Exercise Guide

The string of people I know suffering from summer colds as well as persistent injuries influenced this column. Hopefully this will lend some insight into your ailment.

Should I exercise when I’m sick? That depends on how sick you are and how well you know your body. If you feel slightly under the weather with a little runny nose for example, you’ll most likely be alright to do a light workout. But if you’re feeling light headed or have body aches, I would suggest against it. Also, you are your own best judge as to how sick you are, and over time hopefully you will get to know your body and be able to judge weather or not it’s a good idea. If you push yourself to workout out when you’re really sick, you will only worsen your condition and then be out for an even longer period of time. It’s a delicate balance and usually only experience will lead you to make the correct decision.

How do I rehabilitate an injury? If you strain a muscle, the best protocol is RICE, which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. This will help the inflammation to go down and allow the strain to heal. During the healing phase which will vary in length according to the severity of the strain, you will want to refrain from strenuous activity of the injured body part. However, light exercise after an initial rest period is recommended to keep the area active in order to heal faster. For example, if you strained your calf muscle, you would probably want to refrain from running, but slow to moderate walking would encourage the healing process. Once the pain has subsided, slowly increase the exercise intensity. If you have doubts, seek the advice of a doctor or trainer for your specific strain.

When is it better to use heat to treat an injury? Heat promotes healing by increasing blood flow to the affected area. Ice, however, is important during the initial inflammation phase of an injury and thereafter following any bouts of exercise which may cause inflammation. Heat can be applied in between icing or before bed provided the affected site is not inflamed. I’ve gathered from my own experience after straining my low back during training, that once the inflammation disappears but the soreness is still present, heat can prove beneficial. My back continued to hurt for three days following the initial injury, but upon application of a heating pad before bed on the fourth night, my back was back to normal the next day. Use caution with the heat setting and I don’t recommend sleeping with the heating pad on throughout the night.

Remember, if you have reservations about the severity of your illness or injury, you should seek the professional opinion of your physician.

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Elliptical workouts basically involve aerobic or cardiovascular exercise. Elliptical cross trainers can be intimidating at first glance but once you get familiar with them you will find them easy to use and a fun part of your routine.

To begin your elliptical workout, stand with your feet firmly planted in the movable footpads. The advantage of your feet being stationary makes this a smooth and non-jarring motion that is unique to the elliptical cross trainers. Grab the handles to add the upper body movement for a total body workout.

Elliptical motion feels very natural and compliments normal body movements only making it feel like the workout is easier. Elliptical workouts are equal or greater than similar equipment such as the treadmill creating a safer workout. It reduces the harmful stress and impact on your muscles and joints.

With time a major concern in our daily lives, an elliptical workout can be very desirable. It provides a total body workout utilizing one machine therefore saving time in having to go from machine to machine to achieve the same effect for all the different areas of the body.

An elliptical trainer benefit is they are safe for beginners and will even challenge the pro athletes. And because most people like to use these machines, they are more likely to workout on a regular basis. Consistent elliptical workouts will help in attaining good overall cardiovascular health.

It generally takes twenty minutes of elliptical exercise to start burning calories and improve your cardio health. If you are just starting out, exercise for twenty minutes and work up from there as your fitness level improves. Try to set 3 days a week as your goal to workout and work up to 5 days when you become more fit.

Another elliptical trainer benefit is they are perfect for burning fat. To burn fat effectively, you need to exercise at a moderate pace for a long period of time. Elliptical cross trainers give you the slow, aerobic, long duration type of exercise that works best to burn fat.

If you are looking for a good overall workout in the shortest amount of time, the elliptical workout is an ideal choice.

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What is the best form of physical activity? The one you will actually do. You see, everyone is different. How can there be any one form of physical activity that is best for everyone? And the good news is, it can be something different every day. You can walk one day, run another, go swimming another, play frisbee golf another, go golfing the next, rollerblade the next day, ride your bike another day, etc. You do not have to do the same thing every day. And you can if you want to.

How often and for how long is it best to do activity? Again, everyone is different so listen to your inner knowing and do what it says. Some hints on understanding what your inner knowing is telling you around physical activity: One day 30 minutes might be perfect for you, and the next day only 10 minutes is good. Other days an hour or two might be ideal. One day a slow relaxing pace might be ideal, the next a heavy vigorous workout might be called for. You might work out 5 days a week and 2 the next. There are no rules about how and when you should or shouldn’t do physical activity. My only guideline would be: Do what you want to do, and listen to your inner knowing when doing it. The lawyers would want me to tell you to consult a physician before starting any exercise program here. My thought is, your inner knowing knows better than any doctor does about what is best for you. If you listen to your inner knowing and act on what it says, who cares about the doctor.

Walking outside is great option. You can take deep full breaths of fresh air when you are walking and go within and focus on the presence within you. You will also get sunlight from being outside. Bottom line, just do some form of sustained physical activity.

One overlooked form of Activity that is so essential to your well being is mental activity. And I am not talking about worry. When I talk about mental activity, I am talking about creativity, using the mind creatively. It does not have to be “art,” either. Creativity comes in many shapes and forms.

You can be a lawyer and be solving cases, figuring out creative ways to win the case. You can be an architect and use your mind to create projects. You can read books and use your mind to create pictures and connections and the “movie in your head.” You can do problem solving activities, like crossword puzzles or some card and board games, anything where you are creating new thoughts, new patterns of thinking, and different ways of looking at things. This is mental activity.

Art is also a really good way to do mental activity. The process of creating abstract things also encourages new ways of thinking and patterns of thought. These new ways of thinking and being are stimulating your brain and nerves to grow and regenerate. Like the muscles in the body, if you don’t use them, you lose them. So creatively using the mind helps us to grow and flourish from within.

What is the best form of mental activity? Whatever it is you will actually do. And it can be different every day. Just as with physical activity, whatever you do is perfect. It can be the same thing every day, or you can do something different every day. It is really up to you and your inner knowing.

The key is doing mental activity, creating with your mind new things, thoughts, and ways of thinking, whether it is art or how to win a legal case.

Physical and Mental activity will help you flourish, be healthy and free.

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