Kenneth Gardner
DONNETTE AND Sandra have been enjoying the benefits of their investments in the bulge project. Their diaries have indicated that the exercises have become easy; there has been a reduction in Donnett's waistline. She can now wear smaller size clothing and obviously feels much better about herself. They have been exercising as often as possible but in moderation to avoid some of the drawbacks of the overuse syndrome to which many new enthusiasts succumb. Sandra is still experiencing pain in her knees which we need to be conscious of. Nonetheless, we have been applying the progression principle to the exercise routine in order to take advantage of the improvements that are being experienced from the exercises. Because the exercises are now easy, they have been exercising for a longer period of time which will improve their cardio-respiratory system. Their heart and lungs will be able to perform more efficiently. They will experience improvement in their muscular endurance, their flexibility, body composition and muscle strength.
DECREASE IN DRESS SIZE
The decrease in dress size, waist line and the improvements in the muscle tone are excellent examples of what a balanced diet and exercise can do to battle the bulge in any weight management programme. Even though there might not be any weight loss in some situations it shows that you can change your body composition by reducing your size with diet and exercise. When you exercise, the body uses more fats to provide energy and the muscles improve their tone as our participants have been recognising.
The physical exercise has been behaving like a psychoactive drug by influencing the way the participants have been thinking, feeling and acting. We should not be surprised; exercise is medicinal as well as addictive. This should make it easier for us to understand why Donnette is appreciating her body much more as well as feeling so much better about herself.
Try a little physical exercise after a hard day's work and see how refreshing it feels. It can improve your mood, clarify your thinking and ease the tension, and provide an outlet for anger or aggression. Exercise triggers many biochemical changes in your body that can alter your mood. As you exercise it stimulates the release of hormones such as endorphins that suppress fatigue, decrease pain and produce euphoria (a sense of well being). This psychoactive effect that exercise has on the body makes it potentially addictive. With all the observable changes that have taken place it is also easy to take them for granted. However, to maintain those changes Donnette and Sandra must continue to exercise as well as make changes to the programme from time to time for even better results. They have been advised to maintain the frequency, consistency and increase the length of the exercise sessions to retain as well as improve on the achievements gained so far. Changes in the exercise programme are based on the fact that the body is adapting to the level of stress that the programme presents. Thus the exercise prescription must similarly reflect adjustments in one or more of the following: frequency, intensity and duration.
Based on individual differences persons will vary in the maximum level of fitness they can achieve. We need to assess each individual's current level of fitness and set realistic goals and choose activities that will develop their individual fitness needs. Both participants are following exercise programmes that are different at the moment because of their individual differences. However, they should both achieve wellness levels that are ideal for their individual needs.
Kenneth Gardner is an exercise physiologist at the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
