Are you ready to bulk up and pump iron? No? Don’t worry, incorporating strength training and the activities from the Spring Challenge will not make your muscles bulk, but there are several benefits you should anticipate.
· Prevent injuries. Whether you are an avid runner, school teacher, or grandparent, your susceptibility to injuries is greatly reduced with proper strength training. Strengthening muscles increases performance and contributes to balance. Strength training can also improve chronic aches and pains; such as back pain.
· Strengthen bones. Women are and should be especially mindful of increasing the density of bones. Strength training reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
· Assists weight loss. Muscle burns more calories during physical activity and is a crucial aspect of weight maintenance often overlooked. Strengthening muscles tones the body.
The recommendation for strength training is three times a week. Because the exercises break down muscle, make sure to give your body ample time to rest. These three days should not be consecutive. With this challenge, you are working different muscle groups and do not present problems doing the activities throughout the week.
As mentioned above, strength training prevents injuries from daily living, but if done incorrectly you may injury yourself while doing the exercises. Even if you know how to do a push-up, take five minutes and go through instructional videos from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Be especially careful with lunges and squats. Make sure your knee does not extend PAST your ankle. You do not get more out of the exercise if you push past a 90 degree angle, in fact, you will injury yourself.
Before beginning an exercise program, make sure to consult your physician. If you find that any of the exercises aggravate joints or muscles, please discontinue and contact the wellness coach to discuss alternatives.
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