Exercise On Your Back
Original Exercises On Your Back
Overall
The important thing to remember in doing these exercises, is that they are not building you for competitive status. They are to simply keep you in shape for doing those things which you normally do, or to give you an edge when you suddenly need a set of muscles which you do not normally use. The exercises are there basically for upkeep, maintenance, and the provision of emergency capabilities. They may even make you younger for longer but there is no proof of this. However, if you feel you can do those things which are natural for a younger set, then your attitude about yourself will change and may actually keep you younger longer.
Timing
During the exercises, take your time. Some of the exercises will go faster than others. There are sometimes longer waits in between some exercises before starting the next. The whole session may take longer than usual. Again, feel your body's potential at this particular time and flow with it. Never set yourself a time schedule in terms of how long each exercise will last, the length of the whole session, the date on which you want to have reached a certain level. Time must be malleable because there are many factors which enter into the equation which effect the timing.
Rest in between. Do some and then wait and do the rest. But if there is more than an hour between parts, do the warm-up all over again.
Set a goal for yourself in terms of the level of exercise you want to achieve over all, but do not attempt to reach that goal no matter what. On the other hand, never set a time limit, either on the particular session or on the level you are aiming at achieving.
Some days, I actually fall asleep in the middle. When I wake up, I continue where I left off - if I remember. This is not an endurance test.
Setting Levels
What level do you want to reach which will mean you are in good shape? Do not be unrealistic. Remember this is for keeping you going, making it so that you can do things without being out of breath, things which you need to do which take greater endurance or strength than you presently have. Also, it may take you a year to get to the level you feel you want to achieve. So let it take a year.
Alternative Approaches
There may be some exercise which, because of your situation, physical barriers, bed which creaks, time constraints, place to do exercises and time to do them, etc. are better done lying down, sitting up, standing or a combination. All exercises here can be done in all positions.
Keeping Track
If you lose track of the count, just continue from where you thought you might have been. If you forget which ones you did, do only half of the exercise or do not do it at all this session.
Keep a list and check them off.
There is no order in which to do them.
Usually alternate between upper body and lower body.
Do whichever exercise comes into your head as you go.
The important thing is to exercise the different muscles and to get you running smoothly.
On Natural Cycles
Sometimes you will hit a plateau for a number of days or even longer. Stay on that plateau. Do not try to go beyond it, even if it is substantially below what you have attained previously.
Remember that there are periods or cycles in every month - longer than circadian (daily) cycles which effect the total system. When we are down, it is difficult to do what was done previously. And when we are high, we can suddenly do more. Remember that the number you do each time is flexible. The high for a time when you are really physically high should not be set as the new goal from then on. Let your body tell you what the goal is for that day, when enough is enough for right now.
The important thing here is not to push yourself. It does not help.
You many find that some of the exercises you can not do as easily as the others, or you can do it only on one side. Fine. Do not push it. Eventually it will even up. Do as much as is entirely comfortable and stop.
If some of the exercise or even all of them are not done as easily as the day before. No problem. Do what is comfortable. We have daily as well as monthly cycles or rhythms which effect our physical abilities, concentration, desires, etc. Listen to your body. It knows what it can do at any given time.
Exercises We Cannot Do
Sometimes we find that we cannot do an exercise. The leg, arm, hand just does not want to work that way. Once I could not swivel my hand to the right. To the left was o.k. Another time, I could not uncross my legs. In these cases, be very patient. Attempt to do the movement in very slow motion, or use another part of your body to move it gently in the direction it should be able to go. Sometimes this 'training' can take a long time - weeks or longer, but do not give up. It is like realigning the brain, and in some cases perhaps even actually creating new wiring which may have been injured, or depleted somehow.
General
If there is a sound or a feeling that sockets or limbs are not meshing or moving smoothly, change the position of your hands, arms, legs, or the path your limbs are using for doing the exercise, until it is smooth.
Drink water before and after, but do not overdo it. Normally drink enough to replace the sweat which you will be using, plus a little bit extra.
However, in general it is important to drink enough. See the article on drinking water in this issue.
Do not do too much on warm up - its just to get things flowing
. I do 10 of each exercise. When I have finished all 12 warm-ups, I'm ready. Then when you start, do one of the easiest ones first.
If you disagree with one of the exercises, do not do it.
You may feel that there is an exercise or a set of muscles which are not included. Try it out.
Remember that walking is an integral part of this.
The END
© copyright 2008 J. Morgan Thomas All rights reserved
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