On these Blogger pages we explore TOPICS in our desire to respond to Jesus' call to walk with Him in our world as his missionary disciples empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring to humanity the Good News of the Father's love manifested and given in Jesus, the Divine Mercy. G.S.
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HEALTH AND STRESS MANAGEMENT EXERCISES
WARM-UPS AND STRETCHES PDF FILE FICHIER EN FRANÇAIS
The following exercise routine is taken from a Mr. Thompson (as part of a Tennis course), but it has proven particularly useful in managing the ordinary stresses and emotional charges of everyday living and preparing for more strenuous exercise: running, fast walking, swimming, cycling, canoeing, golfing, or heavy manual labor ‑ especially when one is not accustomed to doing these every day.
To do these warm‑ups and stretches thoroughly, you could spend 40 minutes, but they can be done with satisfaction in about 25 minutes. The basic working principle is the inner strength God gives us to exercise good stewardship in caring for his precious gift to us – our incarnate soul. The call to sanctity requires us to learn to deny our flesh all its wants; so that we can lay our life down for others out of love. If we deny the fact that our soul is incarnate; then our body will exact its vengeance with trouble in the form of various dysfunctions, which, often could easily be prevented or remedied.
CAUTION Both warm‑ups and stretches are designed for joints free from pathological disorders. If you have arthritis or any other chronic or acute problems in your joints, consult
your physician before attempting these. If uncertain about your ability to do these without hurting yourself, ask someone experienced with physical exercise to supervise you. These are gentle exercises, and may be attempted by anyone that is in good health, and are very useful for dispelling stiffness, aches, or moods, and for storing up some energy for the day's work and the stresses of everyday living.
WARM-UPS
The objective of warm‑up exercises is to warm up and loosen the muscles by movement. We begin with the uppermost articulation ‑ the neck ‑ and working our way down to the bottommost ‑ the ankles. Once they are completed, we can move on to the stretching exercises, following the same path.
Warm‑ups work by moving the articulation in a particular fashion for 8 to 30 repetitions. The ideal is to became so familiar with the desired effect, that we forget about counting, and simply repeat until we feel the muscles and the articulations warm up and begin to loosen.
Why our overall well‑being and spirituality requires movement is because of emotive charges. There are many and varied all through the day from the joy of satisfaction to the frustration of delay in achieving a task. Emotional charges tend to lodge in our muscular system, and the only way to dispel them is through moving them sufficiently, i.e., setting the whole body in motion. These routines can allow one to change one’s mood, or dispel a mood that clings like a wet blanket. How can we find the patience to show mercy to the neighbor, if we are unwilling to show it to our own self entrusted to us?
WARM‑UPS All upper body exercises are done with feet reasonably spread apart and hands on hips, unless otherwise occupied. Do 8 to 20 repetitions, or until you feel the articulation warm‑up and begin to loosen. 30 or so repetitions should generally be sufficient, at most.
* Star indicates 2 separate exercises ‑ first in one direction; then in the other direction.
N.B.: For these exercises, avoid sudden, jerking motions; move the member gently, with slow rhythm; while allowing the other members to "relax"; as though they were "spectators".
NECK
1. Move head straight forwards and backwards in a "Yes" motion.
2. Keeping head upright, move it to the left and then to the right, at right angles, in a "No" motion. (A Humor Moment: Beware the temptation to wildly fantasize about the potential significance of this motion.)
3. Tilt the head to one side ‑ as far as it will comfortably go ‑ then let it roll by itself in a natural motion, without propelling it, until it reaches the opposite position on the other side; then roll back to the starting point, and so on. Only roll the head forwards; do not roll back at all to avoid injury ‑ stay in the forward plane.
SHOULDERS*
4. *With arms limp at your sides, rotate your shoulders in a circle forwards, counting each full rotation; then reverse and rotate them the other way.
ELBOWS
5. With fists gently clenched or closed, hold arms up in a horizontal plane level with the shoulders and fists over the breast bone. Without moving the upper arms, extend the lower arms outwards to either side and open the hands so that hands are fully open as the arms are fully extended. Bring back the arms while closing the fists again. Repeat.
WRISTS*
6. *With arms held straight forward parallel to one another on a level with the shoulders, rotate the wrists in full circles, first towards one another; then away from one another.
WAIST
7. In a fashion similar to the head roll in a half‑moon forwards, we now rotate the upper body back and forth from one side to the other. With legs reasonably set apart ‑ as for all these exercises ‑ place hands on the hips; then, while keeping the whole upper body and head still, allow the whole upper body to tilt to one side as far as you can comfortably allow. Without swaying the hips, let the whole upper body roll forwards in a plane or half‑moon all the way to a tilt on the other side as far as you can comfortably allow. Avoid leaning backwards. Roll back to the starting position on the other side, and so on.
HIPS
8.
These hip exercises involve balance; they
require moving one leg off the floor. Again, we are standing with arms on hips,
but this time, with legs together and body erect. Balancing on one foot, swing
the other leg back and forth as far as it will comfortably go.
9. Swing the same leg out to the side away from you as far as it will comfortably go.
10.
