Body Exercises: Meaning and Importance

Exercise is the way we exert the muscles of the body for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness. The activities to exert the body may include running, jumping, dancing, singing, walking, climbing, throwing, playing, etc. When we perform these activities, each affected muscles of the body in the arms, stomach, thighs, legs, back, shoulders and other parts of the body respond to the stimuli of the activities thereby making them relax and be in shape, ready for work.

Importance of Exercises to the Body

Exercises are very important to the body. Different exercises have effect on different parts of the body. Exercises are therefore important for the following:

1. Exercises help to hasten digestion of the food we eat;

2. Exercises help us remain trim;

3. They help to strengthen the body for active work. That is, they make the body strong;

4. Exercises help us to eat well and go to toilet normally;

5. Exercises help us to breathe well;

6. Exercises help the blood to circulate normally in the body;

7. Exercises help to keep us healthy and make us look smart always;

8. Exercises help to prolong our life;

9. Exercises help to make us become mentally alert for learning;

10. Exercises make us sleep well;

Sultable Exercises for some Parts of the Body

There are many suitable exercises for different parts of the body such as stomach, waistline, bust and shoulder.

Exercises to Flatten the Stomach

To flatten your stomach, perform the following exercises:

i. Lie flat on your back on the floor, with your arms at your sides and your feet together

ii. Slowly raise your legs, keeping your knees straight until your legs are at a right angle to your bottom and your stomach.

iii. Very slowly, lower your legs to the floor without raising up your body.

iv. Breathe in as you raise your legs and out as you lower your legs.

Exercise to Strengthen the Muscles of the Abdomen

To do this, carry out the following:

i. Lie on your back with your legs stretched out in front of you and your arms folded across your chest.

ii. Allow somebody to hold your ankles or put them under the leg of some heavy furniture that cannot be lifted easily.

iii. Gradually raise your body to a sitting position; lower it back again.

iv. Breathe in as you sit up and breathe out as you lie down on your back.

Exercises for Trimming the Thighs

The following will help a great deal:

i. Lie face down on the floor, bend your legs up from the knees.

ii. Use your hands to hold your feet or ankle.

iii. Raise your upper body including your head and neck, rock backwards and forwards many

times.

iv. Relax and repeat the exercise.

Another exercise for the thigh is as follows:

i. Kneel down with your hands on the ground and your face raised up looking straight ahead.

ii. Breathe in and stretch your left leg backwards,stretching your toes also.

iii. Breathe out and bring the left knee between your hands.

iv. Repeat ii and iii with your right leg and continue.

Exercises to Improve the Waistline

Exercises can be useful for improving the waistline. Many activities could be performed for its improvement but the following ones are good:

i. Stand straight on your feet; your legs apart.

ii. Put your hands on your hips.

iii. Face forward, bend forward and turn quick from the waist to the left, return to the front and bend and turn to the right, then turn to the front. The legs should be firm on the ground; repeat faster many times.

Another Exercise for the waistline is as follows

i. Stand on your feet with legs tight together.

ii. Bend from your waist and try to touch your toes with your right hand while looking straight.

iii. Return to standing position and repeat the bending of your waist. Try to touch your right toes with your left hand. Repeat the exercise many times.

Exercise for Bust and Shoulders

The following exercises are good for the improvement of the bust and shoulders:

i. Stand with your feet slightly apart. With your hands held above the head, breathe in.

ii. Bend to the left side and return to position (i) above and breathe out.

iii. Breathe in and bend to the right side. Return to standing position and breathe out.

Exercise to Improve the Bust

1. Sit on the back of your leg, with your bottom on your feet while your legs are parallel with your thighs.

2. Lock your fingers behind your back, palms facing the floor. Breathe in.

3. Breathe out, and as you do so, stretch your hands as high as you can behind you without straightening yourself.

4. Keep your hands straight and let your forehead touch the ground or as close as you can. Breathe out.

lmprovlng the shoulders

Another easy exercise for improving the shoulders is standing straight and holding a stick behind you with your hands stretched backwards. Hold the stick behind you to the count of ten, then lower it. Repeat this exercise many times.

Use of drugs In Exercises and Sports

There are some drugs that are used in exercises and sports. Some of them are good while some of them are bad. Drugs to be taken for exercises should receive the approval of a qualified medical doctor. Some drugs are used to cure injuries during exercises. During exercises, one may sustain injuries such as sprain, dislocation, muscle pull, fracture, bruises and wounds. There are some simple drugs one can use to help heal these minor injuries. It is necessary to have a first-aid box that contains some of the following: lubricants such as embrocation and transversine; ointment such as balm for softening the muscles; and pain relieving drugs.

Drugs have the following advantages:

1. Drugs help to relax the muscles:

2. Drugs help normal blood flow in veins and arteries;

3. Drugs help to reduce discomfort generally:

4. Drugs help to reduce pain from the ligament that may be injured, especially at the joint such as legs, hands, wrists. and shoulders;

5. Drugs help to increase performance during exercises.

There are some hard drugs which people take to improve performance during exercises or sports like running, dancing and singing. People believe that those drugs help them to perform better and reduce shyness. Such drugs include steroids of different kinds: weeds, such as marijuana and cocaine. These drugs should be avoided because of their bad effects on the body.

Effects of using Hard drugs in Exercises and Sports

Hard drugs have bad effects on the body. The use of such drugs have the following effects:

1. It causes much damage to the brain cells. The individual involved in the use of hard drugs may develop mental problems and behave abnormally;

2. It reduces body coordination after some time;

3. It may bring about other body illnesses such as cough and cancer. It makes the nerves

weak if not taken regularly and thereby makes individual become addicted;

4. It reduces the lifespan of individuals involved;

5. It reduces the intelligence of individuals involved;

6. It affects the body muscle; and

7. It reduces appetite for food thereby affecting the whole body system.

Guidelines for Exercising the Body

There are some guidelines to follow for body exercises.

1. The rules of exercises must be obeyed. Each exercise has its own rules and procedures that must be followed when practising it.

2. Wear the correct gear when performing the exercise.

3. Practise the exercise in a suitable environment. There are some exercises that require special environment.

4. Use the correct materials and equipment for each exercise.

5. Follow the instructor’s guide during the exercise.

6. Avoid exercising immediately after meal.

7. Keep exercise materials or equipment well for other times.

8. Practice an exercise to master it.

9. Treat simple injuries during exercise and report big ones to a qualified medical doctor.