Take it easy at
the outset
You
should ideally go in for a check-up before you start
exercising, as it is a basic safety precaution.
Sometimes, borderline cases of people suffering from
ailments like high blood pressure, diabetes etc. do not
know about their ailment, says Anup Deb
Nath
SOME more questions and answers on
keeping fit.
Do I need to exercise?
Exercise, undoubtedly, has
many benefits, but in order to achieve them we must
remember to follow the fitness programme correctly. This
means doing the correct exercise, at the correct time and
pace and sustaining it for the required duration.
Among the questions that
are often asked by first time exercisers are those that
pertain basically to these basic queries.
I am 28 years old and
am planning an exercise programme. I do not suffer from
any ailment, but as I have never exercised before, could
you tell me if I should consult a doctor before starting?
I have been warned about muscle soreness after
exercising. Can I avoid it?
You should, ideally, go in
for check-up before you start exercising, as it is a
basic safety precaution. Sometimes, borderline cases of
people suffering from ailments like high blood pressure,
diabetes etc. do not know about their ailment. The
exercise programme should be geared towards your existing
physical condition. Muscle soreness is often a
side-effect of starting the body on a new regime rather
abruptly. Minor stiffness is common and is to be expected
when you begin but soreness means going overboard and
overdoing it.
As you have not been
exercising earlier you will have to take a few
precautions. Remember to take it easy when you begin and
try to go slow. Try not to be over-ambitious and reach
for the stars. If you plan on a long-term exercise
routine you will tend not to rush. Rushing it will mean
the end of your exercising.
Ideally, you can start by
just walking and then increasing it till you are walking
briskly. Your body will get accustomed to some exercise.
If you want to start directly with your aerobic class or
gym, then just remember to go slow and keep your workout
to the lowest intensity possible for a few days and then
gradually increase the intensity.
Also, be careful that your
exercise routine begins with a warm-up and some stretches
and ends with a cool-down and stretches. There are many
people who skip both or one of these parts thinking them
to be redundant.
The warm-up and cool down
are both very important parts of the workout as the
warm-up prepares the body for the exercise that is to
follow while the cool down helps the body go back to its
normal resting position slowly. Stretches help in
limbering up the muscles and increasing flexibility and
are a great way to reduce any muscles injury. Remember,
though, to hold your stretch for as long as you can.
Is exercising risky for
older people?
Any healthy person can
exercise no matter what their age. In fact older people
need the exercise as much if not more as with age come
the problems of arthritis, stiffening of joints, poor
circulation, obesity and heart problems. Exercise may not
take away these problems. It can certainly help in
pushing them away or reducing chances of their onset.
Exercise is a must; the difference will be in the type of
exercise that the older people should and can do.
If you are healthy and
have been regular with your exercise you can continue
with it. There are many people, who may be over 50 but
they go to a gym, use the treadmill, or the cycle or they
train with weights. If you have been exercising right
through it is easy to keep it up and unless you develop
any health problem or your doctor recommends it, you need
not stop.
For those who have never
been exercising but keep good health, a walk, yoga or
simple callisthenics exercises will also suffice. If you
have a health problem then you need your doctors
guidance to work out the type of exercise best suited to
your condition.
Are there any benefits
of exercise?
The most obvious and
popular benefit of exercise is its ability to help you
reduce weight. Exercise helps you burn calories which are
stored as fat by the body. With regular exercise your
bodys metabolic rate increases. Exercise also helps
in improving your bodys cardiovascular functioning,
boosts blood circulation, and helps you keep many
ailments at bay.
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