Isometric Exercises For Connecting Your Core

http://goodhealthfront.blogspot.com/Traditional aerobic and anaerobic exercises will keep you fitter, stronger and healthier.

It builds muscle, keep joint and bone supple and strong.

The same thing can be said of sporting activities and games like football, tennis, badminton, running and swimming.

Core Of The Body

In all these physical exercises, one thing saliently left out is the core of the body. Do you know the core of your body? Your core is the major and minor internal muscles that are hidden deep in the external musculature or the external body that is devoid of any clothing.

You can easily see or felt the biceps and triceps, since these are part of the external musculature, but you cannot see the pelvic floor. 

They are more than 15 of these muscles including the diaphragm, the pelvic floor and the transverse abdominal muscles. Many of us have learnt a thing or two about these three muscles in our biology or health science class. These three form part of the major core. The lower back and the hip form part of the minor core. Generally, the core supports the anatomic and posture of the body. Without it, I think you are a picked vegetable.

In an exercise such as isometrics, all the major and minor internal muscle is committed together, in a functional manner to form the core of the body. Let’s say you bent to lose your shoe and carry it up to be put on the clothing cupboard. Every one of these 15 muscles is involved in the movement and not a single isolation. Your core is a complex mechanism.

Isometric Exercises

They is an exercise that you can do anywhere at any time of the day or night. This exercise is that which connects your core.

It is called isometrics exercise.

The prefix “iso” means equal or same. Metrics comes from “metro” which means distance or length. Hence, isometric is equal length or distance.

The heart of all isometric exercises is strength building or strength training. Your muscle is conditioned to build strength. 

You do not have to lift any heavy weight to build strength though that may help. Barbells and dumbbells are not even necessary but are vital tools for building powerful muscles and strength.

But isometric exercises, simply tricks you to tense or challenge the muscles of the various parts of your body to a certain extent until their revolt or felt a little useful pain!

Isometrics help you take a break from weight lifting, barbells and dumbbells and all the crunches necessary for building strong muscles and strength or that body builders uses.

It would not cost you a penny to do isometrics. The basic tool you have to use is any resistance or immoveable object and is 100% free.

What then is this tool? It is any hard and immovable surface like the floor, wall or ground.

You do not need rocket science class in doing isometrics or if you need one, it is for you to know how to tense the muscles of the leg, arm, hip, shoulder and so on hard against a hard surface. Is it had to place the palms of your two hands in a prayer posture and press them together for 10 seconds while breathing in and out? It can be the floor or ground, or wall of your office, or a tree in your garden anywhere. 

Isometric exercises can be done anywhere and you can get good results when done properly. 

You can see results in two weeks time.

Better and excellent results can be got when you do isometrics weekly and regularly.

I usually incorporate all my isometric exercises into my aerobic exercises. After doing all the basic supple or limbering (stretching) workouts, I execute some more as the jumping jack, the frog jump, press up and down; thereafter, I go jogging leisurely for 30 minutes.

At the end, I cool off with few of these basic aerobic exercises; this ensure that my muscle, bone, nerve and ligament are stay supple without any pain at the end of the day, and catapult into isometrics for only 5 to 10 minutes.

Each isometric exercise will take me just a minute. 5 or 8 exercises will take 5 or 8 minutes. 

As a beginner, do only 5 isometric exercises and build it up later to 10 or more.

Here are some health benefits you get by doing isometric exercises regularly every week.

·        You are customized or conditioned to strength training

·        Your muscles develops and become strong

·        You gain muscular strength

·        You become fit for anything any time

·        Your core is connecting to all bodily muscles and nerves including the bone and ligament

·        You gain stronger bones

·        It is an exercise that promote good health front, and can significantly reduce your blood pressure

·        Doing isometric exercises regularly or weekly keeps you fitter into old age

·        Your muscles become useful and very well coordinated

·        You gain balance in avoiding a fall (even in old age)

·        Your muscles can be easily rehabilitated any time.

With all these said, we can get started with only 10 to 15 seconds. In other words, each isometric exercise will take us just a minimum of 10 seconds or a maximum of 15 seconds after resting for between 20 to 30 seconds. Then you repeat the same set for 2 or 3 more time.

