Exercise is critical for good health. It helps protect you from serious diseases such as obesity, heart disease, some cancers, mental illness, diabetes and arthritis, helps you sleep better, fight infections and improves your mood, memory and learning.

These easy-to-follow tips will help you get maximum benefit from your workout, regardless of what it may be.

    • Get the most from your daily 30-minute walk. Use a heel-to-toe motion; when moving towards the ball of the foot, make a slight rolling motion inwards for more power and a faster stride. To burn kilojoules as if jogging, walk with a slight swivel in your hips (race-walking wiggle). Walk tall, hold your ribcage up and tummy muscles in and, after a long walk, massage your feet.
    • You need a good level of fitness before playing squash. Ideally, get a coach: improved technique lowers injury risk, improves your game, enjoyment and fitness. To sustain peak-level fitness, play three times a week. Start with a glass of water, a good 10 minute warm-up session with some stretch and tone exercises. Wear something warm after your game; because squash is so strenuous, your body cools down quickly. And drink more water.
    • With every turn of your bike’s wheel, you save petrol, burn kilojoules and build strength – but cycling can be strenuous. Start by cycling three times a week and increase speeds gradually. Wear the right equipment: head gear, kneepads and elbow pads, and have your bike adjusted specifically for you. Position the seat so that when you pedal downward to the lowest point, your leg is almost straight. There should be a small bend in your knee of about 10 to 15 degrees. Wear bright clothing and stay alert; watch for opening car doors, debris in the road and turning vehicles, and cross intersections carefully.
    • To benefit from swimming, you need the right technique. When doing the crawl (freestyle), elongate your stroke (the fewer strokes the better); enter thumb-first, slice the water like a knife, and pull all the way through the water so your hand brushes your thigh using a S-shaped sculling movement. Kick from your hips, not your knees without breaking the water’s surface. Breathe through your mouth every two or three strokes (you need as much oxygen as you can get), rolling your entire body to the side until your mouth and nose come out of the water. Use goggles in a chlorinated pool.
    • If running rings your bell, choosing the right shoe is imperative; shoes should protect, support, cushion, and stabilise your foot when contacting the ground. For the right shoe, moisten the bottom of your bare foot, step on a brown paper bag, trace the outline of your footprint and take it to a sports shop. Girls, choose a sports bra that holds each breast in a separate cup to reduce bounce and increase support. Write down your daily goals and keep a logbook. Use earphones (research showed that if exercisers listened to favourable music, their blood vessels expanded 26%, bringing in a 34% performance boost).

 

Sources

www.dummies.com
www.webmd.com
http://www.mindbodygreen.com
http://www.irunfar.com/2015/05/elite-feet-strong-strides-start-at-the-foot.htm
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/swimming-technique
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

 

Revised by M Collins