weight.
It is always in the process of adaptation, to the environment, to new feelings, perceptions or to the flow of the mind.
If we listen to the body it changes, and so does the relationship with it and with the environment, in an endless give and take.
We learned a language among the thousands spoken on the planet. The mouth and throat adapted to that first language, so it costs more to have a good accent with another.
The body shows its intelligence with a series of habits learned to adapt to the environment.
Let’s look at everyday movements:
With what foot do we begin to climb the stairs?
On which side do we chew food?
Where do we look when we walk, to the ground, to the sky, ahead?
Can we walk without difficulty for an hour?
Do we know how to whistle? Jump rope?
Do we like to read lying down or sitting?
Do we know how to move our ears without touching them? What about the scalp?…
From there, we can make small changes, learn new moves and choose the ones that cost less effort.
Next, we let the nervous system send the perceptions to the brain and the brain orders them. Then we enjoyed the movement and didn’t think about it anymore.
We can’t always control the body and it’s better that way. Awareness has a limit.
It is preferable to dedicate some time to the body and another to enjoy it; Otherwise, we will end up being aware of our walk instead of walking. Let yourself be surprised by the intelligence of the body.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GAZE
When we drive and someone alerts us to a landscape that is on our right side, without realizing it, we turn the steering wheel a little to that side. It is important to know what we want to do, how and the direction of the gaze to be able to do it.
The sight coordinates the movements of the body and in turn is linked to the movements of the neck muscles.
We can experience it with this exercise that allows us to expand the spectrum of movements: We turn the head to the right or left and the eyes in the opposite direction, then we turn it again but looking towards the same direction where we turn. We will move our heads more and better.
Realizing where we look channels and lengthens our movements.
THE RIGHT RELAXATION
Absolute relaxation, like absolute silence, does not exist.
If we relaxed the jaw completely, we would always go with our mouths open. The head, not being centered with the gravitational line, would hang forward if we did not have the proper tension in the neck. Nor could we breathe because we need the muscular tension of the rib cage and diaphragm.
Relaxing consists of applying the right tension for each thing, not more, and having the ability to put tension or decrease it when required.
The tension is minimized when we are lying down. The best way to regulate it is to feel the body, its contact with the ground and perceive how it is placed, from head to toe. Finally, listen to the breath and visualize it in the lungs, especially in the back, under the armpits and under the collarbones.
LEARNING FROM THE BODY
If we try to introduce changes in the body after observing ourselves, we will get multiple answers and solutions that allow us to choose those that adapt more fluidly and intelligently to the environment at that moment.
The changes must be small and their realization as slow as possible to be able to realize the number of elements involved in a movement.
Let’s pass the weight from one foot to the other, or to the tips and heels, or stand on tiptoe, or leave the body on one foot and notice how the rest of the body parts that are chained with the feet change until they reach the head. We modify them if necessary.
Let’s pay attention to the breath. Let’s involve the environment: if it is sunny or cloudy, if it is in the morning or at dusk, the smell of the air, the taste of the mouth.
We will discover that both the body and the thought, emotions and perception itself have been accommodated to a new situation.
Finally, let’s observe how the body organizes itself and shows us the way to make moving easier.
The easier the movement, the more graceful and light we will feel, the better the contact with the body, the signals it sends us and the increase in possibilities to tune into the environment.
HOW TO FREE YOURSELF FROM OUTDATED HABITS
The habits of movement established in the body are difficult to perceive on our own. If help is not sought, the most common thing is to persevere in the error.
Body or therapeutic techniques, which start from conscious gymnastics, unlock habits that otherwise persist in daily work and do not allow breathing to release the diaphragm.
Among the techniques developed in the West I want to highlight Reichian therapy, bioenergetics, Middendorf breathing therapy, the Feldenkrais method, the Alexander technique, eutony, bodymind centering and the cos-art method that comes from the Aberasturi method.
Movement alone helps body intelligence improve. Exercises that require strength activate the cardiovascular system or tone us. Running, jumping, playing tennis, or swimming help maintain and apply the flexibility, tone, and strength required at any given time.
But the most intelligent movement is the one that requires perception and concentration, first, and then imagination to provide the body with images that are located in the pelvis to begin with, and encourage us to enter another way of perceiving and perceiving ourselves.
They are meditation and meditative arts: yoga, chikung, tai chi, aikido… Through these millenary techniques we remember our union with light, with the present. When you enter the door of the now you enter an unknown place where, as the poet said, nothing is known but all science transcends.
