It took me three months to recover from the H1N1 virus.
While I was sitting in stupor on the couch I thought about resuming my walking program.
But constant coughing and a cracked rib prevented me from doing it.
Three months of being sedentary and cooking for teenagers took a physical toll on me and I gained 20 pounds.
Needless to say, my doctor was concerned and so was I.
Carrying an extra 20 pounds on a small bone structure made me tired.
Despite a lingering cough, I began walking again, but I did not do any warm ups.
I walked at least two miles and my leg and thigh muscles were really sore the next day.
Do not repeat my mistake.
If you have been ill and want to resume your exercise program, do your warm ups first.
Mayo Clinic, in a website article, "Aerobic Exercise: How to Warm Up and Cool Down," says warming up and cooling down "may be as important as the exercise itself.
" Jumping into a workout without warm ups could lead to muscle strain or injury.
How do warm ups help? Elizabeth Quinn cites the benefits in her Sports Medicine website article, "How to Warm Up Before Exercise.
" The benefits include increased muscle temperature, increased body temperature, dilating blood vessels, improved range of motion, hormonal changes, mental preparation that clears your mind and helps you to focus and prepare.
Brad Walker writes about the key elements to a warm up in his Stretching Institute website article, "Warm up Activities and Stretching Exercises.
" There are four key elements to a warm up, according to Walker: general warm up (light physical activity), static stretching for 5-10 minutes, a sports-specific warm up, and dynamic stretching, done with the supervision of a trained person.
Walker thinks stretching should be part of every warm up.
The Women's Heart Foundation offers some warm up tips in a website article, "Stretching Exercises for Women.
" When you are stretching you should do it slowly and try to stay relaxed.
"Do not bounce," the article cautions, because this could cause you to pull a muscle.
"You should stretch to the point of 'mild tension,' the article continues, and hold your stretch for at least 15 seconds.
When I was on my walking program I always stretched my calf and thigh muscles.
I did not stretch my neck, as recommended by the Women's Heart Foundation.
There are diagrams for proper neck stretching on the foundation's website and I tried all of them.
I held each position for five seconds and repeated each neck stretch three times.
Much to my surprise, I found that I could also stretch my ankles before walking.
Walking is my exercise choice and now you may call me Mrs.
Warm up.
I will never, ever set out for a walk without doing my warm ups.
Before you resume your exercise program I urge you to do the same.
Warm ups can keep you going.
Copyright 2010 by Harriet Hodgson
While I was sitting in stupor on the couch I thought about resuming my walking program.
But constant coughing and a cracked rib prevented me from doing it.
Three months of being sedentary and cooking for teenagers took a physical toll on me and I gained 20 pounds.
Needless to say, my doctor was concerned and so was I.
Carrying an extra 20 pounds on a small bone structure made me tired.
Despite a lingering cough, I began walking again, but I did not do any warm ups.
I walked at least two miles and my leg and thigh muscles were really sore the next day.
Do not repeat my mistake.
If you have been ill and want to resume your exercise program, do your warm ups first.
Mayo Clinic, in a website article, "Aerobic Exercise: How to Warm Up and Cool Down," says warming up and cooling down "may be as important as the exercise itself.
" Jumping into a workout without warm ups could lead to muscle strain or injury.
How do warm ups help? Elizabeth Quinn cites the benefits in her Sports Medicine website article, "How to Warm Up Before Exercise.
" The benefits include increased muscle temperature, increased body temperature, dilating blood vessels, improved range of motion, hormonal changes, mental preparation that clears your mind and helps you to focus and prepare.
Brad Walker writes about the key elements to a warm up in his Stretching Institute website article, "Warm up Activities and Stretching Exercises.
" There are four key elements to a warm up, according to Walker: general warm up (light physical activity), static stretching for 5-10 minutes, a sports-specific warm up, and dynamic stretching, done with the supervision of a trained person.
Walker thinks stretching should be part of every warm up.
The Women's Heart Foundation offers some warm up tips in a website article, "Stretching Exercises for Women.
" When you are stretching you should do it slowly and try to stay relaxed.
"Do not bounce," the article cautions, because this could cause you to pull a muscle.
"You should stretch to the point of 'mild tension,' the article continues, and hold your stretch for at least 15 seconds.
When I was on my walking program I always stretched my calf and thigh muscles.
I did not stretch my neck, as recommended by the Women's Heart Foundation.
There are diagrams for proper neck stretching on the foundation's website and I tried all of them.
I held each position for five seconds and repeated each neck stretch three times.
Much to my surprise, I found that I could also stretch my ankles before walking.
Walking is my exercise choice and now you may call me Mrs.
Warm up.
I will never, ever set out for a walk without doing my warm ups.
Before you resume your exercise program I urge you to do the same.
Warm ups can keep you going.
Copyright 2010 by Harriet Hodgson
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