The Standard set of bar bells and dumb bells consists of a long bar about 1 inch in diameter and 4 to 7 feet long; two short bars from 12 to 16 inches long with collars to hold the plates in place on the ends; and an assortment of discs or bar bell plates from 1? lbs. each to 50 lbs. each.

A 7 foot bar is used in weight lifting competition and is so made that the sleeves on each end which hold the plates are on bearings to reduce the friction on the bar in turning as much as possible.

For general exercise purposes, a 5 or 6 foot bar is quite adequate and easier to use than the longer 7 foot one. The bar is made of steel and usually has knurled hand grips. The inside set collars are made of cast iron or steel and on a 5 foot exercise bar are set in about 10 inches from the ends of the bar.

The outside collars are also made of cast iron or steel and the better ones are so made that they are self locking on the bar. They need no wrench to tighten or loosen them. The same arrangement is also used for the two dumb bells with the inside collars allowing adequate room for the hand.

The plates are made of cast iron and, of course, are very durable. The hole in the center is drilled or cast of such a size as to permit easy movement of the plate on or off the bar, but not so large as to permit the plates to wobble. Usually if the bar is 1 inch in diameter the holes in the plates are 1 and 1/32 inches in diameter. A 5 foot bar with the collars will weigh about 15 lbs. and the dumb bell handles without weights will weigh about 5 lbs. each.

The assortment of weights should be great enough to permit the adjustment of the bar from its own weight of 15 lbs. to a maximum of from 100 to 400 lbs., depending upon the individual and his objective in exercise. The short bars should be adjustable up to 50 lbs. each or even more in some cases.

The best bar bell plates are so made that there is a rubber band about the outside of the plate and some rubber cushioning about the centers. This protects the floors during their use and also eliminates much of the noise. Rubber is seldom used on the plates because of its additional cost, which is considerable. The set of bar bells and dumb bells, while of considerable expense initially, will usually last indefinitely.

For those who do not wish to buy such equipment, there are ways of making your own that will serve the purpose quite well. The bars can be made of pipe instead of steel, and will be adequate for weights on the bar bell up to about 150 lbs.

Even wooden bars can be used for lighter weights but they must not be overloaded. For the weights to go on the bars, there is no good substitute for the cast iron, but some have used discs made of cement, which must be more bulky in proportion to the weight and are subject to some degree of breakage, but if the weight loads do not exceed 100 lbs., they can be satisfactory.

For those who exercise out of doors, a number of weights can be made that require no changing in this manner: Fill an empty tin can with the top cut out of it, with cement and place the end of the pipe or bar for it in the fresh cement. When it has hardened, do the same with the other end and you have a bar bell or a dumb bell for use which will weigh according to the size of the can. A number of these could be made to fit the needs of the exercise program of the individual. Another method could be used in which two sturdy metal buckets with strong handles are filled with stones, sand or even water.

These can then be used on the ends of the bar bell alone for they will not be suitable for the dumb bells. Many people can reach their objective in conditioning with the use of the bar bell alone. A way to keep the handles of the buckets at the proper place on the bar could be solved in various ways. One way would be to wrap friction tape about the bar to a thickness of approximately 3/8 of an inch in two places about 1/2 inch apart. The bail of the bucket could then be placed between the rolls of tape which would keep them in position for most of the bar bell exercises. Another way would be to tie the handles in permanent position on the bar with cord or wire, or they could be permanently fixed on the bar by drilling holes through the bar and putting the bail of the bucket through the hole in the bar.

If the exercise is to be done indoors, the making of your own equipment is more of a problem. For women and children a rather satisfactory arrangement for the bar bell is to use a wooden bar with a basket on each end.

These baskets could be filled with any objects of weight such as canned goods, or other items that are convenient. With a little ingenuity, small buckets of sand could be used indoors as well as outdoors. The main problem is to prepare them so that the sand will not get out of the buckets in use.

The simplest and best arrangement is to purchase a set of bar bells and dumb bells, for their cost will be more than repaid in convenience and permanence.

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Metabolism is the two-way process of synthesizing complex living tissue from simple nonliving foods and then the breakdown of these living tissues into simpler substances. The building-up process is called constructive metabolism or anabolism. The breaking down of living tissues to fuel and waste products is known as destructive metabolism or catabolism. In the healthy adult who has attained his maximal growth, anabolism and catabolism proceed at equal rates, although of course in opposite directions. Thus weight remains steady.

