Warm Up First
Even
professional sportsmen occasionally neglect vital warming-up routines
before matches. Dr Aijaz Ashai, a noted Mumbai physiotherapist
specializing in sports rehabilitation, who has worked with top
swimmers, rugby, squash, tennis and cricket players, strongly
emphasizes the importance of warming up with “quick dynamic stretches,”
where you stretch as you move (arm-circling, leg-swinging, forward and
side bends and jogging on the spot). Perform muscle stretches by
extending gently until you feel a slight pull, then hold the position
for ten seconds. Consult a trainer if you have any questions.
Warming
up is extremely important in cold weather, especially in the mornings,
because it lowers blood-viscosity, ensuring better circulation. When
warm, ligaments, muscles and tendons become more elastic and the joints
are well lubricated, and less likely to tear and result in injuries due
to movement.
Warming up gradually and carefully is also important if
you take a break from the gym. Zeus Mistry, 28, has been working out at
a gym for the past nine years. “I started out because I was
underweight,” says the now well-built Mumbai sales executive. In 2008,
he took a three-month break from exercising. “But I resumed suddenly,”
recalls Mistry, who picked up 27-kilo dumb-bells in each hand the day he
was back at the gym. He felt his upper body strain, but ignored it,
thinking it was just a regular ache and continued his workout for a
while. Two days later, Mistry was unable to raise his left arm. His
family doctor suggested rest, painkillers and a balm. Mistry stayed home
for a week, but the pain persisted. - See more at:
http://www.readersdigest.co.in/exercise-right#sthash.wisumxaP.dpuf
Warm Up First
Even
professional sportsmen occasionally neglect vital warming-up routines
before matches. Dr Aijaz Ashai, a noted Mumbai physiotherapist
specializing in sports rehabilitation, who has worked with top
swimmers, rugby, squash, tennis and cricket players, strongly
emphasizes the importance of warming up with “quick dynamic stretches,”
where you stretch as you move (arm-circling, leg-swinging, forward and
side bends and jogging on the spot). Perform muscle stretches by
extending gently until you feel a slight pull, then hold the position
for ten seconds. Consult a trainer if you have any questions.
Warming
up is extremely important in cold weather, especially in the mornings,
because it lowers blood-viscosity, ensuring better circulation. When
warm, ligaments, muscles and tendons become more elastic and the joints
are well lubricated, and less likely to tear and result in injuries due
to movement.
Warming up gradually and carefully is also important if
you take a break from the gym. Zeus Mistry, 28, has been working out at
a gym for the past nine years. “I started out because I was
underweight,” says the now well-built Mumbai sales executive. In 2008,
he took a three-month break from exercising. “But I resumed suddenly,”
recalls Mistry, who picked up 27-kilo dumb-bells in each hand the day he
was back at the gym. He felt his upper body strain, but ignored it,
thinking it was just a regular ache and continued his workout for a
while. Two days later, Mistry was unable to raise his left arm. His
family doctor suggested rest, painkillers and a balm. Mistry stayed home
for a week, but the pain persisted. - See more at:
http://www.readersdigest.co.in/exercise-right#sthash.wisumxaP.dpuf