TO KNOW MORE:
Self-awareness by movement; Moshe Feldenkrais. Ed. Paidós
Rolfing; Ida Rolf. Ed. Uranus
EXERCISES THAT STIMULATE BODY INTELLIGENCE
RELEASE THE DORSAL AREA
Standing, grasp each shoulder with the opposite hand.
Pulling down the shoulders, without separating the hands and accompanying them with the upper part of the trunk, initiates a movement in which the elbows point towards the feet and then follow the direction of the ceiling.
When the elbows go down, look at the floor and when they go up, look at the ceiling. Rest.
UNLOCK NECK AND SHOULDER BLADES
Stretch your right arm up in contact with your ear and the side of your head. Try rubbing like this, up and down, about ten times gently on the side of the head. To do this you must move the shoulder and shoulder blades.
Relax your arm and compare how your right shoulder and shoulder blade have changed from your left.
Switch sides.
BROADENING THE MOVEMENT
Standing, without moving your feet, turn right and left to look behind you.
Then perform the same movement but without turning the hip; He continues the backward turns without moving his chest, then without turning his head, and finally looks back with only his eyes.
If you make the first turn again, you will notice that it is easier and that you turn more.
HARMONY WHEN WALKING
Looking forward, take a step with your left foot, placing the weight of the body between the two feet.
With your palms up or down, extend your right arm forward to shoulder height and bend your left until your hand is at chest height; Stretch it toward your right arm. Look to the left.
Invert legs and arms.
Continue step by step alternating arms until you gradually reach walking.
UNBLOCK YOUR BACK
Lie on your back, with the soles of your feet on the floor and your knees bent.
Drop your legs and hips to the right side and raise them again about ten times.
For a minute observe the relationship of the back to the ground.
Then drop your legs and hips to the right, but next to your head, another ten times.
Return to the starting position and feel the change that has occurred in your back.
Switch sides.
RELEASE THE RIB CAGE
Start as in the previous exercise, but this time, dropping your legs and hips to the left about ten times.
Feel the back and its relationship with the ground (does it lean better somewhere?).
In the second phase do not let your head roll to the left, along with the hips and legs but to the opposite side: to the right.
Finally, drop legs and hips to the left, the head rolls to the right and with the right hand try to get as close as possible to the heel of the right foot, about ten times.
Perform the exercise on the other side.
MAKE THE SPINE MORE FLEXIBLE
Stretch on the right side, with a cushion under your head. The thighs form a right angle to the body and calves. Arms outstretched, with the left palm on the right.
Slide your left hand over your right five times, without bending your arm. Then slide it to the inside of the right elbow, and again exceed the palm.
Prolongs the movement through the chest; Slide your hand to the inside of your left shoulder and return. The movement is fluid, slow and continuous.
Rest on your back and feel the changes. Do it on the other side.
STRETCH ARM AND SHOULDER
Lie on your back, with the soles of your feet on the floor and your knees bent.
Drop your hip, leg, and head weight to the left side, and place your left hand and arm at or above shoulder height.
When you drop your legs, hips and head to the right, let your left arm, stretched out, follow the movement.
Then, as if someone were pulling on the fingers of your left hand, place your body on your back and return to the starting position.
After doing it about ten times, rest, perceive the body from head to toe and repeat the exercise to the other side.
SIX KEYS TO WORKING ON THE DISCOVERY OF ONE’S OWN BODY FROM MOVEMENT
The body is slightly asymmetrical, so the movements are and are perceived differently on each side.
Accompany, observe and learn from the body, do not try to change it. It is important to know how it is and is, not how we would like it to be.
Slowly start the movement; You’ll find out where it starts, what parts of the body are involved, and the changes that occur.
Start with small movements. The larger, the more elements participate and the more difficult it is to distinguish them.
Breathing is a movement, such as swallowing, blinking, producing saliva, secreting gastric juices, or thinking. The static is alien to the body.
The easiest, most generous and intelligent movement is the one that requires the least effort.
The human body needs regular physical activity to stay healthy but integrating it into daily life is not always easy. We propose several strategies.
The human body is made up of two-thirds water and this is regulated, directly or indirectly, through the impulse of the heart. Exercising, gaining physical depth, along with a tempered mood and a change towards healthier eating habits, allows you to strengthen the heart and enjoy a long and quiet life. However, what exercises work for your heart?
WHAT TYPE OF EXERCISE PROTECTS THE HEART?
To maintain health, it is advisable to burn through the movement of approximately 500 to 950 calories a day.
Many of them go with daily activities, but it is not enough: it is necessary to perform a sports activity that accelerates the pulse from 60 to 90% of its capacity, two to four times a week for half an hour.