Some physical exercise nuts usual make a set for between 3 to 5 minutes. That is good in its self. I would not be surprised if someone will do a set for 10 minutes upfront. That would be superb!

The more you tense your muscles, the more they become accustomed to static strength training, and the more they develop powerfully. 

Static Strength Training

In isometric exercises, muscular actions do not change the length of the muscles nor is there any movement at the joint of the muscle. The length of the muscle whether shorten or elongated remain the same size. As there is no any sign of movement at the muscle or joint, the action is static compare to dynamic in aerobic or anaerobic exercises. For this reason, isometric exercises are sometimes called static strength training.

Breathing And Isometric Exercise

In some exercises, one is required to hold the breath for a few seconds as in anaerobic exercises.

Isometrics required that you breathe continuously. Holding your breath even for 5 seconds can cause your blood pressure to rise when it comes to the resting stage.

You should never do this. 

Always breathe in and out when doing a set. Say you are doing 3 sets or repetitions of wall sitting 10 seconds each, you should breathe in and out throughout the duration of the 10 seconds.

If you suffer from cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure, holding the breath speaks danger. So, you should breathe in and out as long as the action is on. 

In normal contexts, all exercises carry over to 30 minutes raise the blood pressure. Whether you suffer from high blood pressure or not, your blood pressure will be raised. At the end of this story, I will tell you a yoga asana posture that will help bring your blood pressure to the normal level.

Timing Your Sets And Repetitions

Base on the result of classical research, the longer the duration of a set, the fewer the repetition of the set or that specific action. For example, a press up (high plank) is timed for 15 seconds. It can be repeated for 3 times. If it were timed for 1 minute, the repetition would be none or just one repetition.

But if the press up is hold for 2 minutes, no repetition is necessary.  If your set is low timed for 10 seconds, it can be repeated 3 or 4 times for the same 10 seconds. It is this that delivered good health benefits. 

First things First

As in all exercises, do some warming up before attempting any isometric exercises. Your joint, muscle and ligament need to be thoroughly lubricate and supple before you get started.

Failure to do so is asking for some trouble that will send you to the rehabilitation station. Injuries result to joint and muscle and at times the inside of the body speak ill-health that is not warrant for a proper isometric exercise.

Remember all exercises are geared toward health and wellness. Starting to warm up by stretching is an exercise in its own right. This should be done right, that is the warming up or stretching action because it can even result into injury, if it is wrongly done before the exercise proper.

Again, like all good things or as in all exercises, isometrics should be done two or three times in the week.

Limits Of Isometric Exercising

Isometric exercises aim at creating higher tension in the muscle, bone and endocrine system. Hence you are limited in doing isometric exercise if your muscle or bone is injured. 

Rehabilitating the injured muscle or joint is the first thing to do.

If you have a medical condition like high blood pressure or any heart related disease, you are limited to doing the exercise unless you are encourage by your doctor. 

But the good thing about all this is that like all exercises, isometrics can help lower your blood pressure if it is done at a lower degree.

Here are five exercises to begin with.

1.     The High Plank (also called Plank Bridge)

Lie face down on the floor or ground on which you spread a board in case of the ground. Your elbows and forearms should be placed under your chest.

Raise yourself to form a bride by using your toes and forearm like as in doing the press up. Hold this for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 times and rest for 30 seconds. Remember the high plank is similar to the press up, but you do not lower yourself here. The core and back muscles are worked here.

2.     The low plank

Take the same starting point as above. When raising yourself, make it low as in the aerobic press down position but forming a low bridge. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 times and rest for 30 seconds. This will work the abs.

3.     The side Bridge

Lying on your right side, you press up fully with your right arm to form a bridge. Place your left arm on your waist and hold this for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 times and rest for 30 seconds.

Next, turn on your left side and do the same by pressing up with your left arm to form the bridge. This exercise is number 4 here.

