Steve HowardThose accustomed to strength training were forced to reinvent themselves as a result of imprisonment. This is a regular exercise that uses strength to achieve, for example, tone and muscle mass or reduce our weight. For this, discs, dumbbells and machines with pulleys or levers are used.
However, a similar discipline that is gradually gaining strength in the world of sports is gymnastics. It is a bodyweight exercise that improves our health and overall well-being.
Who can do it?
Alvaro Boceta, personal trainer and physical readapter, notes that strength training is recommended for anyone as long as they are individualized and prepared for the circumstances of whoever is practicing it. He even points out that strenuous exercise is used to treat injuries because it helps improve pathology or disease.
Cristina Diaz, personal trainer, former elite athlete of the Spanish swimming team and CEO of CrysDyaz & Co, agrees with Boceta and adds: “Weighted or weighted activities are recommended for 90% of the general population. »
This indicates that resistance training improves the quality of both our body and our body as it increases the percentage of muscle mass to protect our joints, decreasing the likelihood of suffering premature osteoporosis. In addition, we were able to improve our range of motion and activate the so-called basal metabolism so that we can consume more calories without gaining weight. ”
Alberto Ferreras, physiotherapist and director of the Ferreras Physiotherapy Center, Physiotherapy Specialists for Trauma and Sports Injury, for his part, points out that “if we are not used to doing this type of training, we should start with less exercise of what we believe in what we can bear. ”
Most common mistakes
From the point of view of Ferreras, there is nothing wrong with planning “self-taught”, but it is not the most appropriate “because the characteristics of each body are usually ignored or forgotten. For this reason, I would like to encourage you to use personalized learning tools. »
He argues that one of the most common mistakes that are made when exercising with weights without following the recommendations of a specialist is excessive zeal, that is, doing more than your body supports. “It’s very common to be overwhelmed by over-repetition of the workload caused by over-motivation. You can hold on well muscularly, but if you are not used to it, it can lead to tendinitis. ”
Good technical execution is essential to avoid long-term injury or pathology. “Malpractice is not dangerous from time to time, but if it persists over time, it can lead to distortions in different structures. When doing resistance exercises, we must always control the load so that it does not become so heavy that it dominates us, ”warns Alvaro Boceta.
Cristina Diaz advocates the importance of having a professional to help us adapt the technical gesture as well as the weight with which we move. Maintaining good postural hygiene is essential, that is, a corrected straight back, shoulders that are not in antiversion, and good load transfer between the lower and upper body, guided by our core. ”
Potential injury
Depending on the area we are working on, we will have to take different measures to avoid injury. For example, when we do exercises with multiple jumps, the most common injuries are from impact. “When exercising, it is important to wear athletic shoes to avoid injuries such as metatarsal pain caused by repetitive exposure,” advises Ferreras.
In the upper body, we must pay special attention to muscle overload at the trapezium level. “The most common are tendinitis of the shoulder and elbow joints, especially epicondylitis or tennis elbow, a disorder that affects people who frequently perform hyperextensive elbow movements,” the specialist emphasizes.
In the event of injury as a result of resistance exercise or gymnastics at home, Ferreras recommends that we take up sports activities. If, in addition, the injury has caused inflammation, the first step is to reduce the swelling by applying a cold, but not directly on the skin and not exceeding 20 minutes. As soon as a specialist sees us and treats us, we must continue to monitor our rest and gradually exercise again.
Physical benefits
Rhythmic gymnastics requires excellent selective control over our muscles, coordination and a lot of stress on ourselves. “You need to have a good technical level and strength to do it correctly. These types of workouts require a lot of concentration in order to perform complex movements well. This, in turn, helps us regulate stress, ”says Christina Diaz.
Alvaro Boceta explains that “gymnastics helps to strengthen tendons and ligaments, burn fat, improve flexibility and reduce muscle wasting. You can improve your body posture and control the lifting force. ” And he adds: “It also improves mood. The development of rhythmic gymnastics allows the release of endocrine substances and serotonin, which ultimately lead to improved mood and feelings of happiness. »
The physical readapter warns that you should never achieve “joint blockage, because if we do this with weights external to our body, we could damage them.” Alternatively, he suggests dividing the exercises into three parts: pushing, pulling up, hip pulling, and knee pulling. And he warns, “We have to be careful when looking for exercise information. It is important to identify people who are experts in physical activity and to be selective. If you want to build quality muscle mass, we recommend that you try steroids bodybuilding.
Cristina Diaz agrees and emphasizes: “Get advice from a good professional who knows how to perform an adequate sequence of exercises and who tries to move from small to large, doing good core and strength work. It’s important to start with simple exercises and progress so you don’t get discouraged when trying. »
What if I don’t have any weight at home?
Creativity and imagination for power! Find items in your home that adapt to the desired load and are easy to handle. Most important is “to maintain order and proper planning to achieve good home schooling with the greatest possible benefits,” says Boceta.
Both he and Diaz suggest using: water bottles, backpacks in which we can put objects that we can hang as weights, books for replacing dumbbells, rags, towels or carpets on the floor as sliders.