The minimum and maximum intensity needed by the heart is calculated according to the following formula: the figure 220 is subtracted from the age of the practitioner; if the resulting amount is multiplied by 0.6, the minimum heartbeat frequency is obtained; If multiplied by 0.9 you get the maximum.
Activity that speeds up the heartbeat, uses the large muscles of the body, stays continuous and is rhythmic in nature is called aerobic. It is the type of exercise that forces the heart and lungs to work harder than the rest of the organs. It is governed by the idea “get up and move!”
It is so essential to improve the quality of life that since the 80s the way of practicing it has been greatly diversified. There have never been so many aerobic activities to choose from.
But what predominates at the moment is fusion: yoga with aerobics, bicycle with music (spinning), aerobics mixtures with all kinds of ballroom dancing (salsa, batuka …) or martial arts (karate, capoeira, aikido, kickboxing …).
So, in the same sports center, club or gym you can find up to thirty different classes based on the basic techniques of aerobics, running, swimming, etc.
The diversity of the offer is explained not only by the cult of the body but also by the need to prevent diseases, especially coronary and vascular.
HOW MUCH EXERCISE SHOULD BE DONE TO TAKE CARE OF THE HEART?
The American Heart Association explains that the ideal is to perform 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day, even if it is adding brief activities of 10 minutes each. It is worth everything, from climbing stairs to cleaning the house or accelerating the pace, as long as it requires a cardiac and respiratory effort, and can make you sweat, it will be good because the body will have been activated.
In case of being overweight, cardiovascular problems or a chronic disease, it is necessary to consult with the doctor about which is the most appropriate exercise. Also, do not forget to wear comfortable clothes and appropriate footwear, and do not exercise right after eating, if it is very hot or if you feel without strength.
WHY EXERCISE IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR HEART
Our throbbing organ, weighing just one kilo, beats and flows between four and five liters of blood per minute at rest. This boosts the transport of blood, feeding the cells of the body, giving them energy.
Over the years this system needs more effort to perform the same functions, it becomes slow if it is not placed periodically in a dramatic situation, in which the whole body is heated from light, fast and continuous movements to accelerate its processes, renew and, at the end, return to placidity, serenity and fluid and generous exchange.
From the middle of the twentieth century began to know the goodness and weaknesses of the heart.
The importance of putting the cardiovascular system in extreme situations regularly to optimize its functioning through exercise was discovered.
Here are the effects of exercise on your heart and health:
Strengthen your muscles, including your heart. And a trained heart can pump more blood to the body with each beat, work more efficiently, and improve blood circulation.
It’s important for your smaller vessels, because they’re better supplied with blood when you move and oxygen uptake increases in all regions of your body. Blood vessel damage can even recede through regular physical activity!
Enough exercise protects you from diseases like diabetes and obesity. Your body will use more energy, as it stimulates your metabolism of fats and sugar. So regular exercise at moderate intensity can help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Keeping your neck vertebrae in shape is the best way to protect yourself from the headaches caused by tension.
The nape of the neck supports not only much of the weight of the head but also much of the nervous tension experienced by the body: unconsciously the first thing we do when we feel pressured or overwhelmed is to lift our shoulders, which puts all the cervical muscles in tension.
The continuous work in front of a computer also increases the tension in this area, since the muscles of the eyeballs move coordinated with those of the upper part of the cervical. It is important to be aware of that tension that accumulates in order to stop it.
WHY THE NECK HURTS
We spend much of the day sitting in front of a screen with our eyes focused for hours. This leads us to generate imbalances throughout our body, but specifically in the neck and neck, which are very resentful. Chronic pain in this area is a common cause of discomfort and even sick leave.
The neck is connected to the entire body, so when trying to find and address the cause of neck pain, we shouldn’t just focus on this area. Often, that discomfort is the result of focusing too intensely on a single task, in this case, for example, staring at a computer screen without moving anything but your eyes, without a break.
What is the relationship between the neck, skull and eyes? In the upper back of the neck, there are the suboccipital muscles. These muscles, inserted into the occipital bone at the base of the skull, respond to eye movements. However, its functions go further and intervene even in the coordination of the rest of the dorsal musculature.
In cats it looks great. Why do they fall on their feet? When in the air, they use their eyes and inner ear to orient their head horizontally. This exerts certain stresses on your suboccipital muscles that the brain picks up through the stretch receptors and, reflexively, instructs the rest of the spine muscles to organize the spine from the neck and the legs are placed below before touching the ground.
We operate in a similar way. The use of our eyes and neck will determine the usual tone of the rest of the dorsal muscles and, consequently, of the entire spine.