In the resting state, metabolism proceeds slowly at a basal or minimal rate (“basal metabolic rate” or BMR) since there are no demands on the body other than to remain viable. But during exercise energy requirements increase. It is obvious that metabolism must accelerate in order to provide the extra fuel or calories necessary to sustain the added work load.

The principle sources of readily available calories in large quantities are glucose and fatty acids. End products of their metabolism are carbon dioxide and water, both of which readily escape via the lungs. Except in exercise sustained for several hours, almost no protein is burned. This is fortunate. The end products of protein breakdown cannot find egress via the lungs but must be excreted by the kidneys. Since the kidneys shut down during exercise, a harmful accumulation of acid would result if protein were a significant fuel.

The Function Of Sweat

Sweating is useful chiefly as a means of losing heat. Because the human organism is only partly efficient, the metabolism of glucose and fatty acids yields work plus heat.

If the body were completely efficient, work and no heat would result. Thus exercise produces an increase in body temperature. After one to two hours of sustained activity, rectal temperatures of 101-103 degrees Fahrenheit are to be expected.

Sweat is an important defense against disastrous rises in temperature which may result in heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Believe it or not, the fit subject sweats better! In a recent experiment untrained subjects were exercised in a hot environment daily. At the outset they perspired moderately and lost copious amounts of salt. In a few days their sweat glands became acclimatized. They perspired more to get rid of more heat and cut back on salt losses to avoid the hazards of salt depletion.

Training of the mind is as inevitable as training of the body in the fit individual. The sportsman disciplines himself to ignore fatigue and to give forth with his best effort. Long surmised by coaches and trainers, this fact now has received scientific corroboration.

Trained and untrained subjects were examined in the laboratory. Each subject was asked to lift as much weight as he possibly could. Obviously the trained men could lift more. But that is not the point. Next, each subject was then given more weight than he said he was able to lift. At the very moment when the subject was about to hoist the weight a gun blast went off beside his head. By being thus distracted and startled the untrained men were able to lift more than previously. However, this was not so with the trained subjects?they already had “psyched” themselves up maximally. The gun shot added nothing to their performance because they already had disciplined their minds for maximum effort.

This point was also confirmed by asking the subjects to shriek at the top of their lungs as they weight-lifted. Again, the untrained men lifted more. Shrieking made no difference to the fit subjects.

When fun is not part of fitness, failure is almost certainly guaranteed. The futility of the fitness-for-the-sake-of-fitness approach is shown by a recent occurrence in my neighbourhood.

A nationally famous sports magazine for many months ran a weekly feature on various exercises designed to keep women in shape. This included a remarkable series of calisthenics which improve muscle tone and over-all flexibility. Several of “the girls” on our street, my wife included, jumped eagerly at this very challenging and, incidentally, workable method for correcting their most obvious physical gaps; namely, wobbly behinds and Santa Claus tummies.

So they formed a club. Each day “the girls” clad in jeans dutifully assembled in one of the houses. Then the leader for the day would direct them through the week’s series of manipulations. This naturally was followed by coffee and pastry.

You can imagine the delight of us husbands in watching the metamorphosis in the external shells of our wives. For a whole month wifely silhouettes became more and more enticing. And then the roof fell in. The girls were exercising because they felt they should. They were not exercising for fun. They were also gaining weight!

Undoubtedly not 1 percent of this respected magazine’s circulation performed these exercises to the end. And of that small percentage, one doubts that any have kept this up as a permanent good habit.

I tell my patients that embarking on a program of fitness is not a now-and-forever commitment. At any time they wish, they can discard their physical recreation. After all, fitness is not “good,” nor slothfulness “bad.” Having pointed out that exercise for the sake of fun is essential rather than exercise for the sake of fitness, I further point out the similarities among three very common ailments?slothfulness, alcoholism, and tobaccoism.

All of these are social and economic ills?not evils.

However, of the three, slothfulness is the commonest. Not for a minute should a voice be raised in absolute opposition to planned laziness (a necessity in our civilization), to the social drink, or to the relaxing cloud of eye-watering smoke. It is only when these habits become excessive that they are dangerous. And just as with alcoholism and tobaccoism, we all have an uncanny facility for diagnosing slothfulness in others but not in ourselves.

