WarmUp\SafetyTips

Fredys Fitness Zone

WarmUp\Safety Tips

WarmUp

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Those Muscles, Shall We*

Safety & Warm-Up Tips

Exercise is a great way to improve your mood and heighten your health. It will also help you lose weight and keep it off. Mix and match the following routines to meet your own level of fitness and your specific body-shaping goals.

workouts
safety tips
By Martha Lourey Bird

We advise you to consult your physician prior to beginning any exercise program, particularly if you suffer from high blood pressure, have had a stroke, have a heart, lung, liver or kidney condition, or if you have recently been hospitalized.

Seek medical attention for any injury, discomfort or pain that you feel during or after activity.
Always make sure your body is warmed up before you take part in any type of exercise or strenuous activity.
Always stretch at the end of your warm-up and after you are finished exercising, to help prevent stiff and sore muscles.
Never stretch a cold muscle, since it can lead to injuries. Therefore, the best time to work on improving your flexibility is at the end of your workout or after a thorough warm-up when you are already very warm.
No matter what the activity, always maintain good postural habits. Keep a check on your posture and make sure your back is never in an awkward or uncomfortable position.
Proper footwear is your most important piece of equipment, regardless of the type of exercise you do. Make sure you have the correct type of shoes for the activity and that they are comfortable and supportive.
To avoid dehydration, drink water before, during and after physical activity. On hot days, don't exercise in the middle of the day and wear light-colored, loose, comfortable clothing so body heat can easily escape.
If you're pregnant, follow an exercise program recommended by your physician.

warm-up
By Martha Lourey Bird

A gradual warm-up should always precede exercise. This helps you improve performance, prevent injury, improve your posture and feel good. Here are three great warm-up stretches. You need only hold each for 8 to 12 seconds. It's important to do the stretch slowly without bouncing.

Instructions

	1. STANDING CALF STRTCH Suitable for the back of your lower leg. Take a large step backwards with one leg, making sure the heel is in contact with the floor. Keep the back leg straight, the front leg bent and your body upright, as shown. (The upper-body stretch shown is optional; it stretches the chest and shoulder area.)

	2. STANDING HAMSTRING STRETCH Suitable for the back of your upper leg. In a standing position, place one foot forward. Keep this front leg straight and bend the back leg. Lean forward and take the weight of your upper body onto the upper part of the bent leg, or perform the upper body stretch shown (optional — it stretches the upper back area).

	3. STANDING QUAD STRETCH Suitable for the front of your upper leg. Stand on one leg and bring the heel of the other leg in towards your butt, as shown. Keep your hips level, knees together and supporting leg slightly bent. If you have trouble balancing, focus on something directly ahead of you or use a wall or chair for support.

extra tips on warming up A proper warm-up consists of: Warming your body. This involves gradually increasing your heart rate, body temperature and breathing rate. A good indication that your body is warm is that you’ll begin to feel warm and may even break a sweat. To best achieve these responses, gradually increase the intensity of how hard you’re exercising but keep it light to moderate. For example, if walking, take bigger steps, gradually walk faster or even swing your arms more. Moving your joints. Your joints also need to be warmed up and mobilized, especially the major joints you’ll use in your exercise routine (ankles, knees, hips, spine, shoulders). Gradually increase the range of movement around your joints to warm up these areas. Try knee lifts, mini squats, trunk rotations, arm circles and side steps. Stretching your muscles. Lightly stretch all of the main muscles you’re going to use, but remember the following guidelines: Stretches should be done at the end, rather than the beginning, of the warm-up, since you should never stretch a cold muscle. You need only stretch the muscles you will be using. Try to limit this to between three and six stretches so you don’t start cooling down again. Choose stretches that are done standing up and without delay before starting more intense exercise, so your heart rate and body temperature don’t drop.

Freddies Health & Fitness
170 West 3rd Street
Corning NY 14830
607 - 684-0228