Dr. George L. Dixon - "Talking Fitness"

STRENGTH and VIGOR

This is part two, the first part is named BALANCE and GRACE.

1. STRENGTH  - THE QUALITY OF BEING STRONG; CAPACITY FOR EXERTION OR ENDURANCE; POWER TO RESIST FORCE; SOLIDARITY; TOUGHNESS; VIGOR OF EXPRESSION; ONE WHO AFFORDS SUPPORT.

Surface- Firm is better than mushy. Firm shoes are better than spongy. Firm enhances your ability to get prompt joint messages about balance. Barefoot walking on a beach is very good for balance and strength.

Ankles- provide the first active muscle balance control. Exercises for strong and quick lower leg muscles are: Walking on your toes and heels. Standing on toes and heels, one leg at a time. Stretching your heel cords: hands against the wall, step back with one leg and push heel to ground, sweetly, gently, 4-5 times.

Knees- Provide the next link in the chain which holds you upright. Thigh (Quadriceps) and hamstring muscles exercises are: Whenever you sit down, get up and sit down again, 3-5 times. Sitting in a chair, straighten one leg out, lifting heel off floor, 5 times. Standing, squat part-way down and slowly rise again, 5 times.

Hips- Their strong, limber, connection through your pelvis to your spine is critical to safe forward motion. Hip exercises are: Standing, holding on to the back of a chair, if necessary, take leg out to the side and slowly back down, 5 times. Then take straight leg backward, 5 times.

Trunk and Buttocks- The centerpiece of upright vitality. All motion is stabilized here. Trunk exercises are: Standing, tighten buttocks for 10-20 seconds or until muscle quivering felt, repeat 5 times. Lying on back, knees bent, pull into partly sitting position, don't flex neck, hold for 3+ seconds, repeat 5 times.

Shoulders and Arms- These need sufficient strength to do the work that your strong legs and trunk will take you to do. Arm exercises are: Biceps, lift 2-4 pounds with each arm, palms forward, almost touching shoulders, repeat 8 times. For back of upper arms, Triceps, bend forward slightly, brace yourself on the table or chair arm, use 2-4 pounds, swing arm backward, hold it there and bend and straighten elbow backward, not moving shoulder, repeat 6-8 times.

2. VIGOR, VITALITY - MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ANIMATION, UPRIGHT CHEERFULNESS AND EXUBERANT ENERGY ARE ALL ESSENTIAL TO HELP HUMANS LIVE FULLY AND DEVELOP.  WALK BRISKLY, PURPOSEFULLY, WHEREVER YOU GO.  ENVISION YOURSELF THE WAY YOU REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO SEE YOU, AND ARRAGE AND CARRY YOUR BODY IN THAT ATTITUDE.

SMILE! LAUGH!!

More help is available in "Exercise a la Carte", here, at your bookstore or call 800-624-4952.