We know that exercising regularly promotes cardiovascular fitness and reduces the risk of certain diseases. Exercise also promotes mental well-being. Many people exercise to look slim and trim. Others exercise to develop strength and flexibility or to help them become better athletes.
While the list of reasons to exercise is a long one and you should not need further motivation, we what to give you one more reason. Exercise regularly so you can live your life free of neck and back pain.
All of us need exercise, just as athletes need to warm up before completion, so do industrial and office works. In some ways our work is more physically demanding than ever. Lack of activity and demands on posture, like standing all day or working at a desk, can create fatigue; then sudden, infrequent activity like lifting can be stressful.
People need to be strong enough to handle the stress and demands of the work place and they need the stamina to handle home, family and work schedules. More and more people recognize the need and they’re doing something about it.
A well-rounded and effective fitness program is within every body’s reach. You can achieve excellent results with simple exercises that are easy and fun to do and that match your own abilities.
Nutrition and sleep also plays an important role in a healthy, well-rounded fitness program. Remember the value of making healthy choices when it comes to what you eat and drink and make sure you get enough rest.
The Four Basic Types of Exercises
1. Flexibility 3. Aerobic
2. Strengthening 4. Relaxation/Warm-up/Change of pace
NOW FOR THE FACTS
It takes very little time, a few minutes a day will make a big difference. You choose your own pace so that the exercise is as demanding as you want or need. There is a big difference between “physical work on the job” and being physically fit. Too often the demands at work provide too much of one kind of exercise and not enough of another and the body is out of balance.
Everybody can benefit from exercise, especially those whose work isn’t very active. One of the best ways to feel less tired at the end of a busy day is to follow a regular, moderate exercise program- just ask people who do.
An exercise program will give you better circulation, better strength and stamina. People who exercise regularly have more energy, more vigor. Statistics show that people who exercise are not sick as often and frequently recover faster.
When you follow a fitness program that includes exercise and good choices in nutrition you are more likely to sleep better, feel strong, be more alert mentally and work more effectively.
GUIDELINES FOR EXERCISE
- Start out easy. If you have not been doing exercise like these, go easy at first. If you are doing the exercises in a group, it is not necessary to do all of the exercise in the beginning.
- Gradually Increase. After a few weeks you should be able to do more of the exercises and be more vigorous with the stretches.
- Do them regularly. You should try to do some of the exercises every day. If unable to do a few of them occasionally throughout the day, even on days off work.
- A little discomfort with exercise is okay. These exercises should not be painful, but you should definitely feel you are stretching/working the muscles and joints.
- Pain and discomfort after you have exercised probably means you did too much. It does not necessarily mean the exercises are wrong for you. When in doubt, check with your physical therapist.
Earlier we learned that joint stiffness and loss of flexibility is a common cause of neck and back pain. Therefore, flexibility exercises are important. If a joint or muscle is stiff, you will feel pain at the limit of your range of motion. This is not the case when a muscle or joint has normal flexibility. Therefore, two signs of joint or muscle stiffness are limited range of motion and pain at the end of the range. Flexibility exercises are tailored to the condition/state of your body as one kind of stretching exercise could further aggravate a pre-existing condition e.g backward bending would be detrimental to someone with a swayed back, forward bending would not suit a person with a disc strain.
It is important to seek the best set of stretches to suit your body and live a life full of high energy and good health.