If you should decide to have a few workouts, you will notice possibly for the first time since your pink-cheeked youth the pure fun, relaxation, and exhilaration that you earn each and every time you have a workout. Your spirits will improve, your gait will become a bit more springy, your clothes will become a little looser around the tight areas, and your colleagues will exclaim, “What has come over old Zilch?” You will have fun. You will not need will power. Will power only helps to do unpleasant jobs. And physical fitness is anything but unpleasant.

If you are not in shape now but want to be, analyze objectively why you are not. This should be relatively easy. Now ask yourself why you do want to be fit.

The answer to this is important because it tells you just how genuine and therefore how long-lasting your interest in fitness may be. But if you have to resort to the cold logic cited above, if you have to go looking for reasons why you should exercise, and if you exercise purely for your “health,” you are doomed to eventual failure.

Fun and not fitness should be your main goal. This is the only way to find everlasting fitness.

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Here are pointers to keep you out of trouble and allow you the most fun?pointers to help you avoid nuisances and injury. These are tips you otherwise will learn the hard way. Hardened sportsmen and competing athletes know that the best workout can be wrecked by inattention to several small, yet important, details. It will not take you long to discover your own sensitive and tender areas. Experience will soon be your guide. Do be most attentive in the beginning.

Protection For Exposed Areas

In your “exercise infancy” pressure surfaces and exposed areas are subjected to unaccustomed abuse. Lips are very susceptible to chapping and cracking, not only in windy or cold weather, but during almost any activity rigorous enough to cause mouth breathing. Worse yet, there is an unexplained tendency during strenuous exercise to lick the lips, which further aggravates chapping. A thin coat of vaseline or lipsil should be applied over the lips and around the mouth to provide reliable protection.

Under all climatic, seasonal, and diurnal vicissitudes, exercise increases secretions of the respiratory tract. Such mucus tends to accumulate in the trachea and nose, becoming watery and copious. In the mouth secretions are ropy and thick. Whether a workout is confined to the four walls of a YMCA or is enjoyed under cloudy, dismal skies, runny noses and juicy coughs can be predicted. Carry an adequate supply of facial tissues?two or three should be sufficient. These can be tucked under the waist since most sports clothes do not have pockets.

The Importance Of Well Fitting Shoes

Except for indigent vineyard farmers who trample on grapes and prosperous professional wrestlers who serve their opponents deux pieds ? la bouche, shoes are essential. The feet are subjected not only to incessant rubbing and friction (about three times a second for the marathoner) but also to the entire weight of the body. A well-constructed, individually made pair of shoes (skates, sneakers, boots, etc.) will provide safe and comfortable mobility with a minimum risk of injury. After having my feet carefully measured, I once bought a pair of white elkskin long-distance shoes with foam rubber soles. These were specially designed for my feet. These shoes were still serviceable after a thousand miles of running in good weather and in bad, in competition and in training. Contrast this with the last pair of shoes you bought for ordinary use and probably at a higher price.

In buying shoes, friction is a constant enemy. The “knuckles” of the toes should press uniformly against the top of the shoe on forward motion. The top of the foot should not be tightly cramped. The shoes should not rub the inner, outer, or posterior aspects of the ankle. The ball of the foot should lightly indent the side of the shoe when it bears weight. Be leery of the salesman who reassures you that these shoes “will fit like a glove once you have them broken in.” They should fit like a glove the first time you try them on.

Proper shoes should have several features. A wide, thick heel reduces the danger of poorly supported ankles. Since most sports involve forward-and-backward and side-to-side motion, stable heels are needed to lessen sudden ankle strain. Durable material for soles and heels gives longer use for areas most likely to show signs of early wear, such as the outer rear section of the heel and the outer area of the sole behind the ball of the foot next to the fifth toe.

With laces loose, the tops of the shoes containing the eyelets should come close together, separated by less than an inch. When the laces are tightened and tied, the distance between the eyelets should be less than half an inch. During exercise the tongue of the shoe usually slides toward the outer side. If the tops of the shoes are not close, the tongue slips enough to allow the lace to cut into the top of the arch with lacerations resulting. There should be no stitching inside the shoe. Manufacturers of cheap shoes often neglect to glue a thin layer of leather over the inner sole to cover the stitching. Exposure of the feet to uncovered stitches assures a painful and continuing series of blisters, cuts, and sores.