*Rotate the same leg in as wide a windmill circle
as you comfortably can in one direction; then reverse in the other direction.
11. – 12. – 13.* Repeat exercises # 8 ‑ 9 ‑ 10 standing on the other leg.
KNEES
14. Sanding erect, feet together, arms limp at your sides, lift first one knee, then the other, as high as you comfortably can; in a marching motion.
ANKLES*
15.
*Standing erect, feet together, hands on your hips, lift
one foot off the ground slightly in front of you; then rotate the foot around
in a circle ‑ first to one side ‑ then to the other.
16. *Repeat standing on the other foot.
STRETCHES
The objective of a stretch is to
extend a muscle or group of muscles that have been warmed up and hold them in
that extended position for from 30 to 45 seconds; until the muscle accepts to
distend or relax. Depending on our
condition, this may only be partially achieved on any given day, and may become
more complete over several days; as the muscle relaxes more and more to what we
could call a position of rest. Here
follow specific instructions for actually carrying out the exercises
themselves.
We are now ready to do the stretching exercises. Remember: no bouncing or jerking motions. We gently extend as far as we can and hold it until we feel the muscles relax and extend a little further. It generally takes 30 to 45 seconds each time.
NECK
17. Generally, these exercises are done with legs reasonably spread apart and hands on the hips. To begin, let your head drop gently forward as far as it will comfortably go or until the chin touches the chest. Hold. Return. Repeat in the other direction.
18. Let your head drop slowly and gently to one side ‑ keeping the face looking forward, with one simple clean motion sideways ‑ as far as comfortable. Hold.
19. Repeat in the other direction.
SHOULDERS
20. Draping one arm around the front and over the opposite shoulder towards the back, bring the other palm to rest on the back of that elbow and gently bring that elbow towards you as far as it will comfortably go. Hold.
21. Repeat for the other arm.
22. Bring each arm up with hands wrapping around the opposite shoulder and creep your fingers along your back as far as they will comfortably go in a "self‑hug" position. Hold.
23. With one hand going behind your back and the other hand going over the opposite shoulder try to let your hands reach diagonally across your back and the fingertips interlock; gently pull at the fingertips to stretch arm/shoulder muscles. Hold.
24. Repeat in the opposite direction.
25. Reach one hand behind the head over to rest on the opposite shoulder; then place the other hand on the opposite elbow, and let the whole torso lean in the direction of the shoulder being touched ‑ as far as comfortable. Hold.
26. Repeat in the other direction.
27. Standing erect with legs apart, hold open palms up about shoulder height facing the front as though to avert bumping into something ‑ a foot or less away from the torso. Without moving other body parts, swivel the entire torso, arms and hands all together as far around to one side as they will comfortably go – hold.
28. Repeat in the other direction.
HIPS & LEGS This set of exercises may be done equally well and successfully sitting on the floor or standing. If you have no particular reason to do them on your feet; you can do them sitting down. Keep your knees open and straight at all times.
29. Legs spread about 3/4 apart, lean forwards with fingers extended to your toes. In time, you may be able to touch your toes, or you may never do so ‑ each body is unique ‑ so don't be concerned about that. Hold in this extended position until you feel the muscles in your legs beginning to relax and your reach extending a little.
30. Move the legs closer ‑ about two feet apart at the feet, and extend the hands once more as far as they will comfortably go. Hold.
31. Repeat with the feet together.
32. Now fully extend the legs as far apart as comfortable and reach ahead and down ‑ not towards the toes but straight down ‑ with the hands as far as you can go. Hold.
KNEES & ANKLES
33. Standing erect with feet together, and arms limp at your sides, lift the right foot upwards towards the buttocks and hold the toes with the right hand ‑ and pull the toes gently towards you until the heel rests against the buttock. Hold.
34. Repeat for the other leg and knee.
WE’RE DONE! Now we're ready to begin some aerobic exercises, a fast walk, running, swimming, cycling, or skiing. Otherwise, this is simply a great way to just get into the day or do some heavy manual labor. You can also do a milder version of these, with fewer repetitions, more slowly, and extending not so much, in order to relax the body and prepare for sleep.
WHAT ABOUT SENIORS? As we get older and our balance and mobility become uncertain or more limited, it becomes desirable to continue with such exercises to both warm up and stretch, but to do so in a way that will avoid injury or the fear of injury. For this reason, some of these and any other useful exercises can be done from a sitting position in a good stable chair. Age and decreased mobility also weakens our muscles, so it is good to add a little resistance to some exercises by holding weights in our hands, which can be increased as our muscle strength increases.
fathergilles@gmail.com 514-864-5600 (Receptionist)
I originally took these notes after my first tennis class at the Olympic Pool Centre at the Montreal Olympic Stadium in 2001. I edited and improved the document December 12, 2007 and a few more times until an edit October 6, 2019 for my original website, and this final edit January 27, 2021 for these web pages.
On these Blogger pages we explore TOPICS in our desire to respond to Jesus' call to walk with Him in our world as his missionary disciples empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring to humanity the Good News of the Father's love manifested and given in Jesus, the Divine Mercy. G.S.
© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
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