Feel good by keeping active.  Playing  outdoor games is a good way to enjoy time with friends and reap the benefits of fresh air and exercise.

We've also provided some advice on stretches and guidance on planning an exercise programme.

Play Boules

The game of boules (also known as pétanque) is part of the traditional view of life in France.  Visit almost any town in France and you will see a group of men playing boules.

The popularity of boules has spread to other countries, and is often played by women as well as men.

Boules is best played on a flat and level surface, but if you are playing for fun you could find a suitable space in your local park.  Those of you who are fortunate to have a back garden may be able to invite friends around for a game.

Traditionally, boules is played with metal balls; you can buy a set from John Lewis for £69.  If you just want to try the game, or are looking for something to play with the family, you may be able to find an inexpensive plastic set in your local toy shop.

For those of you wanting to enter into the serious spirit of the game, here is a link to the rules of the game.

The main benefit of playing boules is social; you will not burn a lot of calories with this game.  Checking an on-line calorie calculator, it appears that a woman weighing 125 pounds (about 9 stone) would burn 86 calories in 30 minutes.  In reality, the calories consumed would be less because you would probably spend more time talking or watching others play than actually playing yourself.

For purposes of comparison, 30 minutes of brushing your teeth (as if anyone would do that!) would burn approximately 71 calories.

We advocate playing games such as boules as a way to enjoy warm weather, spend time with friends and family and generally enjoy life.                                                                                               

Feeling ‘squashed’? Enjoy a good streeeeeeeeeetch.

These stretches are for those in good health. If you have medical concerns, check with your doctor before attempting stretches or any other exercise programme. Never force or bounce a stretch, injuries can result. Everyone person is different, so listen to your body. What is a good stretch for one person might not be for another.

Tight muscles can pull the joints out of alignment, causing tension, restricting range of movement and causing excess wear and tear on the joint. There are many reasons for back pain but it can be due to tight muscles. Our bodies all vary. For example, the shape of the hip socket is something we cannot change, but it dictates much of our range of movement in the hip. Stretching can allow increase in range of movement by allowing the muscles to lengthen.

The benefits of stretching include; a greater range of movement, less likelihood of sore muscles, less muscle fatigue and improved muscular function.

Kneeling Reach Forward Stretch.

Kneel with your buttocks on your feet. Reach forward along the floor with your hands. Your head is resting between your arms.

If you wish to moderate the stretch, popping a cushion under the knees creates extra space for the knee joint.

This is a lovely stretch for the back.

Main muscle stretched: Latissimus dorsi.

Lying Knee to Chest Stretch

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor. Draw one knee up to your chest. Hug with your hands under the knee. By hugging under the knee rather than on top, you are avoiding compressing the knee joint. Slide the other leg away from you along the floor.

This lovely stretch is for the bottom and the back. It also facilitates a little releasing of the muscles at the front of the leg if they are tight.

Main muscle stretched: Gluteus maximus  

Lying Double Knee to Chest Stretch

Lie on your back, keeping your head on the ground. Bring one knee up to the chest, then bring the other up to join it. Hug with your hands under the knees. By hugging under the knees rather than on top, you are avoiding compressing the knee joint.

This stretches muscles in the bottom and the back.

Main muscle stretched: Gluteus maximus 

Lying Whole Body Stretch

Lie on your back. Slide one leg away from you along the floor, then slide the other one away too so that both legs are lengthened away from you resting on the ground. Push though your heels drawing your toes towards your face. Feel the stretch through the calves. Keeping your chest gently drawn in so that the back does not arch up, take both arms over the head in the direction of the floor (they will not touch the floor). Keep lengthened through your wrists and the fingers.

This is a lovely whole body stretch.

Main muscles stretched: Serratus anterior and Latissimus dorsi 

Lying Bent Knee Hamstring Stretch

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Bring one knee to the chest, holding the leg under the thigh, Slowly lengthen the foot away in the direction of the ceiling as if you were aiming to straighten the leg. Try to keep the tailbone down on the mat and the shoulders drawn down away from your ears. Optional: slide the other leg away from you straightening it out along the floor.

This is a hamstring stretch to lengthen the muscles at the back of the upper leg.

Main muscles stretched: Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus, Biceps femoris.

Remember:

Warm up before stretching with moderate activity of about ten minutes. Never try to stretch a cold, tense muscle.

Move slowly and carefully into stretches.

Stretch just to the point of tension. Do not attempt to force a stretch.

Be patient. Results take time, especially if you are more senior in years.

Keep breathing whilst you stretch; avoid holding your breathe.

Hold your stretch for around twenty to thirty seconds. Perform  stretches twice if you have the time.

Planning Your Exercise Programme

Exercise has many benefits. For a start, endorphins are released, giving your mood a lift,  increasing your sense of wellbeing. If you are a little overweight, exercise assists in loosing those flabby bits when combined with a healthy diet. Muscular strength can improve too, together with your balance, co-ordination and blood pressure. Regular exercise may also lower the risk of some cancers and diabetes and weight bearing exercise may help to maintain bone density. Functional fitness isn't training for a martathon, it's keeping fit to carry out the activities in our daily lives and maintain a healthy body as far as is under our control.

