Having lean muscles forms a natural body armor for your organs, bones, and joints. They also are the site for fat metabolism, which help you burn more calories and keep you lean. Keep your muscles and joints healthy by exercising regularly, eat a balanced and nutritious diet, and get regular maintenance care to avoid stiffness, injury, and pain.
Regular Exercise
Anaerobic exercise does not require your body to use oxygen to do work. These exercises include weight lifting, sprinting, and jumping. Skeletal muscles grow under anaerobic conditions, and after a high-intensity workout, it takes about 24 to 48 hours to undergo self-repair and to adapt for the next training session.
Aerobic exercise keeps your cardiovascular and respiratory systems strong and improves circulation in the muscles and joints. Both types of exercises boost fat metabolism and helps to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. For best results, perform anaerobic exercises before doing a session of aerobics.
Mobility
Muscles, joints, and connectives tissues all must have full range of motion in order for you to move properly and without pain and stiffness. There are three ways to improve your mobility, which are static flexibility, dynamic flexibility, and self-myofascial release (SMR).
Static flexibility is holding a stretch for a specific amount of time, usually about 20 to 30 seconds. This elongates and relaxes the tissues, and it should be done after training. An example of this type of flexibility would be the downward dog position that is done in yoga.
Dynamic flexibility is moving your joints to their full range of motion with repetitive patterns. It activates your nervous system, increases body temperature, and improves tissue extensibility. This should be done before training or a workout.
SMR is a self-massage technique that releases adhesions and tension from muscles and connective tissues. When you roll the foam roller on your muscles and you find a tender spot, hold the position and gently rub the area until the tenderness decreases significantly or goes away. You can do SMR for your entire back, hip, and legs with limited access to your shoulders, chest, and neck.
Massage Therapy
Although there are several types of massage therapy, they all release tight adhesions in your muscles and connective tissues to improve circulation and elasticity. The main difference between massage therapy and the previous two methods is that a professional is doing the work for you. This allows you to relax and the tissues to be worked on by using external pressure and force.
If you are not sure where to go, ask a family member or a friend for a referral. Try out different massage techniques and see which method is best for you.
References
- "Athletic Body in Balance"; Gray Cook ; 2003
- "Stretch to Win"; Ann and Chris Frederick; 2006
