PRINCIPLES OF EXERCISE
Knowing the purpose behind each exercise will help motivate you to exercise, because you will better realize the benefits of exercise. We would like to share with you the four basic principles of the SIT AND BE FIT exercise program.
Posture: As we age, our daily activities, gravity, and musculoskeletal changes can all contribute to poor posture. Unless we correct our posture throughout the day, the shoulders become rounded, the head moves forward, and the spine tends to curve forward. In our daily lives we carry out so many activities in front of our bodies that the chest and shoulder muscles become shortened and strong while our back muscles become stretched out and weak. If we could wash dishes or work on computers behind our backs, our posture would be a lot better! Many of the SIT AND BE FIT exercises focus on promoting good posture. Start every routine with good posture and work to maintain it. Balancing Out The Body: Our muscles work as a team. Another example of this teamwork is demonstrated by the muscles in the upper arm: the biceps and triceps. Most of us find our biceps are stronger and overpower our triceps. It's important to include special triceps strengthening exercises to keep the muscles in balance with each other. SIT AND BE FIT focuses on strengthening weak muscles and stretching tight, shortened ones. Breathing: As you may imagine, if posture is poor, breathing is less efficient. There's not as much room to expand the lungs. Since most of the blood vessels are in the lower 1/3 of the lungs, we must breathe deeply to pull oxygen into the lungs so the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide can be most effective. Functional Fitness: Each exercise incorporated into SIT AND BE FIT's creative, fun routines has a purpose. Mary Ann Wilson carefully selects exercises that help to keep the body in tip-top shape because being fit enough to carry on the functional activities of life is what is most important.
PRINCIPLES OF EXERCISES
Try this short routine which emphasizes the four principles of exercise used by SIT AND BE FIT to develop these exercises. As we always advise, stay within your comfort range, and progress slowly.
Good Posture:
First, let's get into good posture by sitting on your sitz bones. You can find the sitz bones by sitting on your hands and feeling the bony prominence on each side. Rock forward and back and side to side until you are sitting right on top of the bones, and your weight is evenly distributed over both hands. Place your hands on your hips, and notice that your lower back curves slightly inward.
Lengthen Ribcage:
Next, place your hands on your abdomen and slide them up, smoothing and flattening, until you reach your lower ribs. Gently lift under the lower ribs, and feel the distance between the pelvis and the ribs increase as you do this. Turn both palms up, as though you are lifting your heart. Bring your fingers up to the center of the collarbone. Sweep fingers out to the sides, across the collarbone to each shoulder. With fingertips on shoulders, lift elbows to shoulder level and squeeze your shoulder blades. Feel the gentle stretch in front of your shoulders. Let your arms relax to your lap. Open your arms as you take a deep belly breath (the abdomen should expand as you inhale), and relax your arms at your sides as you exhale.
Lengthen Neck:
Touch your chin with your left hand, and slide the right hand up the neck to the "shelf" on the back of the head. Pull your chin straight back away from your left hand (don't tilt your head back as you do this). Align the head directly over the shoulders. Gently pull upward with the right hand on the "shelf" to lengthen the neck. Now your posture looks great! Remember how this feels, and correct your posture frequently throughout the day. Now do the Trunk Rotation.
Trunk Rotation:
Keeping the left hand at your chin and the right hand on the "shelf" on the back of your head, turn the head slowly and gently to the left. Then, hook the left arm over the back of your chair, and bring your right hand down to the outside of the left thigh, rotating your trunk. Extend the left arm at shoulder height, palm facing up. Move your hand a little farther toward the left if you can, (stay within your comfort zone) while watching your hand with your eyes. Breathe normally throughout this exercise. This exercise helps to increase the functional range of motion of the neck, trunk, and shoulder.
Shoulder Blade Squeeze:
Return to center, elbows at sides and bent to 90 degrees. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and push your elbows into the back of the chair. Keep breathing as you press gently for a count of five. This helps to strengthen the postural muscles, and can be repeated several times.
Deep Belly Breaths:
Relax. Place your hands on the lower abdomen. Take three deep breaths, breathing deeply into the lower portion of the lungs. As the air comes in and fills your lungs, your belly should expand. As you exhale blowing through pursed lips, and as air leaves the lungs, tighten the stomach muscles to help push all the air out. Relax, and repeat all the exercises on the other side, beginning with the Lengthen Neck segment.
