Making the most of home workouts

Press, 11 September 1986, Page 17

Making the most of home workouts

By

JUDI SHEPPARD

MISSETT

Q: As the mother of two small children, I find it increasingly hard to get out of the house to exercise. What kind of a programme can I build at home? A: With all the exercise products and equipment currently on the market, creating a complete home exercise programme is much more realistic today than even a few years ago. The basis for any totalbody conditioning programme should be some form of aerobic exercise. You can start with a good fitness album. There also are several fitness video cassettes on the market. Other good homebound aerobic activities include stationary cycling and/or rowing, skipping with a rope and treadmill running. Next, you .should consider muscle toning and strengthening. Many fitness tapes and video cassettes provide muscle toning routines for the arms, abdomen, hips and legs as well as cardio-vascular conditioning. However, you may wish to supplement your programme with weight training. Sporting goods stores offer a variety of hand weights, dumbbells and barbells. Weights frequently can be obtained through mail-order offers

too. Finally, stretching and flexibility improvement are important for injury prevention, no matter where you’re exercising. Try stretching and executing gentle, fluid movements as a warm up. Then cool down after your workout with several additional minutes of stretching exercises. This is the time when your muscles are warmest and most responsive to flexi-. bility improvement. Exercising at home doesn’t have to mean settling for a less than perfect workout. With minimal investment, some careful research and execution, you can get wonderful results. Q: For several months I suffered from headaches. My doctor advised me to start an exercise programme and the headaches disappeared. I don’t mean to question my recovery, but what’s the connection? A: Headaches come in several types and have several causes, the most common of which is tension. Tension, both emotional and muscular, can create pain in our temples, neck and shoulders. Relaxation and stress reduction are two of the best antidotes — both of which are easily achieved

through exercise. Research has shown that aerobic exercise can help your body produce enzymes that prevent blood vessels in your brain from expanding and pressing on sensitive nerves. This is of special help to those individuals suffering from migraines, vascular headaches caused by artery dilation. Before you do any type of exercise, make sure you warm up properly. Try this gentle stretch to “You’re the Best Thing” by Style Council. —Copyright Jazzercise.

Photo A: Stand with feet apart and pointing directly forward. Bend your right knee, keeping knee directly over your toes, and stretch your right arm overhead for a stretch along your right

side. Photo B: Reverse movements to the opposite side, bending your left knee and stretching your left arm overhead. Continue by alternating sides.