A Time-Conscious Exercise Program

written by Dr. Michael Kaye |

In my last article, I discussed how to begin getting in shape for the summer from a nutritional standpoint.In this article, let’s look at how to get in shape with an exercise program that does not cause undue harm to your body.

Before you begin any exercise program , I strongly recommend that you have your physician evaluate your current condition to rule out any underlying problems which may be further compromised with exercise.

You probably learned that it’s important to warm up before exercise. In the past we were taught to stretch, then exercise. Times have changed.

To warm up properly, first take a 10-minute walk. This activity warms the muscles of your body. A warm muscle is easier to stretch than a cold muscle and thus your chances of muscle injury are decreased. If you want to exercise in the morning, I recommend that you take a hot shower to warm your muscles and that you wait at least an hour after you get up and start moving around before exercising.

Many people skip the warm-up, claiming that they just don’t have the time. The warm-up is essential to experiencing the best benefit from your exercise program , as well as to avoiding injury. If there are time issues, I’d rather you spend time warming up, even if it then means that you have to lessen the time you exercise.

Since time, or more precisely lack thereof, is one of the main excuses that I hear for not performing exercise on a daily basis, I will share with you a short, yet beneficial, routine to begin to get you in shape.

After warming up by walking for 10 minutes, you are ready to stretch. We begin with Neck Arcs, which address the neck and upper back. Let your head fall to the chest, then roll your head to one side (but not past your shoulder) and hold for 3 seconds, then roll to the other side and hold for 3 seconds. Repeat three times. To stretch the muscles in the back and front of the neck, let your head fall forward (chin towards chest) hold for 3 seconds, then straighten head and look up, hold for 3 seconds, then return to normal position. Perform this stretch three times. Please note that you may have been taught to stand upright, let the chin/head fall to the chest, then roll your head in a circle-like fashion. Unfortunately, rolling your head in a full circle can irritate the joints in your cervical spine (neck), so this movement is no longer recommended.

Next, it’s time to turn our attention to the lower half. Lie on your back with both knees bent and feet on the floor. Bring one knee to the chest, hold for 10 seconds, and return the foot to the floor. Repeat the same movement with the other leg. Perform 3 sets of 10 seconds each leg. The next movement is to bring both knees to your chest and hold for 3 sets of 10 seconds. The last stretch for the lower body is to lie on your back with both legs straight on the floor. Raise one leg in the air (try to avoid bending the knee) and h...

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