Exercise and your Body

Physical exercise is necessary for good circulation of blood. There are several reason why people do exercise; to increase muscle strength, to prepare for a competition, to enhance look, to increase cardiac reserve, and to relax. The form of exercise varies with your purpose. Too much strenuous exercise is a stress to the body. The form of exercise must be suited to your need and your body has to be ready to the form of exercise you need or you want. Exercise can likewise be classified into isotonic and isometric exercise. The former is exemplified by jogging and the later by weight training. Starting and exercise program should be planned depending on your purpose. The general rule is to start lightly and and increase the intensity gradually over a period of time. For every session there should be a warming period like stretching and slow jogging. At the end of exercise session there should also be a cooling period like stretching and slow paced walking over a period of 15 to 20 minutes. Cooling period prevents sudden shut down of circulation in your muscle and removes much of the carbon dioxide accumulated. This prevents muscle aches and fatigue. Keep on walking slowly until the perspiration stops. This indicates that the carbon dioxide has been removed and your body temperature has cooled down. Bathing immediately after exercise is a taboo among Filipino oldies. It has some basis. Bathing will cool down your body immediately and lessens circulation of blood to your muscles. In the laboratory, heating up the specimen is use to uncoil the DNA molecules, maybe sudden changes in body temperature have the same effect. (We need not ignore the wisdom of the old folks.)
Exercise has an effect on cardiac function. It improves collateral blood vessel. In will also increase muscle mass of the heart. Weight training will increase muscle mass but this will increase resistance to blood flow causing the heart to work a bit harder. This is the reason why people with hypertension are not advised to do weight training. They can only do jogging or distance running or bicycling and they have to start gradually.
Exercise to enhance looks has be be planned. Assessment of the outside appearance of the body is needed before the work out. The general rule is to use lighter weight initially and adding more after several sessions. The area that need to be enhanced has to be identified and the movement in that identified area will be the basis of the workout. To determine this area, identify the muscle movement responsible and add weight to that movement. Enhancing the body form should also include the smaller muscle underneath.
Exercising to increase the power of the muscle needs another form of training. Power lifting will involve increasing the power of the muscle in the back, lower and upper extremities, neck and hands. It also needs coordination. It is a separate discipline. Coaching is necessary for this training.