HOW TO PREVENT NECK PAIN
Moving the neck while in front of the computer will improve balance, coordination and mobility when standing and walking. If the first cervical are blocked, the vestibular balance system cannot function well, because the semicircular canals of the ear are related to the eye.
INSTANT EXERCISE TO RELAX THE CERVICAL AREA
Whenever you notice that the head wants to hide between the shoulders, you can start by dropping it to resume its natural position, stretching the neck:
Sit cross-legged and your back straight.
Breathe in and stretch your arms above your head until you join your palms. Try to keep your shoulders down and your abdomen firm to protect your lower back.
When exhaling, gradually drop the head forward, without forcing, bringing the chin to the chest. Notice how the nape of the neck is stretched.
Take a few deep breaths and return to the starting position by undoing the steps.
If the tension is still excessive, different exercises and stretches can be practiced.
Isometric exercises, i.e., those that do not involve movement, are especially useful. Only the hands are placed where appropriate and pressed for about ten seconds, massaging the muscles of the cervical area.
If the exercise is annoying, you have to stop practicing it.
ROUTINE OF EXERCISES AND POSTURES TO RELAX THE NECK
We present a series of exercises to release eye and cervical tension, as well as to strengthen the deep muscles of this area and improve general mobility. In addition, by understanding the relationship between the eyes and the neck we will give importance to active breaks during work and at the end of the day.
Working in front of the computer pushes us to lose consciousness of our body. Bringing awareness to the neck is key to maintaining a comfortable and healthy posture, even to move and feel the rest of the body.
1. UNDO “KNOTS”
Get used to performing these exercises on a regular basis: they loosen the cervical area and stretch the muscles.
Stretch on the floor with your legs bent.
Place a tennis ball behind your neck.
Roll it up and down for 5 minutes.
2. RELAX YOUR NECK
Raise your arm and rest your hand near the opposite ear.
Tilt your head to the side of the raised arm, looking at the armpit and pushing gently with your hand, without bouncing.
Repeat 5 times on each side.
3. RELIEVES STIFFNESS
Rest a towel on the base of the skull and hold it by the ends.
Tilt your head back a little and offer resistance by stretching the towel.
Return to the starting position.
4. WEIGHT FOR STRAIGHTENING
Standing or sitting, place a soft weight on the head; If you don’t have one, you can use a small sack of rice or chickpeas.
Start with 1 kg and gradually increase the weight.
It is not about moving anything, but about feeling in this position your feet well supported and the flow of your breath throughout the spine. You will activate the bra straightening, but do not try to straighten yourself, do not force it, simply imagine that you grow from within. That will make you straighten up naturally.
Hold the position for at least two minutes. You can also turn your head to look to your right and left, very slowly.
5. STRETCH YOUR ARM WELL
Standing, observe your breathing first and feel your feet well supported on the floor.
Begin to slowly stretch your right arm. When you feel that you can no longer stretch it, without forcing, open your hand and imagine that you want to gently push something.
Without losing that tension, you flex your neck laterally to the left side. In this way, the entire muscle chain of the arm, hand and neck is stretched.
Hold the position for three breathing cycles and, each time you exhale, stretch a little more. Then do it with the opposite side. You can also switch sides.
6. ISOMETRIC LATERAL
Sit on a stool or chair and place your open right hand over the temporal bone.
It generates a slight resistance, that is, push your hand towards the head, while it makes force in the direction of the hand.
Count five seconds as you focus all your attention on the movements of your breathing.
Repeat five consecutive times and repeat the sequence with the other side. You will be activating the intrinsic muscles of the neck. Keep your breath fluid.
7. STRETCH THE ENTIRE SPINE
In the same chair with your hands clasped behind your neck, drop your head little by little, looking down and helping your hands.
It descends exhaling. Then, taking an inspiration, extend backwards, looking up. Matching movement with breathing is key.
By stretching the spine in this way, it improves the mobility of flexion and extension of the neck.
Then do a flexion and extension exercise. Place both hands on the front bone, so that they are open. The goal is to generate a slight resistance with the head.
Push with your hands towards your head, while trying at the same time to move it forward.
Maintain the position feeling the opposing forces while counting to five and observing the rhythm of your breathing.
Do it five times and repeat, but doing it with the back of the skull. On this occasion, to help you, you can try to do it with your hands intertwined. Don’t block your throat when pushing.
8. REST YOUR MIND
This relaxation exercise is ideal to end the work day or if you feel very tired mentally.
Lie on your back with a rubber ball of 18 cm in diameter semi-inflated, as a pillow.