The feet, as weight-bearing pinions, are most vulnerable to repetitive friction. In the past, and even now, many sports devotees have clung to theories which have been abnegated by practicality. Various powders have been advocated to reduce perspiration of the feet. While foot powders may offer great solace to a pussy-footing, high-booted schoolmarm strutting back and forth before a blackboard, they have no utility for the sportsman.

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Do you suffer from a gut that just won?t stop? Well, you don?t have to put up with this condition. With some hard work, you can get flat abs in just 30 short days.

The key to flat abs is is a regimen that works all of your abdominal muscles. You should do the following exercises a minimum of four times a week for four weeks if you want to get flat abs in just one month.

You will notice that none of these exercises to get flat abs in 30 days requires any special equipment. You can do the entire workout on your floor needing only a bottle of water.

First, you will do belly rolls. These work your vertical ab muscles. What you do is sit with your legs bent, feet flat on the floor with your arms straight in front of you. Exhale your breath and roll back until your lower back touches the ground. Then inhale and roll back up.

You will want to repeat the belly rolls 15 times and then do this variation: when you exhale, roll your body back until your shoulders touch the ground. Repeat the shoulder belly rolls 15 times as well.

Next up is tummy curls. These work your horizontal ab muscles. What you will do is lie on your back and bend your knees at about an 80 degree angle. Raise your feet slightly higher than your knees. Lift your rear end and roll back to your shoulder blades. Inhale and then roll to your tail bone without letting your butt touch the ground. Repeat the tummy curls 20 times.

The third exercise is the cross crunches which help out your waist. You are going to use a 1 liter bottle of water to do this exercise. Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle with the floor and cradle your left hand behind your head. Hold the water bottle in your right hand. Lift your head and shoulders off of the ground and reach across your body, so the bottle is outside your left knee. Repeat 20 times before switching sides and doing it another 20 times.

Tailbone lifts are the next exercise and they work your lower ab muscles. What you are going to do is lie on your back, arms stretched straight over your head and legs fully extended and crossed in the air. Exhale as you lift your tailbone, and then slowly lower your back as you inhale. Resist the urge to just drop on the way down. Do this exercise 30 times before moving on.

The final exercise is inverted crunches. These work your lower back muscles. To perform this exercise, lie on your stomach, arms in front of you as if flying. Exhale and lift just your right arm and left leg as high as you can. Then inhale and lower your leg. Switch off, lifting your left arm and right leg. Alternate sides, doing 20 lifts on each side. As a final step, lift both arms and legs 20 times.

If you want to get flat abs in just 30 days, you will follow this exercise regime diligently for a full month. Remember to schedule in the exercises at least four times per week.

While there are no magic cures for getting rid of belly fat, flat abs in 30 days is not an impossibility with the right amount of work.

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Taking a plunge into fitness can bring more discomfort than a dive into frigid water.

Most people who have neglected fitness over the years, yet sincerely want to begin again, suffer second thoughts of acute embarrassment and uneasiness. They not only think they will look silly rigged up in sports clothes, but are understandably reluctant to expose their droopy shapes in public.

My sympathy goes out to all my patients as they mentally gird themselves for this foray. Make no mistake about it, this takes guts. A small portion of their self-downgrading thoughts are on a reality basis. They do look dumpy. But most of their fears are as unrealistic as the self-conscious teen-ager aware of a ”gigantic” pimple scarcely visible to the casual observer.

Several hints for avoiding embarrassment should be mentioned.

First, wear clothes that are somewhat floppy. Not only do such clothes act as billows in getting rid of heat, they obscure bulges which soon will disappear. Only show-offs and Muscle Beach boys wear leotards.

Second, work out in private. There is no need to conduct your workouts atop the bandstand in the town common. Begin your program in seclusion. Tell no one about your plans. The more people you confide in, the more people will hoot at your absurd notions. Later they will enjoy a second round of laughter when you fail to follow through. As with obesity, fitness is your own business?no one else’s. Make your beginning as easy as possible?and long-term success will be enhanced.

