What EXACTLY Do We Mean By Physical Activity?

Three Kinds of Physical Activities
There are 3 different kinds of physical activities (as some of us recall from our Take Charge of Your Health class) They are 1. Flexibility activities, 2. Strengthening activities and 3. Endurance or Aerobic (cardio) activities. 

let's spend some time learning about the first kind
 

1. Flexibility Activities (stretch or loosen muscles and joints, and help with balance and coordination- Do these slowly, holding each for a few seconds). 

STRETCHES CAN BE FOR UPPER BODY AND LOWER BODY- LETS LOOK AT BOTH STARTING WITH OUR UPPER BODY

Upper Body Stretches

Improve your upper back, arm and neck mobility with these excellent stretching routines.
Start a upper body stretching program today by choosing 2 or 3 upper body stretching exercises to perform 3 times per week.

Most stretches can be held for 30 seconds.
Repeat 3 times. You can then choose 2 or 3 new stretches every week.
This will add greatly to the flexibility of your arms, chest and upper back.

So give it a try and see how much better you can reach to those high shelves!

 

Watch These Exercise Videos by clicking on the highlighted words!

 Shoulder and Upper Back Stretches

• Shoulder stretches to increases your shoulder and scapular range of motion.
• Stretches your chest and shoulder.
• Will make it easier to reach to that high shelf in your kitchen.

Shoulder Rolls

• Improve the range of motion in your shoulder and upper back region with these stretching routines.
• Will assist in keeping your rib muscles flexible.
• Help in activities like reaching up to a high shelf or across the table at dinner.

Neck Stretches

• Improve the range of motion in your neck and upper back with these good stretching exercises.
• Helps with those everyday movements you need to do like looking under the bed for that other shoe!

Neck Rotation

• Improve the range of motion in our neck with these neck stretches.
• Help stretch the upper back and scapular muscles.

Shoulder Circles

• Improve the range of motion of your shoulders and upper back with these types of stretching.
• Helps increase flexibility in your chest and lungs.

Shoulder Stretch

• Helps stretch our shoulder, scapula and supporting muscles and joints.
• Improves our reaching ability especially across the body for these benefits of stretching.

Chest Stretch

• Stretches the chest and shoulders with these chest exercises.
• Improves posture and lung functioning.

Overhead Reach

• Increase the range of motion in your shoulder and upper back with these arm stretches.
• Help improve your ability to reach, as in getting a pan out of the cabinet or ice cream out of the freezer.

Reach Back

• Improve your ability to reach behind as in reaching back to hold on to an armrest before sitting down.
• Increase the range of motion of your shoulders and stretches your chest muscles with these arm exercises.

Triceps Stretch

• Stretches the shoulder and triceps with these stretches before exercise.
• Improves the mobility of your upper arm and shoulder.

Hand Stretch

• Increase the flexibility and range of motion of your hand and fingers with these hand exercises.
• Warms up your hand to prepare for the activity of the day.

Arm Raises

• Improves the range of motion of your shoulders with these muscle stretching exercises.
• Strengthens your arm for activities that require overhead reach like up to a shelf or pulling the light cord in the basement.

SPOTLIGHT ON BLOGGERS: Try these at home and report your feelings and opinions! What worked? What didn't work? What would you like to try more of?