CHANGING ROOM CHAT..FEBRUARY. First one!

[Oldfloss]

Okay everyone...

You thought I had forgotten it was a new month didn't you! Well,, I had put a Chat out and thought I need to wait a while before getting this one out.

Our next chat will be on Wednesday, as usual!

Take a seat and sit a while... time to catch your breath!

So... what the heck have I been finding out about this week?

Well. Everything moves on and although many exercises that keep us all strong for our chosen main sport, still work and still impact our core strength and our stamina., there are always new things ( for me, anyway), to explore.… And share, obviously.

Isometrics! Yup. I was sorting out my studio and I found on one of my shelves an old book. It was a give away with a newspaper and was a paperback guide to Isometrics, which for a while, yonks ago when I was younger were all the rage!

I still do a few Isometric stretches at times... and I thought, right, I. will look more into this!

Isometrics.

What are they?

Isometric exercises, also known as static strength training, are contractions of a particular muscle for an extended period of time.  Okay...

Why?

Using Isometrics on our training, has, apparently a two-fold benefit; of injury prevention and strength building. These exercises provide just what we all need to try and achieve, a strong and sound foundation of strength. When we are making a comeback from the injury couch, they are particularly useful.

How?

The idea is, that you focus on a certain area of your body...and then you do different variations of the pose or move .

As you move on... the impact of the exercise, if you maintain the routine, can help to increase our strength and our stamina. This, for our running community especially, is good news!

The next good thing? Unlike a fair few of the more dynamic exercise routines, there is a much lower risk of incurring any injury! No high impact and no tricky moves... Yeay!!!

So what exercises shall we do?

There are obviously a load out there and for each part of our body, so, I suppose you look at the ones which you feel may be beneficial to you your chosen sport. Legs for walking and running? Arms and legs for cycling, and of course anything for strength and stamina?

So, for example, a couple of the ones I still do, but have sort of forgotten that they are isometric, are for my hands; odd, I know, but I have arthritis in a few joints and I use certain isometric exercises to maintain strength in my fingers and keep them supple.

I hold each pose for 6 seconds... breathing normally throughout, I count, One thousand one, one thousand two, etc. I do one standing, back to a wall, reaching above my head with either arm..

The hand and arm ones could be so good for cyclists or rowers! ( CBDB maybe does these).

I am just going to put a couple or so exercises here, which I found.

Calf raise.

This is of course an old favourite for many sports.

Ideal for strength and balance.

This can be done with or without support for your balance. Start by using both legs, raise your heels and lift your body off the ground. Once you get as high as you can go, hold this position for 1 minute, then slowly come back down. ( I always start with less time and building time up for the exercise).

You can then add some seconds on as you get more proficient. Advancing to one leg at a time and without any support.

Repeat once or twice a week.

Chair Squat. ( I love my squats )!

Really good for body and leg strength.

When you begin this, use a wall to lean against, and put your back flat against the wall.

Slide down until you reach a 90 degree angle.

Keep your back straight and flat against the wall, take a good deep breath before you begin and hold that position... start with a minute and as you move on, extend the time to reach about a hold for seven or eight minutes.

Advancing on. Practice this and move away, from the wall, until you are able to squat and hold the chair position unsupported.

Shoulder Strength.

* Stand facing a wall.

* Bend the elbow on the side of the shoulder you want to exercise and make a fist.

* Place a folded towel between your fist and the wall, and gently press your hand into the wall.

* Hold for five seconds, and then slowly release.

* Don't push... just exert gentle pressure.

These are just a tip of an iceberg... or an Iso-berg! Ha Ha!

Scroll round and see what you come up with? You may just find something that will hit the spot for a particular area of your body. It can be done easily and without equipment and may be just what you need. Anything, we can add do our routines that gives us strength, stamina and improvement on posture and balance has just got to be good!

Enough from me... your turn now.

Have you any experience of, do you do any isometric exercise, or anything similar.

Planks feature a lot in there somewhere, but I feel for many folk they are not a regular part of their exercise and I know for me, they did and still do need regular practice to be useful! Maybe it is just 'cos I am older!

Anyway... looking forward to see a few of you ...and to hear your experiences and thoughts.

Oldfloss x

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

isometrics! Heard the word a lot but had totally forgotten what it meant. Not sure if my post row stretches are isometrics (see pics) but I do hold the stretches in a static way.

The pic is the set of arm stretches. The legs are separate as I do the leg stretches for both post run and post row, but the arms I only do after rowing.

Interesting!

Stretches

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to CBDB]

They really do impact more than you think... I feel a few exercise are isometric based... I know my hands and my fingers are very strong...and my upper arm strength...

[alpacagirl]

I have been supporting my 90 year old parents by visiting once a week to change the beds etc., as it’s a 100 mile round trip, I often listen to the radio on the way down - this week Michael Moseley’s ‘Just One Thing’ was about isometric exercises - specifically The Plank and The Wall Squat! Apparently these particular exercises have a big effect on lowering blood pressure as well as exercising hard to exercise deep core muscles. They suggest 4x reps of 30 seconds with 2min rest daily. I have been having a go - I found all the 2 minute breaks a bit longwinded so alternated planks and wall squats.

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to alpacagirl]

I am so, so sorry that i missed your reply!

Thank you for popping in here and sharing that... I listened to that afterwards on BBC radio catch up! I am not a planker, although I did do ju-ju- s plank challenge many years ago, but the wall squat is good !

The benefit of some exercises is incredible. And have a far reaching effect on parts of the body which we may not expect. Thank you. and I apologise for this very very late reply.

You have got a lot on with that journey and the ongoing responsibility for the aged parents. I had the same with my own Mum... but she was only just around the corner from me.. so very, very much easier.

Well done you on making sure that you are taking care of yourself... mind and body x

[alpacagirl in reply to Oldfloss]

Thank you Oldfloss. You give up your time for these busy forums so don’t apologise! Seeing how frail my mum is (under 6 stone soaking wet but she did have cancer 35 years ago which badly affected her ability to eat enough) I am determined to try and keep my muscles as strong as I can - can’t afford gym membership so these forums are so encouraging.

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to alpacagirl]

Oh my...well done to you... my heart goes out to you...take care of your Mum and carry on taking care of you x