During
the first six decades of this century, few people were aware
of the benefits of exercise. Even the medical profession dismissed
exercise as unimportant to good health. In 1969, Dr. Kenneth
Cooper, an Air Force cardiologist, wrote "Aerobics", which started
the running boom of the 1970's.
In
his book, Dr. Cooper presented his findings on the effect of
aerobic exercise on the effectiveness, health, and happiness
of Air Force personnel, as well as other research of the day
on fitness and health.
The
aspect of Dr. Cooper's book that was most useful to the public
was the aerobic point system, which allowed a person to know
if he or she was getting enough aerobic exercise. One fine feature
was the ability to use different forms of exercise to achieve
fitness with less boredom.
|
Five
Common Myths About Exercise
|
| Myth
1: Exercising makes you tired. |
|
As
they become more physically fit, most people feel
physical activity gives them even more energy than
before.
Regular,
moderate-to-brisk exercise can also help you reduce
fatigue and manage stress.
|
| Myth
2: Exercising takes too much time. |
|
It
only takes a few minutes a day to become more physically
active. To condition your heart and lungs, regular
exercise does not have to take more than about 30
to 60 minutes, three or four times a week.
If
you don't have 30 minutes in your schedule for an
exercise break, try to find two 15-minute periods
or even three 10-minute periods.
Once
you discover how much you enjoy these exercise breaks,
you may want to make them a habit! Then physical
activity becomes a natural part of your life.
|
| Myth
3: All exercises give you the same benefits. |
|
All
physical activities can give you enjoyment. Low-intensity
activities - if performed daily - also can have
some long-term health benefits and lower your risk
of heart disease.
But
only regular, brisk, and sustained exercises such
as brisk walking, jogging, or swimming improve the
efficiency of your heart and lungs and burn off
substantial extra calories.
Other
activities may give you other benefits such as increased
flexibility or muscle strength, depending on the
type of activity.
|
| Myth
4: The older you are, the less exercise you need.
|
|
We
tend to become less active with age, and therefore
need to make sure we are getting enough physical
activity.
In
general, middle-aged and older people benefit from
regular physical activity just as young people do.
Age need not be a limitation. In fact, regular physical
activity in older persons increases their capacity
to perform activities of daily living.
What
is important, no matter what your age, is tailoring
the activity program to your own fitness level.
|
| Myth
5: You have to be athletic to exercise. |
|
Most
physical activities do not require any special athletic
skills. In fact, many people who found school sports
difficult have discovered that these other activities
are easy to do and enjoy.
A
perfect example is walking - an activity that requires
no special talent, athletic ability, or equipment.
|
| Source:
National Institutes of Health |
|
Unfortunately,
Dr. Cooper and many others derided strength training as being
useless for exercising to improve health. In the 70s, 80s and
90s, the importance of strength training and stretching became
more established. Later books by Dr. Cooper and other authors
were more accepting of strength training and stretching as part
of a total fitness program.
Since
the 1980's, large numbers of people joined gyms and looked to
club staff or other members who seemed fit for advice on getting
in shape. Unfortunately, many times the employees had insufficient
knowledge and were primarily responsible for membership sales.
Well-meaning
employees tried to apply what they knew from what their coaches
or workout partners taught them. However, exercise routines
that are appropriate for athletes, bodybuilders, or other experienced
exercisers would be too hard for a beginner or someone who has
returned to exercise after a long layoff.
Why
People Stop Exercising
New
exercisers commonly start with great enthusiasm. Sometimes,
they attempt to do too much and wind up sore, over-trained,
and burned out. Others who have never exercised or worked hard
may not be used to exerting themselves, especially if they are
obese, elderly, or ill.
When
they experience any discomfort, they become frightened and quit.
Those who have had a bad experience being over-trained or injured
by well-meaning but misinformed friends or family members may
be afraid of repeating the experience, so they don't put forth
enough effort to improve and become frustrated with their lack
of progress.