Exercise in the cellar or in the attic. Use the secret area at the YMCA for sagging middle-aged businessmen who prefer to work out by themselves, unobserved by youthful athletes. Swim in the public pool where there is always someone who looks worse. Go cycling in the next community and with someone who also needs external redecorating. If you have a few extra dollars, remold your unpleasant curves on a two-weeks’ sojourn to a distant resort. Another few dollars gain you access to an urban health club, where all customers have a long way to go. After a couple of sessions the embarrassment will evaporate. At that point you will wonder why you ever were uneasy. But to get to that point is a giant hurdle. People do not want to be caught doing something different, even if it is healthful.

As a final note on training for fitness, your workouts may occasionally be the subject of community comment. As you cycle leisurely through the countryside, eight teen-agers in a six-passenger convertible may offer helpful suggestions, such as “Get a horse, Pop.” Or, as you strike out briskly for a hike around town, your next-door neighbor, sandwiched between a chaise longue and a heavy layer of Sunday newspaper, may encourage you not to get lost. And as the ultimate insult, as
has happened to me, a prowl car may sidle up to you with muffled queries emitted from the inside as to whether you are trying to escape from some nefarious act. Do not feel obliged to rebut or reply. Your comments will be poorly received.

You see, these witty and vocal people suffer from flaccid eardrums as well as flaccid muscles. Time wounds all heels. Although recognition is not your goal, you will constantly be looked upon with awe even by cynics who have laughed the loudest. Others who secretly envy your success will buttonhole you in the coatroom or nudge you into a corner at a cocktail party with the universal question:

“A friend of mine wants to get in shape. What should I tell him?” Sneaky question?the “friend” is invariably the interrogator, who does not want to admit this. The temptation is to give a forthright detailed answer. Don’t! Offer a couple of tantalizing hints?then suggest that his “friend” join you on the morrow for a “fun” workout. If he sleeps off his glow and still has the courage to appear for the appointment, be sure it is indeed a simple “fun” workout?but rigorous enough to ensure him a good sweat and immense satisfaction. You have won a convert?good for his muscles and your soul.

Fun, release, freedom, change, and exertion are a workout. But do not destroy a workout by ignoring the above safeguards. Unencumbered by mucus, blisters, sprains, and cramps, you can gradually increase your tolerance to “bloody devil limits,” and only the sportsman knows what this feels like.

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The human body is made up of over 75% of water, and as we all know, we cannot live without water. The fact is, we can only survive for a total of 3 days without water. Water has however, been replaced in most diets by soft drinks and other sugar sweetened refreshments. Keep in mind that water is a healthier and necessary for leading yourself towards a better health and longevity.

Your own personal need for water can vary greatly due to exercise, weight, and temperature. Research has proven that over 2/3 of adults don’t get the water they need on a daily basis. By drinking water on a regular basis you can replenish your body and keep it well hydrated and functioning as it should be.

A majority of us wait until we are thirsty before we drink water. Keep in mind, this way isn’t a reliable gauge of the water needs for the body. By the time you are thirsty you have already lost two of more cups of the body’s water supply. Therefore, drinking water regularly is much better than simply waiting until you are thirsty.

It is very important that you don’t substitute beverages with alcohol and caffeine for water. The reason behind this is that those types of beverages act as a diuretic and can cause you to lose more weight through increased urination. You may think and feel as if you are getting more water through these beverages, although the fact is that you
are letting it go almost as fast as you consume it.

Anytime you exercise, you need more water. Due to perspiration, your body will lose quite a bit of water. For each pound lost due to exercise, you need to drink 2 cups of water. Even when you lay down to sleep, your body loses water. By drinking a glass or more of water before you go to sleep, you can wake up with your body functioning as it should be.

It should become more obvious that when you are sick you’ll need more water than any other tine. When you get a cold or the flu, your body can become dehydrated quite quickly. You can help to prevent this by drinking more water at times when you become sick.

There are several mixed opinions as to whether purified water will actually provide benefit. This is a subject you should explore yourself as you determine the best type of water for yourself.

Always make it a habit to drink water on a daily basis. You should keep a bottle of water with you at all times and drink it throughout the day. You should also teach yourself to drink water instead of other beverages that don’t replenish the nutrients your body needs.

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Whether a person is recuperating from an athletic injury (sprain, Charley horse, stiffness) or from illness and accidents (pneumonia, major operation, broken arm), the principles underlying recovery exercises must be understood.