4.     The Wall Squat

Stand straight with your back to the wall of your office or living room. Lower your body until your thigh is parallel to the floor and try to squeeze your feet together. This helps the inner thigh muscles to be tense more.

The five exercises will take you between 3 to 5 minutes in all excluding the resting stage.

Yes, here is an exercise that connecting your core.

The wall push, another isometric exercise can take you only a minimum of a minute and your core is properly connected while working your shoulder. 

So if you lack time in doing some leisurely or moderate exercises, you can tune on isometrics any time day or night.

In all these exercises, remember to breathe in and out. If you felt sharp pains at the first count, stop at once and do another.

As in all exercise, it takes time for results to be felt. Regular practice your exercise weekly. Your core will be connecting wellness.

Later, you may be attempting more than this five exercises. And, it can be up to ten or more as you progress. It is certain that your blood pressure will be spike here. Why? Isometrics exert more pressure on the muscles, bones and the endocrine system.

There is an exercise in the yogis system that helps bring the blood pressure to normal level. This is the dead man’s posture. In Sanskrit, it is called yoga Shavasana. It tells you to lie flat on your back with face facing the ceiling or the sky with both hands parallel to the body, fist unclench while you take a breath in and out to relax for a few minutes. The outstretch feet should be 1 feet apart and the hands at 20 degree.

To your good health!

High Plank Isometrics

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Miebakagh57 (Miebakagh Fiberesima) Copyriht 2016.

Physical Activities That Develop And Rejuvenated The Physical Body part 2

http://goodhealthfront.blogspot.com/This is the second part of the story: Physical Activities That Develop And Rejuvenated The Physical Body. Enjoy!

 Jogging or slow leisurely running befits personal health. Jogging is slower than brisk walking. It is a world unique in itself.

Jogging is characteristic by a side by side movement of the foot and at a leisurely pace.

Make it leisurely and moderate and you will benefit more from it than running fast for 10 to 15 minutes.

Welcome to jogging.

Its many and varied benefits surpass other running activities.

One sprint or dash for a laurel in a competitive spirit, and I have not seen or heard joggers enter competition.

I jog regularly two to three times in the week. I jog ¼ of a mile because I have other bodily activities like swimming incorporated into my weekly exercise routine or experience.

It takes me at least 45 minutes because I go briskly and slowly.

On the last Friday and Saturday of the month, I jog at most a mile. This is what I did every last week of the month, so that I made the traditional 2 hours 30 minutes for the week. In other word, I jog two times, 1 mile each time in the last week of each month for 2 hours 30 minutes only.

Longer, slower, stronger and healthier is the benchmark for jogging more than a mile. Your timing should be 2 hours 30 minutes. Medical authority has sanctioned this distance and time limit as very beneficial.

More than this in the week has serious negative side effects. You should be digging your grave with jogging!

You should learn to make jogging into your exercise plan as very healthily.

As an example, I scheduled Mondays for jumping jack, the plank, press ups and downs and push and pull, etc. These are exercise that I and you can do in the living room.

Now, I incorporate these as warming ups before I begin jogging on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and or Saturdays.

These exercises like the jumping jack, the frog jump and the plank have beneficial effect on the knee and hip bones. Let me illustrate it here. At 48 years, I realize I was unable to wear my pant, boxer, shorts and trouser by standing up. I can only wear these cloths sitting on the bed or low chair.

Looking back, I see my dad and others middle age men doing the same thing. This is a disease of the joints and hip muscles or bone.

It is then that I begin doing serious physical activity again on my person. In two weeks time, I realize I can normally wear my pants, and so on just standing! Any form of moderate physical activity benefits the physical body and mind.

On Thursdays, I find time to relax my nerves and muscles on the river. In other words, I go swimming.

My friend, I do not know about you.

How you plan your physical activities is up to you. It is at your convenience.

Jogging will benefit you more if you go slowly and briskly, provide you jog more than half a mile in the week. But begin with ¼ of a mile or less. Begin with some warming ups as said earlier. Include the press up and dawn, the plank and the jumping jack among the warming up action. These will loss the joints and muscles of the legs, tights, hips, waist, and so on. It further rejuvenated the back bone and the central nervous system.