What
A Personal Trainer Can Do For You
New
exercisers need to learn how to listen to their body to distinguish
the discomfort of challenging the body from the pain of injury
and the nausea of overexertion. They also need to learn about
proper warm-up and cool-down, exercise technique, what weight
training exercises work on a particular muscle or group of muscles,
and safe and effective stretching.
They
must also learn patience to continue long enough to reap the
benefits of the exercise routine. This is why it is wise for
a new exerciser to have an experienced Certified Personal Trainer
work with them at all exercise sessions until they become accustomed
to the feeling of exercising and have made working out a regular
part of life. Once they make exercise a habit, they can begin
to exercise on their own.
Some
people find keeping regular workouts scheduled is difficult
because of many demands on their time or simply because it is
easy to slack off. For people who can afford to continue using
a trainer, it insures compliance with the routine and regular
change to keep it interesting.
It
is also more fun to workout with a partner then alone. Finding
a reliable workout partner with similar goals who can follow
your schedule is one way to make the transition to working out
on independently.
People
who have chronic medical conditions or injuries need to get
a physical and medical clearance before beginning an exercise
program. A trainer can help them start slow and improve while
following the doctors' orders.
Former
exercisers who return to the gym and attempt to do the same
routines as before are setting themselves up for injuries, over-training
and disappointment. All endurance benefits are lost after 12
weeks. Strength takes longer to decline, but all aspects of
fitness will decline if the program is discontinued or reduced.
In
addition, factors such as stress, diet, alcohol, illness, tobacco,
drugs, and lack of sleep will also hasten the loss of the benefits
of exercise. A qualified trainer can assess the exercisers'
current state of fitness and design a program to achieve their
former level of conditioning.
Some
experienced exercisers reach a plateau in their progress and
need to make changes in their exercise routine or eating habits
to reach the next level. The best way is not to do more of the
same, but try new exercises or change the frequency, intensity,
or duration of the routine.
Change
in the grouping and order of exercises or using new ones may
also help. Lack of variation in intensity and choice of exercises
may also cause overuse injuries from repetitive movements. A
qualified trainer can objectively analyze the current exercise
program in light of the person's' current goals and lifestyle
and suggest periodic changes to keep the routine fresh and interesting.
Children
and teenagers who play sports or exercise in gyms need to learn
proper form on weight training and stretching. They must avoid
exercises that their immature skeleton and connective tissue
are not strong enough to withstand.
Young
people have a sense or invincibility and lack of judgment that
makes them more likely to try heavy weights or advanced exercises
before they are able to safely perform them. Children and teens
mature emotionally and physically at different rates. One 15
year old may have reached full growth and maturity, while another
may be small and undeveloped.
A
trainer can decide what is appropriate for each individual's
stage of development, teach proper form, emphasize the importance
of a proper warm-up and cool-down, and foster development of
a positive body image and good judgment about food and exercise.
As
people age, there is a gradual deterioration of all aspects
of fitness. It is not precisely known how much of the decline
is a natural part of aging and how much is a consequence of
inactivity and poor lifestyle choices.
Observations
of older people who exercise regularly suggest that there is
a strong connection between consistent exercise and postponement
of physical and mental decline. Older people have to be more
careful than younger exercisers, because their ability to recover
from injury is reduced.
They
may have more difficulty learning new exercises or using new
machines. A qualified trainer can help the older person ease
into exercise and can make it easier to learn to use machines
that may be unfamiliar to them.
The
trainer can set up the machine to accommodate a reduced range
of motion and can remove weights left by thoughtless younger
members. In addition, the trainer may choose exercises based
on their applicability to improving the ease of everyday activities
such as walking, getting out of a chair, or grocery shopping.
So, if you are a new exerciser, thinking about beginning an
exercise program, or if you are a veteran exerciser who is going
onto the next level of fitness training or experiencing boredom
with your current exercise program, consider having a personal
trainer perform a personal fitness evaluation and help you develop
an exercise program that works for you.
Not
only can a trainer help you adhere to your workout schedule
and keep you from cutting corners on your routine, but a personal
trainer can help you achieve your goals and work on doing more
of your routine independently.
Find
out more about choosing a personal trainer in part 2 of this
series: Choosing A Personal Trainer.
Feature Archives