Central West Virginia's Guide To Life

TOTAL HEALTH CARE
By Dr. Rick Magly

11/07 Breathing for Good Exercise

Physical exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. It's important to note that good nutrition, proper rest, good spinal and joint alignment and a positive mental attitude are all supportive of a good exercise program. If people are serious about good health they need to address all of its basic components.

A good exercise program should be designed to meet individual goals. Even someone who is chairbound can benefit from a specialized routine. The popular saying "use it or lose it" applies in these situations. As long as a muscle has enough nerve impulse to contract, even if that muscle isn't strong enough to move the body, regular contractions will improve circulation to nourish the tissue and remove waste products from the body. Muscle contraction without movement is called isometric exercise. Isometric contractions can benefit even elite athletes and are especially useful for those with limited function.

Proper breathing technique is the foundation of any good exercise program. Every cell in our bodies crave oxygen and the muscles involved in breathing are vital to the circulation of cerebral spinal fluid or CSF. CSF bathes the brain and spinal cord with nourishment. Its circulation is essential to good health. There is a whole chiropractic technique (Sacro-occipital technique) devoted to this goal. (I will elaborate on this in later issues.)

Proper breathing involves three stages blended into one complete breath. A complete breath starts in the belly. To inhale properly you must first exhale completely by squeezing the stomach back against the spine. Inhalation should begin by pushing the stomach out.

Many people have the bad habit of holding in the gut when they breathe. This is wrong and must be changed. Pushing out the belly allows the diaphragm (a major muscle of breathing) to drop down and pull oxygen deep into the lower lungs. As the lower lungs fill up, the second stage begins by expanding the chest. This involves the intercostal muscles between the ribs. As the chest approaches full expansion, the third stage comes into play by lifting the clavicles (collar bones). This motion pulls air into the upper lobes of the lungs.

CAUTION, this type of breathing should be done slowly to avoid dizziness. If you get dizzy slow it down even more. Tingling across the cheeks and bridge of the nose is a good thing; it means you’re getting more oxygen to the brain. Proper breathing enhances exercise at any level and is without a doubt the single most important component in a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately it tends to be overlooked by many health professionals.

A complete exercise program should include aerobic activity, strength training, and flexibility or stretching movements. Aerobic is defined as activity that supplies more oxygen to the muscles than is used by the activity. Again, proper breathing technique is important. Walking, jogging, swimming, and biking can be aerobic when done at the right pace.

Twenty to thirty minutes of such activity four times a week is the minimum for optimum health. Those just starting out should work up to this slowly. Your target heart rate will vary according to age and weight. Heart rate is a good indicator of aerobic activity. Tables are available in exercise literature to determine your target rate.

Strength training can be accomplished in several ways. Free weights are most effective but should be used with extreme caution by beginners, with advice from a trainer. Various exercise machines are safer and can save time and space, but restrict free range of motion and fail to work the synergistic muscles as well as free weights.

On a limited budget? Push-ups, chin-ups and crunches (not sit-ups) will fill the bill. Traditional sit-ups are hard on the lower back. Crunches are best performed on your back with bent knees and arms folded across the chest. Let the head fall back slightly as you raise the shoulders off the floor. No need to sit all the way up. This isolates the stomach muscles and reduces neck and back strain.

For those "love handles" -- modify the crunches by alternately bringing each shoulder towards the opposite knee. For the legs, calf raises can be done by standing with the ball of the foot on a two by four and lifting the heels off the ground. Knee bends are very beneficial even without added weight. Care should be taken by never allowing the hips to drop below the level of the knees.

By including stretching and flexibility movements into your routine your risk of injury goes way down. After a modest warm-up some form of stretching should be done before the aerobic or strength part of your workout. Gently stretch the muscles to be used at the time while using good breathing technique.

Yoga and palates combine strength and flexibility movements and can be aerobic if paced appropriately . I would recommend an instructor for these activities, as recorded instruction tends to be too fast- paced and glosses over the important details.

Beginners and weekend warriors beware! Even the elite athletes tend to overdo it. Proper warm up is essential, to prevent injury. With any exercise program consistency is everything. Start modestly and increase intensity slowly over a period of weeks. If you go too hard too fast, it becomes a chore and you're less likely to stay with it.

Exercise improves circulation, heart and lung function and mental clarity. It elevates mood, promotes good sleep and improves the efficiency of most activities.

Only ten minutes a day to spare? Try the five rites of the Tibetan monks. This is the best ten minute work-out I've ever done. Look it up on the internet or stop by my office at the old Nebo school house for a demonstration.

Next month we'll talk about tools to maintain a positive mental attitude. Until then start your exercise program slowly, set modest goals, don't quit and remember, use it or lose it! 

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