Guidelines For Exercising
Here are a few things to bear in mind before exercising:
- Wear loose clothing that does not restrict movement.
- Stretching exercises should be performed bare-footed.
- Empty your bladder and bowel before you begin.
- Warm up before exercising.
- Perform the stretching exercises slowly and smoothly in a controlled manner. This applies to going into a position and coming out of it.
- Stretch to a point and hold for 30-seconds. Do not worry if you cannot hold for 30 seconds when you have just begun. As your muscles become more flexible, you will gradually be able to hold for longer periods.
- Do not strain yourself beyond the point where you feel pain. If any exercise causes your legs to tingle, feel numb, or weak, discontinue the exercise.
- Relax while stretching. Only a relaxed muscle will allow itself to be stretched.
- Breathe naturally and smoothly.
- Be patient and persistent. Do not rush or force yourself in any way.
Breathing
Before you begin any exercise, you need to learn how to breathe properly. Here are the importance of proper breathing.
- prevent illness (colds, coughing, bronchitis, tuberculosis, etc.)
- feel well
- rid your lungs of impurities and waste (carbon monoxide, lactic acid etc.)
- carry oxygen to millions of cells (it has been proven that deep breathing carries ten times more oxygen to your organs)
- combat fatigue
- increase your energy level
- calm your nerves
- sleep better
- add color to your complexion as proper breathing increases blood circulation
To increase your height, it is important that your blood is oxygenated as blood provides nourishment to your bones. Regular breathing will also purify your blood. Your lungs are likened to balloons. When pressure is exerted on them, the air must leave. Otherwise, your breathing is blocked and it could cause you harm.
How to breathe properly while exercising
There are three phases to breathing:
- Inhaling - take in air into your body through the nose
- Retaining - hold your breath inside your body
- Exhaling - blow out air from your body through the mouth
Perform your exercises in a well ventilated room so that you will fill your lungs with unpolluted air. For each exercise, breathe deeply. Exhaling is usually longer than inhaling because it is essential to empty all air from your lungs.