Whether the problem is that of a person annoyed by a mild stiffness or that of a sedentary executive on the way back from a serious coronary attack, recovery has several implications. First, return to normalcy, not improvement, is the goal. Second, this must be accomplished safely and without risk of recurrence or, worse, aggravation of the disability. And finally, the extent of rehabilitation, although under the direction of the physician, lies almost entirely with the well-informed, well-instructed patient, who is allowed increasing latitude in accordance with how he feels. The person thus may be encouraged to use his gimped-up leg provided there is no pain. Or the post coronary increasing activity unless shortness of breath or chest constriction should begin. In both cases, stop.

Recovery programs are based on the principle of “progressive resistance exercises” or PRE. PRE applies equally to the injured person striving to regain his usual state of health and to the man who is trying to improve performance.
PRE requires gradual, steady, and sub maximal efforts to benefit a particular area, be it organ or muscle. Two years ago, a forty-six-year-old executive suffered a serious coronary attack, not while exercising, but while at a board meeting. Six months later he was up and around, going outdoors only two hours a day. The poor chap was desperate?nothing to do, no challenges, no physical or mental activities.

Careful examination revealed satisfactory recovery from his coronary attack. Accordingly he was started on PRE. He was given explicit instructions on how much he could do, how he should feel if all were going well, and what early signs should be read as “Go Slow” or “Stop” signals. Through gradual yet persistent training, he now does pushups, pull-ups, and jogs two miles a day?activities that very few non coronary patients his age could survive or even accomplish.

PRE for the sportsman insures safe and speedy recovery from injury?a guarantee of early return to the sports arena of thrill and fun. No one desires injury. A bum elbow or a trick knee may portend to the non sportsman difficulty in writing or in driving a car?inconveniences at most. To the fitness enthusiast, these same injuries prevent workouts? avenues to release, freedom and fun. PRE is necessary to recovery.

PRE starts out with the realization that a certain muscle is subpar due to injury, that it lags behind the rest of the body for this reason, and that it must catch up so that the body as a whole can rely equally on all of its parts. The principles of PRE are simple. First, the affected area is allowed rest until it feels OK. In the case of a sore shoulder, it is not exercised, yet is used normally in daily activities. When routine use of the shoulder at work and at home causes no discomfort, it is time to move up.

Next, now resistance or flexibility exercises are begun. As a general rule for most injuries, swimming is ideal at this stage. Water replaces the effects of gravity on dry land, permitting maximum range of motion with minimum strain. Flexing, tensing, and massaging in a tub of warm bath water are also recommended.

Third, the shoulder works against mild resistance, but does this repetitively. For example, with arms akimbo and hands on hip, press gently against the sides 20 times. Press hands together in front of chest gently 20 times. And pull hands apart gently 20 times. Finally, at each workout these exercises are continued with more repetitions and with greater vigor until the injured area has resumed its normal function.

An inordinate amount of patience is required. Often the sportsman tries to rush or push things a bit in order to hasten recovery?and winds up with a recurrence of the original injury. Or, worse, he says, “The heck with it,” and gives up any and all physical activity for a period of weeks or months.

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If you suffer from asthma, you probably think that you can’t exercise properly or safely. Contrary to what many think of this subject, there are ways that you can get in shape and exercise, even if you suffer from asthma.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that is marked by characteristics such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Asthma tends to occur with people who are genetically or environmentally presdisposed to the condition.

Some of the triggers that may start or make an attack worse include exposure to allergens, viral respiratory infections, airway irritants, exercise, and exposure to things such as dust mites or cockroaches.

You can prevent asthma attacks by doing the following:
1. Bathe your pets weekly.
2. Don’t smoke or permit smoking in your home.
3. When mold or pollent counts are high, you should stay inside with air conditioning.
4. Wash your bedding and any stuffed toys at least once per week in hot water.
5. Wash your hands every chance you get.
6. Get a flu shot.
7. Wear a scarf over your mouth and nose in the winter months.
8. Be proactive and know your triggers and how you should avoid them.

Now that you know what you know about asthma, you may be wondering where exercise fits in. As most doctors will tell you, you shouldn’t give up on sports or exercise at all. You just have to be smart about how you play and take special precautions to avoid attacks.

Almost all doctors agree that the best way to prevent attacks during exercise is to keep your inhaler and medication close by. You should never use the inhaler more than 3 times during a game or exercise session. If you are up the previous night with coughing and wheezing, it’s always best to go light with your exercise the next day.

