Making Exercise a long term habit
With busy lifestyles and so much to fit in every day, there are always reasons not to exercise. However, once regular exercise becomes part of our daily routine, just like eating breakfast or having a shower, it actually feels strange not to do it, honestly! It only takes about 3 weeks to create a good habit, so with Summer drawing to a close, why not start making your health a priority, with regular exercise being the first step.
If you need a goal, then a simple 5km walk, run or jog would be a great motivator. Its a very manageable distance no matter what your fitness level. With the Partner Re Women’s 5km approaching and numerous other road race and fun runs, there are plenty of goals to work towards. Setting personal exercise goals is a great way to keep you focussed when the motivation levels wane and the weather takes a downturn, but be realistic in what you set as your target – make it challenging but attainable.
If you are new to exercise, or it has just been a while since you have done anything, or even if you are already quite fit,it is important to take some sensible steps to avoid injury and make the whole experience more comfortable and enjoyable.
Broken down into simple steps, this implies paying attention to
- What you wear
- What you eat
- What you drink
- What is the weather like
- What is your body telling you
You will find more information on eating and drinking for exercise in another section on the website.
With regards to what you wear, I cannot stress the importance of choosing the right shoes (see B below) and also wearing light and loose clothes in the heat.
The weather in Bermuda can still be hot and humid at this time of year so check
These are:
A. Always do a thorough warm-up and cool down
A warm-up allows the body to adapt gradually to the demands of exercise by raising the body's temperature, which in turn increases the pliability of the muscles and ligaments', increases the circulation and diverts the blood flow to the where it is required. You should begin a warm-up with a gentle whole body activity. Brisk walking, easy running or marching/jogging on the spot, while also rotating the shoulders and swinging the arms to loosen them up, are good exercises.
Follow the gentle whole body activity with some stretching exercises, but don't force the stretches at this stage. Stretching is more effective after exercise when the body is fully warmed up.
You should also leave a little time for a cool-down at the end of your exercise session. This will almost be the reverse of the warm-up process, during which you are allowing the body temperature to decrease and the circulation to gradually return to normal. This prevents "pooling" or build-up of blood and the waste products of exercise in the muscles. To cool-down properly, you can slow down gradually from whatever activity you were doing and then walk or jog slowly for a few minutes. Follow this with some stretching exercises, concentrating particularly on the muscles you have used. A good cool-down can work wonders for preventing post-exercise aches and stiffness.
B. Choose your shoes and any other necessary equipment carefully
There is no point in buying a pair of tennis shoes if you plan to take up jogging. Don't try to get away with an old pair of shoes that have been gathering dust in the cupboard for years. In most activities the feet take the first impact, and the weight going through your foot during weight bearing exercise can be at least three times your body weight, so look after your feet with shoes that fit well. Also well-cushioned shoes can absorb a lot of the shock from the surface impact and thus protect the knee joints and back. When you go to buy shoes, chose ones appropriate for the activity you do most of and for the correct surface, indoor or outdoor, and ask for advice from the assistant.
If you are exercising outdoors at night, wear reflective clothing or a flashing light
C. Avoid overheating and hypothermia
If exercising in very warm temperatures, which is pretty much accepted at this time of year in Bermuda, remember you still need to do a warm-up and to drink plenty of fluids. A warm-up may seem pointless is you are already warm, but it is just a means of easing your muscles, and heart into the planned exercise. Check the weather for how humid it is going to be and take a bottle of water with you. If you feel like you are getting dehydrated or if you are sweating a lot, stop at a garage for some extra water, so it is always a good idea to put some money in a pocket.
You also need to drink plenty in cold weather because, even though you sweat less, you still lose fluid. Fluid loss is even less obvious in swimming but it is no less important to drink plenty
D. Vary the surface
Try not to do all your activities on the same type of surface. For example, if you jog, vary the surface between grass, roads, tracks and treadmill. This helps to avoid over stress of a particular muscle group, tendon or ligament and also leads to a better all round adaptation.
E. Listen to your body
Don't exercise if you are feeling under the weather or have a heavy cold. This will put undue stress on the body and will also cause you to tire earlier. You are far more likely to sustain an injury when you are fatigued.
So you have taken all the necessary precautions but you still have a niggling pain in your calf/hip. How do you know if you have a sports injury and what should you do?
The majority of minor sports injuries are damage to muscles, ligaments and tendons, as opposed to fractures and broken bones. When muscle fibres are over-stretched or suffer minor tears, a muscle strain results. Tendons join muscle to bone to allow the muscle to move the bones at the joints. A common overuse response is inflamed or torn tendons. For example, the Achilles tendon above the heel can become sore through using the wrong shoes or from exercising too much on the wrong surface. Ligaments join bones together at the joints and can be strained, torn or ruptured. This frequently occurs through sudden movements turns, falls or twists. For example, when you roll over on your ankle or twist the knee outwards in a sudden change of direction, it is usually a ligament that is damaged.
The above types of injuries will be the most common one you are likely to experience as a regular recreational exerciser. They frequently begin with a niggling or dull pain in a specific area. This is not to be confused with the normal muscle ache felt after a new activity or exercise, which lasts about 4 days. If this last for longer than a week, it may be more serious. Strained muscles and ligaments frequently result in local swelling and redness and a warm feeling in the area. Some of these types of injuries will go away themselves after a few weeks, if you just decrease the amount of activity you are doing, or change to an alternative activity that does not stress the area, or if you change your shoes. In other cases you will need to stop exercising and treat the injury appropriately.
For any muscle or ligament strain or pull there are a few simple self-treatment steps you should always follow:
R I C E
Rest – takes the weight off the injured area and helps aid recovery
Ice – to reduce swelling and pain
Compression – using a tubigrip or broad strapping to reduce swelling and potentially reduce the affect of an injury. Remove any strapping every 4/5 hours and when sleeping.
Elevation – raise the injured limb to encourage blood flow away from the area and reduce swelling.
In a lot of cases, by taking these steps and being sensible about returning to activity, allowing a gradual build up to your previous level, you will be able to avoid a potentially more serious injury that needs specific treatment. However, if the pain does not disappear or becomes worse you will need to seek appropriate treatment.
Race Directors: Alison Harvey: 504-6119, or Kathy Fulcher: 504-5505, or Lesley Caslin: 599-4867,