Your exercise tip – What are your warmer weather exercise alternatives?
In the upcoming heat, we all still want to maintain our exercise and our health. Organising some simple measures now, can go a long way to promoting continuity with your regime. Some simple tips are:
- Have areas to exercise that are well ventilated, or are cooler and shaded, especially outdoors.
- Exercise in cooler parts of the day, trying to limit your full sun exposure.
- It may be necessary to break your exercise routine up into smaller bouts during the day.
- Keep yourself well hydrated prior to and during exercise (take longer breaks between exercises) and use the sunscreens when needed.
- Be aware of the heat illness/stroke signs (and the treatment) for yourself and others.
Keep these tips in mind this summer and remember that you are exercising to improve your health, not have detriment.
Your health tip – Is this choice getting me to my goals?
When we set our personal goals and plan what we need to do to achieve these, along that path we are bound to come along points where we will be presented with choices. Most of these fitness choices will related to food we consume. When you are at this point, and are presented with an option that will force a decision, try to ask yourself the question ‘Will this choice take me a step closer or away from my goals?’ If the answer is away from your goals, if you are serious about your goals, you will decide against it. If you arrive at the away answer and still take that option, you then need to ask yourself how important was your goal to you?
Exercise of the week
This week we are covering a stretch for the calf (gastrocnemius and soleus) muscle. This stretch can help relieve ankle discomfort and any undue force on the Achilles tendon. Tips for this exercise are:
- Hold the stretch for 60 seconds or more for improved flexibility, and 20 to 30 seconds for a recovery stretch after activities.
- Don’t bounce the stretch as you can do more damage than good. Don’t stretch when you are cold.
- Try the standing or the floor version, depending on your personal preference.
Your life tip
You are going to make mistakes, that is part of life. Making the same mistake over and over is a choice.
This week’s wise words
“A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise.”
A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh.
Have a great week and keep healthy in 2016. David.