Put a bag of seeds, 8×8 cm, on your face, between your nose and eyes. With your eyes open and without tension, feel your breath. Then close them gently.
Stay in this position for several minutes without doing anything, simply relaxing your face, eyes, nose and mouth.
TO AVOID STIFFNESS ACTIVATES THE BODY’S MEMORY
If you spend a lot of time in the same position, for example in front of the computer, or if you have accumulated tension throughout the day, it is likely that your cervical vertebrae accuse it. At first you may simply notice them somewhat tight, as if they moved in block.
In the long run, if you do nothing to discharge them, that stiffness can lead to common headaches and loss of range of motion.
To avoid this situation, it is best to get used to doing some exercises several times a day that, accompanied by breathing, to relax the area.
Repeating these exercises increases the “motor memory” of the neck muscles, that is, it reminds you of your optimal state so that you can return to it. It also strengthens the muscles and thus helps correct bad postures that end up wearing the vertebrae prematurely.
Always move your neck wisely, gently. If you have suffered an injury, such as whiplash, put yourself in the hands of a physiotherapist or an expert who will tell you which movements are best for you.
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.
Cycling is a good way to take care of your health. Electric bikes are more sustainable than motor vehicles, but they also pollute.
Cycling, in addition to being fun, is an excellent way to take care of your health. It is a low-impact aerobic exercise that, practiced on a regular basis, can help you be fitter and ward off various diseases, while taking care of the planet.
In recent years, electric bicycles have proliferated, a form of transport that facilitates pedaling and does not depend on fossil fuels. Although compared to other means of transport (such as the car) they reduce the environmental impact, they are not as ecological as traditional bicycles due to the batteries they use.
WHAT ARE ELECTRIC BICYCLES?
Electric bicycles are two-wheeled vehicles that have a built-in electric motor that helps pedal more easily (usually integrated into the rear wheel). They also feature a rechargeable battery, controller, and pedaling sensor, making them a bit heavier than traditional bikes.
The battery can have a range of 20 to 100 kilometers before needing to be recharged (depending on the model) and is usually located in the frame or rear luggage rack of the bike. They are usually removable and charge in about 3 to 6 hours. In some cases, they can be charged while pedaling (known as “energy regeneration”).
The controller manages battery power and provides motor assistance.
The pedaling sensor detects pedaling speed and force to monitor engine assistance.
They also usually have a display on the handlebar that indicates speed, battery charge or other data, depending on the model.
Electric bikes only provide assistance while pedaling and, according to current legislation, the motor is switched off beyond 25 km/h and its power must be less than 250W.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC BICYCLES?
As with traditional bicycles, riding an electric bike has many health benefits. For example:
It strengthens the muscles of the legs, back and abdomen, improves posture and reduces the risk of injury.
Increases flexibility and balance.
Helps maintain a healthy weight.
It improves cardiovascular health and thus reduces the risk of heart disease.
It reduces stress and improves mood.
In addition, unlike traditional bicycles, electric bicycles require less physical effort and help to climb steep terrain more easily, which makes them very suitable as a means of transport for daily use or for long distances and also for people who are not in an optimal state, but want to perform physical activity. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ELECTRIC BICYCLES
There is no doubt that electric bicycles, like traditional ones, are much better for the environment than cars and other motor vehicles. They are cleaner and more ecological, since they do not emit polluting gases and their carbon footprint is much lower. In addition, the more people use them, the more traffic congestion is reduced.
However, its environmental impact is greater compared to traditional bicycles, mainly due to its batteries. Like other electronic devices, electric bicycle batteries are generally lithium-ion (which makes them light and durable) and contain toxic materials such as cobalt, nickel or lithium, which can be harmful to human health and the environment if not properly managed.
To extract or produce these materials, greenhouse gas emissions are generated, something that can also happen during their disposal if they are not recyclable. Also, if batteries are not recycled properly, the toxics they contain can contaminate land and water, which can harm ecosystems and animal life. Therefore, it is important that manufacturers of this type of bicycle follow responsible production and recycling practices to minimize the environmental impact and, if you are going to buy one, you ensure that the manufacturer is committed to the environment.
A report carried out by researchers from the School of Civil Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Madrid determined that electric bicycles emit about 317 kg of CO2 throughout their useful life, a figure 16 times lower than that of a conventional car and 6 times lower than that of a low-displacement motorcycle. They also saw that 60% of this waste is generated in the process of extracting the materials and manufacturing the bicycle.
On the other hand, we must bear in mind that, in the same way that happens with other types of batteries (such as those of mobile phones), with the passage of time they degrade and stop charging well, so they must be changed. However, new batteries are becoming more durable.
