Fitness Modules Quick Links

| Fitness Introduction | Flexibility Training | Aerobic Exercise | Strength Training |

 

Fitness Introduction ::

 

Written by :: Dustin Valley, Exercise Physiologist ::

 

Effects of Aging

 

  • Increased body fat
  • Decreased strength
  • Decreased endurance
  • Increased muscle and joint stiffness
  • Increased recovery time between workouts

 

The Asymmetrical Sport of Bowling

 

The one-sided nature of bowling creates strength and flexibility imbalances across individual joints and between the right and left side of your body.

 

  • Wrist: Strong and shortened flexors, weak and loose extensors.
  • Elbow: Strong bicep, weak tricep.
  • Shoulder: Increased wear and tear on bowling shoulder.
  • Trunk: Stronger trunk muscles on opposite side of bowling arm.
  • Hips: Tight hip flexors and stronger buttock muscles on slide leg.
  • Thigh: Stronger thigh muscles and looser hamstrings on slide leg.

 

Remedy is twofold:

 

  1. Learn to bowl and practice at least as half as many games on the other side as you do with your dominate arm.
  2. Engage in aerobic, strength and flexibility exercises.

 

Why Exercise?

 

  • Improved overall health, decreased susceptibility to many diseases
  • Delay or reduce the effects of aging.
  • Balance out the asymmetries created from one sided activities.
  • Gain a competitive edge.

 

In any competition there are many unseen battles being fought:

 

  • Who has practiced the most?
  • Who has better equipment?
  • Who has more experience?
  • Who can perform under pressure?
  • Who has better technique?
  • Who has better coaching?
  • Who can read and adjust to the changing or difficult lane conditions?
  • Who can intimidate or psych-out the competition?
  • Who is more physically fit?

 

In any sport, the player who wins the battle of strength, endurance, and flexibility will always have an edge.

 

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Flexibility Training ::

 

Flexibility is the ease at which a joint moves throughout its range of motion. Structures that cause decreased flexibility are tight muscles, tendons, ligaments, and excess adipose tissue (fat). Muscles and tendons that are too tight limit flexibility and freedom of movement.

 

Adverse Effects of Poor Flexibility

 

  • Increased risk of injury: If the joint is moved suddenly or forcefully, particularly if the movement is beyond the joint's normal range of motion.
  • Early muscle fatigue: Muscles work harder when they have to work against the resistance of a tight opposing muscle.
  • Flexibility imbalance around a joint can lead to abnormal wear and tear and decreased performance of the joint.

 

Benefits of Good Flexibility

 

  • Delays the onset of muscle fatigue: It is easier for muscles to do their job when they don't have to overcome the resistance of a tight opposing muscle.
  • Helps eliminate muscle imbalance that are created from asymmetrical sporting and work activities.

 

Training Principles

 

  • Stretches should be done 3-7 times/week.
  • Hold stretches as indicated on exercise sheets.
  • Stretch in your comfort zone. When you feel tension in the muscle, but not pain, you are in the comfort zone for stretching. The zone will change daily due to improved flexibility, soreness from a previous workout, or fatigue. Stretching beyond the comfort zone may cause muscle damage.
  • Work on relaxing when you stretch. Take slow deep breaths while stretching. If you feel the tension go away during a stretch, go a little further until tension is re-established.
  • Take your time, don't be in a hurry.

 

When To Stretch

 

It is best to stretch before and after exercise. However, if given a choice, before or after:

 

  • Stretch before non-aerobic activities like bowling and golf.
  • Stretch after aerobic activities like jogging, cycling, and skating.

 

Stretching Examples

 

On Your Own Stretching Examples Worksheet - . Please print out for future use.

 

Pre-Bowling Stretching Examples Worksheet - Please print out for future use.

