Georgia State Games Commission

	Lighten Up Georgia - Weekly Tip 5 WWW.LIGHTENUPGEORGIA.ORG "Fighting Obesity - One Step At A Time" Georgia Sports Foundation * P.O. Box 2043 * Kennesaw, GA 30156-9100 (770) 528-3580 * (770) 528-3590 Fax * jseagra6@kennesaw.edu
Release: February 28, 2005 Basic Elements of a Workout Every Exercise session should consist of four elements: Warm-Up Stretch The Workout Cool Down In an actual session, these should be done together and in order. Let's look at each element individually, and then put them together for a simple workout. Warming up means, literally raising your body temperature and warming up the muscles. After the warm-up, do some light stretching to increase flexibility. A gentle warm-up increases blood flow to the muscles and reduces your chances of getting injured with a muscle strain, pull, or related injury. Aerobic exercise such as walking or light jogging will help prepare you for the workout. Stretch it out. After your warm-up, gently stretch out your muscles. This will increase your range of motion of the muscle and joints. Stretching is a very important aspect of fitness. It will help make your workouts more effective and help post-workout recovery. It is also a good idea to lightly stretch after your main workout set and cool-down. Be sure to stretch all the different muscle groups, including upper and lower body. Don't bounce during your stretch; hold each stretch 20-30 seconds to let the muscles fully relax. Don't force, or over stretch the muscles. You should never feel pain during a stretch. Breathing is also very important during stretching. Don't hold your breath. Breathe deeply. The Workout should include aerobic conditioning, and/or strength training. Aerobic exercise should be started slowly and can increase over time. Strength training refers to weight-bearing or resistance exercise, usually preformed with machines, dumbbells, or body weight. Walking, running, cycling and swimming, are some of the most common of aerobic exercises. You should monitor your heart rate during aerobic exercise to target your training zone (to be covered on another tip). Other workouts such as Yoga and Pilates are great choices also. Like anything new, starting an exercise program must be done with careful planning and regular practice. Generally, I suggest evaluating your schedule to figure out where you can feasibly fit in just 15 to 20 minutes of walking. For most beginners, two or three days per week are a good start, simply because it is manageable. Once you feel that you can comfortably fit two or three 20-minute walks or the activity of your choice into your schedule, you can begin to lengthen the time. For example, if you're walking Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 20 minutes, add five minutes onto one or two days a week. Stick with that for a while (generally three or four weeks) before adding on more time. Your goal? Four-five days of cardiovascular exercise for 45 to 60 minutes. Don't worry about reaching that goal today or even tomorrow. Pace yourself. Remember, too much too soon is what causes most people to quit exercising or become injured. The Cool-down, starts at the end of the main workout session, slowing down and gradually lowering your heart rate. Take at least 10 minutes to cool down, followed by some light stretching again to enhance muscle recovery and reduce post-workout soreness. Same general rules apply as the warm-up. Let's put it all together for a basic beginner exercise session: Warm-up: Walk, jog, or ride a stationary bike for 10 minutes - easy Stretch: 5-10 minutes Workout: Walk, Run, or Bike for 20-30 minutes, keeping your heart rate below 70% of your Maximum heart rate. Cool-down: Walk or Ride slowly for 5-10 minutes decreasing your heart rate below 50% of maximum or below 100-110 bpm, slowing down to a gradual stop Stretch: Overall body stretch for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy your workout session! Success Secret: Build team unity with a monthly gathering of your teammates - hold a potluck and have team members bring low-calorie dishes along with the recipes or plan an activity-based event. --END-- WWW.LIGHTENUPGEORGIA.ORG
Remember: March 4, 2005: Remember to turn in your teams weekly activity report. April 2, 2005: Georgia Games Cheerleading/Dance Championships May 7, 2005: Cobb Cup (Team Handball) July 8-17, 2005: Georgia Games Championships August 6, 2005: Run For Life (Road Race) September 12, 2005: Bandy & Bailey Golf Jam WWW.GEORGIAGAMES.ORG

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