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Important rules of Exercise

If we are going to achieve optimum results from our activity we must follow a few simple rules which relate,

1. to the basic need for activity

2. the importance of individual capacity in performing the activity.

First is the principle of progression, that in our activities we move from the simple to the complex from the light to the heavy and at all times respect our limitation. I re-iterate the need to avoid injury as injury always means a lay-off or a temporary suspension which is a significant interruption of one’s activity schedule.

If activity is to fulfill the needs of the organism and to be of value in building positive health. It should be performed regularly and systematically, it should become a routine in one’s life. People who do exercise intermittently and haphazardly often do not achieve anything worthwhile and in fact it may even be harmful. Regular short periods of activity have much more benefit for health than the attempt to condense all of one’s activity into a few hours here and there or trying to recover through intense bursts of activity at vacation time.

Many people neglect activity throughout the week and then overdo it on the weekend. The body does not like this type of care. It neither benefits the muscles, cardiovascular system, nor does it education and develop the nervous system. Any benefit from such activities is questionable.

We should always start with light activity, always err on the side of caution. As one becomes more proficient then progress to the next stage. When dealing with the weak and infirm it is necessary to start with very short periods of activity maybe only a minute or two, but this may be done frequently, like every hour or so. This is the way to generate energy and strength. It is true to say that the obese, the lazy, the aesthetic and weak individuals should never initiate and exercise programme with strenuous activity.

Initially stretching exercises or stretching activity, activities which stretch the muscles and move them through their fullest range, contract them to the fullest extent and stretch them to their limits. This is a good beginning. The joints should be carried through their full range of movement. If there is stiffness and considerable limitation of movement, then movement should be carried as far as possible in the direction of limitation and only a slight effort should be made to go beyond that point. Stiffness will diminish with improvements in nutrition and activity. Exercise should never be continued to the point of fatigue, exhaustion or circulatory embarrassment. If after the activity session the subject develops trembling, fainting, difficult breathing, syonosis (blueness of the lips or extremities), or extreme and prolonged fatigue, the activity is evidently being excessive beyond the capacity of the individual. Except in situations where athletic and/or competitive performance is desired and great endurance is necessary, activity should not be prolonged beyond a mild feeling of fatigue.

Subjects vary very widely in their capacities, in their abilities to develop endurance and strength. This capacity largely determines the amount of activity applicable to the subject. If the person is weak and listless and attempting to develop strength it is an excellent idea to have a brief rest lying down, attempting to sleep if possible after the activity. This alternating of activity and repose is one of the best ways to generate health, strength and recovery in the employment of activity.

Sir Felix Oswald remarked: “Animals rest after repletion and some of them never sleep until they have a good meal to digest”. Digestion is best achieved during rest and sleep. Physical activity retards it. As a general rule, vigorous activity should not be indulged in for at least an hour after a meal. In modern life people generally do exercises and engage in activity and play sports when they have time, so a person’s time schedule usually determines when they are able to do exercise. Generally exhilerating, such as light exercise, is often best performed in the morning before breakfast. This should be followed by a brief rest and then the meal. If exhilerating exercise is taken in the evening it may be a little bit too stimulating and the person’s sleep may be disturbed. This, however, is not always the case, generally physical activity followed by rest promotes sleep, but once again it is a question of individual variation. It is important to fit in the activity, whenever and wherever it is possible.

I always think it is a good practice that people should be given a day’s rest from exercise each week. This doesn’t mean that any harm will accrue from exercising everyday, but it is sometimes beneficial from a psycho-emotional point of view, the break the routine, to do something entirely different. If a person enjoys a good brisk walk everyday, there is certainly no need for a rest, but there is no reason for conern if an occasional day is skipped.

One of the reasons why it is important to avoid extreme fatigue is the problem of recovery. Rest should be sought before fatigue rather than after it. Studies have shown that workers who rest before fatigue will do more and better work. This is the background to the old adage about beauty sleep. Beauty sleep is early sleep and it generally comes before fatigue.

When dealing with the invalid whose potential for recuperation is more or less limited or impaired exhaustion must be avoided. Any exercise that is too vigorous or engaged for too long a period will certainly inhibit recovery and may even prove disastrous. The problem with excess and its resulting fatigue is the psycho-emotional effect upon the subject. The person will lose their confidence and get depressed if they perceive that they are not making the progress justifiably anticipated. Where the invalid is concerned before advising exercise, certain important functions should be assessed:

1. the condition of the heart and lungs
2. related to the first, blood pressure and arterial efficiency,
3. nutrition, development and tone of muscles,
4. mobility of joints,
5. basic strength and endurance
6. any deformities, mal positions of organs and dysfunctions evident
7. constitutional type of individual, such as nervous, highly strung, phelgmatic, slow and dilatory etc. The highly strung individual is usually better served with slow gentle movements, with frequent rest and relaxation, whereas the more phelgmatic type is better suited to the quick accelerating movements of physical activity.

Contra-indications to Exercise

There are times when activity should be avoided, when is should be totally omitted from the programme until such time as an improvement of health has been achieved. In still other instances activity should be employed with great caution in order to obviate any injury.

Activities should be avoided under the following conditions:

1. acute disease

2. heart problems involving heart failure, acute bacterial endocarditis, inflammatory processes affecting the heart.

3. extremely high blood pressure

4. tubucolosis of the joints

5. acute inflammatory processes of joints and muscles, such as in the acute phase of rheumatoid arthritis. It is important to stress also that in this condition joints should not be manipulated or forcibly mobilised.

The following conditions require great caution before advising activity:

1. extreme emaciation

2. inflammatory diseases of the spine or tubucolosis

3. aneurism, certain vascular diseases

4. high blood pressure

5. heart and circulatory diseases

6. extreme debility

7. tubucolosis

8. whilst on a prolonged fast

9. during any form of haemorhage

10. a wide range of inflammatory diseases which may affect any part of the body, this refers to the common cold, the sore throat, a slight bronchitis, cystitis, etc.

It may be generally stated that if the person is unwell they should be cautious about activity unless it relates to a few minutes of light walking.

Miscellaneous

Rules of activity should also mention certain phrophylactic and therapeutic interventions. We do not approve of alcohol rubs, the use of linaments and lotions on the skin either before or after activity. It is not only futile but may be positively damaging. These procedures do not close the pores, do not encourage elimination, do not promote sweating, they do not contribute to the health of the individual, they should be avoided.

Light massage may be relaxing, I have no problem with it, but if stimulating massage is performed it can be a very enervating process. The use of oil with massage often associated with false claims, like, “the impregnation of the tissues with oil acts not only as a lubricant but as nutrition to feed the depleted tissues.” This sort of thing is nonsense, as it is nonsense to take various oils for joints. Joints are lubricated by a water soluble substance called synovial fluid. Oil is of no value. The rubbing of oil on the skin does not do anything other than make the skin oily. This will increase the development of heat. It forms an insulation, it does not enhance the body’s temperature regulation mechanisms, it is fine for long distance swimmers to rub oil on the surface of the body because it is fine insulator against loss of heat to the water, but in general exercise this is folly, the skin should be kept free of impediments.

Wash and keep clean, expose the body to fresh air and sunlight but, obviously, not sunburning, and enjoy one’s activity. It is a basic need of life and health which should be savoured and enjoyed.