Otherwise, you may feel very uncomfortable with joint and muscle pains, including the chest and back pains.

Remember a sound physical activity do not give pain to the body. It brings with it sound health benefits.

Here I recalled the first time I jog more than a mile in preparation for a local cross country marathon. Although I made it, I feel pain all over my body, especially the ankles, legs, muscles, joints and had a hard time finding my breath.

I went to see my doctor for medication. Prescription including pain killer were prescribed for me. I got some relief. I never has venture so again without some warming ups before any form of bodily exercise.

Do not jog if you cannot take a short walk of 100 yards.

Do not jog if you had not attempt any exercise to loosen your joints and muscles.

The risks are heavy on the negative side.

It can result in heart failure or disturbance in some cases.

It can end in fainting and or mental disturbances. In one cross country race, one runner fainted and kept shouting “Olotu, Olotu, take time.” Olotu, is my History teacher. Whether the runner had a grudge against him, I do not know. He was taken to hospital and given a syringe and became calm.

I have seen it happen more than once.

Try jogging for only ¼ of a mile or less to begin with. This will prepare you well for the next or higher level of 1.5 miles.

I prefer to go jogging early in the early morning. Some prefer the evening when the over head sun sink in the horizon.

Whatever your preferences, jog morning or evening, twice or three times in the week is fair enough.

On the average, you should spend 2 hours 30 minutes each week for a distance of 1.5 miles for a week. This means you should jog only for an average of 45 minutes in a day. This is the standard set by medical authority.  I am reminding you of it here again because I have said it before. Anything more than this can lead into a negative experience.

So take good care of your body.

A fat person can use jogging to reduce weight, while a thin person can use this tool to build strength and stamina.

Provide this is done three times in the week. One should schedule certain day say Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays on a regular basis for these actions or the plan to loss weigh will be a failure.

What gains do you get from jogging apart from losing weight as mention above?

·         Efficient transportation of blood and food nutrients all over the body is assured

·          

Digested food material including oxygen is distributed freely round the body via, the blood stream

·         It reduced cholesterol in the blood. Unwanted cholesterol and fat in the body is broken down or it is burnt and oxidized to release energy for other bodily activities

·         Jogging builds stronger bones. Jogging is more powerful than walking. The more you jog regularly, the stronger and more powerful your bones become. Osteoporosis is thus eliminated

·         Jogging surpasses running in building stronger bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons. It prepares the body for the running sprint or dash action.

·         Professional boxers use jogging as a warming up tool before entering the gym.

·         Jogging brings with it the benefit of mental alertness. Jogging will enable you to be more mental alert. You think straight and positive

·         It reduced heart disease. Heart related disease like diabetes, high blood pressure are done away with. 

Your heart beat will become regular, and hence, low blood pressure or high blood pressure is eliminated

·         Jogging induces relaxation. After a jogging session, you can rest well and relax

·         Jogging regularly will prevent the formation of cancer cells in the blood stream

·         Your joints and muscles become more flexible  or pliable

Jogging Clothes

Think of a good outfit to go for a jogging. A pair of running shoes with soaks is okay.

Wear a long sleeve jersey with matching trousers. Your jogging suit should be comfortable. This will keep your body warm and prevent a cold seizure if you are jogging early morning.

Shorts are idea for jogging in the evening if the weather is hot or rather warm. Otherwise, wear a long sleeve jersey with a trouser and matching pair of running shoe as said above.

In all, be very comfortable in your jogging cloths.

Starting To Jog

I have mentioned somewhere that if a person cannot walk, he or she cannot jog.

You have to prepare well for this with some aerobic exercises. One of these is walking.

Do walk some few yards and synchronize it into jumping jack, frog jump, push and pull, the plank 

and press up and down. At most 10 exercises are to be done for a minute each before you jog.

These basic exercise help loosen the joints and muscles of the body.

As you jog for 15 minutes, slow down and walk for 3 minutes. Then take a dash for a minute and synchronized it into a sprint for only 30 seconds. This will adjust the body to any tear and wear. Then walk for a minute and synchronize it into jogging again.