 

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Aerobic Exercise ::

 

Aerobic exercise challenges your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. When you engage in aerobic exercise, the cells within the muscles of your body demand more oxygen. Your heart, lungs, and circulatory system responds accordingly to deliver the needed oxygen to the working muscles. If you exercise regularly, your heart, lungs, and circulatory system grow stronger. You burn more energy (which helps in weight control), and you build fatigue-resistant muscles. In addition, you reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

 

Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease

 

  • Age: Older people are more at risk. Men over 55 and women over 65.
  • Gender: Males have higher risk than females.
  • Family History: A history of cardiovascular disease (heart attacks) prior to the age of 55 for men and 65 for women.
  • High Blood Pressure: Resting blood pressure over 140/90 taken on several different occasions indicates possible hypertension.
  • High Cholesterol: Total cholesterol above 200.
  • Diabetes.
  • Smoking.
  • Obesity.
  • Sedentary Lifestyle.

 

Aerobic exercise must involve large muscle groups such as your legs, or arms and legs. Movement must be rhythmical and of adequate intensity and duration. Examples of aerobic exercise include fast walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, skating, rowing, stair climbing, and nordic track.

 

FITT =

F - Frequency; 3-5 times/week

I - Intensity; (220-age) x 70-90% (for an 18 year old = 140-180 beats/minute)

T - Time; 15-60 minutes/session

T - Type; Fast walk, job, bike, swim, skate, etc.

 

Benefits

 

  • Increased endurance
  • Faster recovery from workouts
  • Burns calories and increases metabolism which help keep off excess body fat

 

Overall improvement in health, increased energy, alertness, productivity, and immunity.

 

Aerobic Worksheets:

 

Aerobic Exercise Log - Please print out and keep for future use.

 

Heart Rate/Perceived Exertion Worksheet - Please print out and keep for future use.

 

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Strength Training ::

 

Strength training is the application of a resistance against the range of motion of muscle. A good strength training program incorporates the systematic application of various resistances to all the major muscle groups in the body. To get the most out of your strength training program, the following training principles are recommended:

 

Strength Training Principals

 

  1. Progressive Resistance: As your muscles get stronger you need to gradually increase the resistance over time.
  2. Train Large Muscle Groups First: Perform the larger muscle groups exercises first (bench press, one-arm row, shoulder press, squats, lunges), then train the smaller individual muscles (side raises, bicep curl, tricep extension, knee extension, leg curl, calf raises).
  3. Speed of Movement: While speed training does have its place in sports, the majority of the movements in strength training should be performed in slow controlled fashion. Momentum is the enemy of strength training. A good rule of thumb is a 1-2 second count while you are lifting the weight up (the exertion phase) and a 2-4 second count while you are lowering the weight down (the recovery phase).
  4. Frequency: Each muscle or muscle group should be trained 2-3 times /week with at least 1-2 days between workouts for the muscles to rebuild.
  5. Sets/Reps: Generally speaking, for good health and fitness, 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions is adequate. Rest periods should be at least 30 seconds between each set. The more weight you use, the more time between sets.
  6. Vary Your Workouts: Periodically change some of the components of your workout. For example, change the type of exercise that you do for a given muscle group. (do perhaps instead of bench press, use weight machines instead of free weights, etc) Vary the weight, number of sets, and repetitions every few weeks as seen below:

 

Weeks          Weight          Sets          Repetitions

 

1-2                light              2              25

2-4                moderate       2-3           15

4-6                heavy            3              10

5-7                very heavy     3-5            5

7-9                Repeat weeks 1-2 routine and so on, using 5-10% more weight than what you used the first time around

                    or changing the type of exercise you do for each muscle group.

 

    7.    Maintenance: You may eventually get to a point to where you are satisfied with your strength gains and just want to maintain.

           For this I recommend 1-2  sets per exercise. Vary your sets between 10-15 repetitions.

 

Exercise Worksheets:

 

Exercise Log 1 - Please print out and keep for future use.

 

Exercise Log 2 - Please print out and keep for future use.

 

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