There are five main areas to consider. Aerobic, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and motor fitness. Our abilities in these areas are influenced by our body shape.  

Aerobic exercise is necessary for heart health. We need to maintain a good supply of oxyen to our muscles. This is exercise such as walking at a reasonable pace (not a slow stroll), swimming, football, netball, tennis, badminton, dancing and cycling. If you join a gym, there are cardio vascular machines that you can use such as the cross trainer too. Aerobic exercise may mean that you become a little breathless, but you shouldn’t allow yourself to become exhausted, for example, you should be able to hold a conversation whilst walking at a pace. Activities such as gardening and housework can also be aerobic, depending on the intensity.

Muscular Strength.

This refers to the power of a muscle to contract e.g. to lift a weight. Training to maintain/improve muscular strength could include the use of resistance bands or weights, activities such as rock climbing or some martial arts plus the weight bearing moves in mat-work classes such as pilates.

Core strength exercises focus on working the deep internal muscles that support the spine, thus reducing possibility of back problems in many individuals. Fitball workouts and pilates can increase core fitness.

M

Muscular Endurance

This refers to how well a muscle can contract repeatedly for an extended time without cramping up.

Flexibility

Flexibility is largely determined by how our bones fit together, for example, consider the influence of the shape of the hip socket on the movement of the joint. This we cannot control, but we can influence the length of the muscles surrounding the joint with stretches. 

M

Motor Fitness

This is how well your nervous system functions regarding sending signals to your muscles affecting areas such as co-ordination and balance.

Flexibility

This is largely determined by the shape of our joints but we can influence the stretch of the surrounding muscles. You may find the following link helpful:

http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/Stretching_Exercises.htm

The current official recommendation is that healthy adults achieve a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five times a week, although some believe that the word ‘moderate’ is often being interpreted a little too gently! You do need to become slightly breathless (slightly is the word here, don't overdo thingsm either) to gain benefit to your heart health.

It is important to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise regime if you have any concerns at all. For those with medical conditions such as heart, back or joint problems, or who are new to exercise, this is especially important. Strength training may need to be more moderate for those with heart problems.  Exercise has many benefits for most pregnant women, but, if you’re pregnant do check with your doctor or midwife regarding the suitability of the type of exercise. For example, contact sports (where there could be abdominal injury) and activities which involve exercises lying on the back (due to the weight of baby affecting the blood flow whilst exercising) would be unsuitable.

Example of Exercise Programme:

Walking or cycling three times a week for thirty minutes becoming slightly breathless. Stretches following session.

Covered- Cardiac, strength, endurance if cycling and motor fitness. Stretch.

Dance class once a week. Cardiac, strength, endurance and motor fitness. Stretches may also be covered depending on the class.

Housework which makes you a little out of breath at various times throughout the week. Cardiac, strength and endurance.

A routine of whole body stretches for a few minutes a day would complete this programme.

Below is a list of cheap, simple ways to integrate more exercise into you daily life, many of which are indoor activities for rainy or cold days. Have a look and see if you’d like to add any into your week:

Walk to a friend’s house instead of taking the car.

Have a turn at skipping with your child’s rope.

Turn the television off for an hour in the evening and get busy with cleaning the house.

Park the car a little further from your place of work and walk or get off the bus a stop earlier than usual.

Use the stairs instead of the lift.

Play hide and seek, hunt the thimble or a ball game with your child, grandchild,

niece, nephew etc.

Play twister, it’s weight bearing (don’t do this if you have a bad back).

Take the kids to the park.

If it’s practical, walk to talk to colleagues at work rather than using e-mail.

Do some feather dusting around the house, reach those high up cobwebs!

Take a walk to the newsagents to pay the paper bill.

Find that long forgotten exercise video or dvd, dust it off, watch it all the way through first to check it’s OK for you to do, then if so, get active!

Have a hunt for neglected fitness equipment. Do you have a stability ball, stretch band, exercise bike, hand weights or similar lurking in the depths of your home unused? If so, you know what to do!

Go shopping (see Pat’s feature in Style). You will need to walk.

Get dancing indoors to your favourite music, you could even grab your partner!

Take the family, or yourself, swimming.

Go for a brisk walk just for the sake of it.  If you walk with a partner/friend, this can make it more fun.

Wash the paintwork in one room.

Tidy up the garden if you have one.

Visit you local museum or art gallery, you will have to walk around rather that sitting at home watching TV and eating.

Walk to your local duck pond to feed the ducks.

Walk to the library to borrow books or dvds for the winter evenings.

Visit the zoo.

Go for a walk in the woods.

Join a conservation group and participate in practical projects.

Join a local walking group such as The Ramblers Association.

Participate in a health walk (your local council sports centre may have details). 

If your finances stretch to it you could consider the following:

Take the family/friends bowling.

Book a badminton or indoor tennis court.

Go ice skating.

Visit a National Trust Property or similar (a few open in winter, check first).



return to HOME page