Alternate between jogging, walking and running, this makes you less tire and enjoyed the activity.

As you alternate between jogging, walking, dash and running, the body including the joints and muscles will be repairing itself from any tear and wear.

One immediate vital benefit noticed from this is that one gets less tire but realize the body still retain more energy for other activities at the end of the jogging.

The story so far can be useless if we do not think about food to eat.

Eat these Foods

You should eat complex carbohydrates and natural fats and proteins, including fruits and vegetables plus nuts for your good.

Complex carbs should include brown soya bean or any legume, whole wheat bread, brown or semi-polish rice, yam, topiaca and taro.

They deliver the steadily supply of sugar into the blood stream that will not raise the blood pressure. 

Unlike refined starch and glucose (table sugar), that easily spiked your blood, and making your tire and lethargy and raising the blood pressure to abnormal level.

Any refined food or convenience food should not be eaten before jogging, exception is 100% whole meal.

So eat these natural foods: guinea corn, maize or sweet corn, millet, quinoa (quinoa has all the essential amino acid found in egg or lean meat) and oats; whole wheat, sorghum, brown or semi-polished rice, rye and spelt.

You can add your favorite complex carbohydrates to the list like

Seeds and nuts: peanuts or ground nuts, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts and chest nuts; cashew nuts and fresh coconuts; sunflower seeds, rape seed, melon, bread fruit and chia seeds. Seed and nuts contain the much need natural polyunsaturated oils.

Convenient made carbohydrates (100% whole grain) will include whole grain bread, All-bran, oat meals and so on.

Eat also these root and cane tubers: sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes; sugar cane, sugar beet and sugar palm.

Sparely enjoy brown sugar, wild honey and molasses. Use them in teas or coffee and as a spread on breads, pancakes and plain biscuits.

All fruits including fig, kiwi, and berries.

Have a well balanced meal of carbs, protein and fats including fruits and vegetables two hours before attempting any of the activities.

I usually chew a one feet size length of sugar cane and suck an orange or two before jogging in the morning.

It provided the sugar or fuel my muscle and brain need during the jog. A night before this, I eat a well nourishing and balanced diet with plenty of protein.

It all depends on how far I want to go. For a mile, I will chew half cup roasted peanuts plus two freshly boiled eggs in addition to two sliced bread and a cup of cocoa 90 to 120 minutes before.

The place of protein in any bodily activity helps in muscle health. Some 30 minutes during or after an activity, the muscle begs for proteins. So eat much protein that contained all essential amino acids.

Eat eggs, milk, lean meat and red meat, poultry and turkey. These food items also contained solid fats and supply much energy to the body than carbs and proteins. Include some nuts of your liking into the meal especially when the food items contain solid fats.

Your protein sources from sea foods will include sardines, tilapia, tuna, mullet and salmon. Shrimp, oysters, lobsters, trout, cod, halibut and sole will provide all the protein your body need.

You should always eat your favorite natural foods.

Add also some brown soya bean with peanuts to any vegetable meal. These make a complete protein source, if quinoa is not available. Make a glass of two table spoonful dilute skin milk in 50 cl of water to enhance the meal.

Tip: do not do any of the exercise immediately after taking a meal. If you go swimming straightaway after a meal, you are likely to be drowned in the water, no matter how good you can swim. So take plenty of time at least two hours to rest before major exercise.

One thing more after the exercises for good, you have to take a bath and eat.  What you eat depends on you, and will include all the class of food item mention above. But ensured your diet is well balanced with fruits and vegetables.

Have a cool bath. After washing of the soapy foam or scum with cool water, refresh your body with some warm but not hot water. This still keeps the muscles warm and flexible. This will constrict blood flow on the surface of the skin. Then cool the body again with cool water.

This will bring the much flow of blood to the skin surface of the body, thereby rejuvenating the skin with food nutrients.

Jogging for your health today.

To your good health!

http://greens4food.blogspot.com

A 5.00 AM Jogger On The Go

Miebakagh57 (Miebakagh Fiberesima) Copy right 2016.