For something known as IEA (Exercise Induced Asthma), the symptoms are somewhat different, in the fact that they appear after 6 – 10 minutes of exercise and will often be worse in cold or dry air.

If you have IEA, there are several activities that you can enjoy such as swimming, walking, biking, downhill skiing, and team based sports. There are many activities for you to choose from, to ensure you get the exercise you need as well.

Keep in mind that the condition of asthma isn’t “all in your head”, it is a real physiological medical treatment that will require treatment to prevent and treat. Even though your doctor will be your best friend in treating asthma, you are the one who can prevent your symptoms.

Always be smart, take your medication, and be proactive. Don’t let it put you in a life of misery – as you can enjoy exercise just like everyone else.

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Cold weather can hurt even when the body is covered by warm clothing. The tips of the ears are especially susceptible. Ears are thin and not protected. Ear muffs or a ski helmet should be worn.

The backs of the hands are also unprotected. The palms remain warm since the hands are usually flexed, retaining sufficient heat for the palms. To avoid aching, stiff fingers and pain in the back of the hands, gloves should be worn. Ankles can be painful. Often there is an air space between the pants cuff and socks. This allows cold air to swirl about the ankle and lower calf causing extreme discomfort and increased susceptibility to cramps and stiffness. Wearing longer socks is not the answer since they tend to fall during exercise. The best bet is either to make the pants cuff smaller or roll the sock up over the cuff.

Hot Weather Precautions
Warm weather is far more dangerous than cold. Heat stroke and heat exhaustion may result in serious injury and even death.

Effective precautionary measures are simple. Wear light-colored clothes to reflect, not absorb, sunlight. Wear loose clothes to flop out heat by a bellows-like action. Work out during the cooler times of day?early morning or after dusk. Exercising in the shade during hot days offers no protection.

Take in extra amounts of water and salt at least an hour before the workout. Dehydration and harmful salt loss can be avoided. In spite of your fun and enthusiasm, knock off every fifteen minutes during your torrid tennis match for a few minutes of cooling conversation. If you feel light-headed or “different,” stop?you may be close to trouble. If your opponent shows signs of tiring under the noonday sun, insist that the game is over.

After exercising in hot or humid weather, slaking of thirst will be your first thought. Remember, however, that sweat contains copious amounts of salt as well as water. It is dangerous to replace water and neglect salt losses. When you drink be sure to take salt in some form?as a tablet or as salt in your beer. But salt!

“Itchy tail” is common among sportsmen. This begins by the rubbing action of the buttocks against each other during sustained activity. It is then aggravated by a steady stream of sweat coming down from the back and channeled into the crevice which separates the buttocks. The seat of the pants tends to bunch up in this crevice and a sore or itchy “tail” is inevitable.

Several simple hints may help. First, lubricate the anus with vaseline or lanolin before exercising. Second, always wear clean jockey shorts or under shorts when exercising. Wearing the same old pair of jockey shorts leads to cardboard tough cloth due to an accumulation of grime. Finally, if a clean, relaxing shower does not relieve you of “itchy tail,” again apply a light layer of lanolin or vaseline.

Do not wear a wristwatch. Some people wear wristwatches like wedding rings?twenty-four hours a day. The sportsman should not wear his watch during a workout. The experienced sportsman exercises as long as he has enjoyment and until he has attained a satisfying yet not taxing degree of fatigue. He needs no watch. He feels he has had enough. Moreover, he probably will ruin his watch in spite of its shockproof, waterproof guarantee. Accumulation of moisture under the crystal and disturbance of accurate movement result in rusting and poor timing. This occurs in even the most expensive timepieces.

Voluntary control of the rectal trap door?also known as the sentinel of social security?may go awry during exercise. In our normal daily routine, we have trained this trap door to allow exit of gas and excreta discreetly, in private, and preferably in areas specifically designated for this purpose. Since the kidneys stop functioning during exercise, the elimination of urine is no problem. But under the stress of physical activity, the rectal trap door or sphincter lies down on the job. Should a sudden urge to expel gas or to defecate come on, the sphincter forgets its manners. If our agonized sportsman is inside a building and close by a men’s room, catastrophe is averted. However, if he is outdoors, a supply of facial tissues comes in handy. Many fitness devotees have unfortunately learned this lesson the hard way.

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