Module 4

Do’s and Don’ts in Physical Activities and Exercise

Proper Breathing and Warm-Up/Stretching

Intended Learning Outcome:

At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
A. Identify the Dos and don’ts to perform exercise.
B. Know the proper procedure in warm-up and stretching.
C. Appreciate the importance of warm-up and stretching.

It’s important for beginners to form an exercise habit. Doing something daily, even if its small, helps
with consistency, always remember to keep an open mind and remain flexible when starting a new
exercise routine. At times you may find it necessary to changes your routine slightly. Life is dynamic ride
and you’ll find your fitness journey. If you’re willing to try new things and set reasonable expectation,
you’ll reap the rewards of your fitness program and successfully achieve your fitness goal.

Starting a fitness program doesn’t have to overwhelming when you armed with the proper tools to
get things rolling. Once you’ve committed to getting in shape, there are several things you can do to
ensure you’ll exceed your short and long term fitness goal. There are also some things you should avoid
at all cost to ensure you stay on the path to fitness and wellness. (Antigone 2014)

You don't have to be a bodybuilder or professional athlete to reap the benefits of weight training.
When done correctly, weight training can help you lose fat, increase your strength and muscle tone, and
improve your bone density. If done incorrectly, however, weight training won't give you these benefits —
and may even lead to injury.

THE DO’S AND DON’T’S of Physical Activity and Exercise

Whether you’re starting out on the road to fitness or are a committed exerciser, following the
correct training protocols is vital. Discover the dos and don’ts of fitness to help you maintain your
motivation and keep yourself injury-free. It is recommended that you have your health providers and
through physical examination before beginning physical activity program. (Scripps Whittier Diabites
Institute 2006)
Proper Breathing

Correct breathing means you breathe in a way that is physiologically optimal for your body. It’s the
way you were designed to breathe; only you were never taught how to.

Breathing is a necessity of life that usually occurs without much thought. When you breathe in air,
blood cells receive oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a waste product that's carried
back through your body and exhaled. Improper breathing can upset the oxygen and carbon dioxide
exchange and contribute to anxiety, panic attacks, fatigue, and other physical and emotional
disturbances.

Two types of breathing patterns:

1. Thoracic (chest) breathing

Shallow breathing, or chest breathing is the drawing of minimal breath into the lungs, usually by

drawing air into the chest area using the intercostal muscles rather than throughout the lungs via the
diaphragm. Shallow breathing can result in or be symptomatic of rapid breathing and hypoventilation.

2. Diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing, or deep breathing, is breathing that is done by contracting

the diaphragm, a muscle located horizontally between the thoracic cavity and abdominal cavity. Air
enters the lungs, the chest does not rise and the belly expands during this type of breathing.

The Consequences of Sucking at Breathing

Poor breathing habits can give rise to a lot of unexpected adverse effects. Some of the most
crucial ones being:

The nervous system becomes unbalanced — the breath has an immediate impact on the nervous
system and plays a vital role in maintaining a balanced body. A dysfunctional breathing pattern, for
example a short and forced one, results in a tense body and much higher levels of stress.

The airways get tighter — this makes it harder for the air to travel from the mouth to the lungs. As a
result, your body has to work harder and breathe faster.

The blood vessels constrict — which can lead to higher blood pressure and force the heart to work
harder.

Less energy gets produced — Bad breathing decreases your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to the
cells. The cells get stressed and have to prioritize survival instead of development.

Every single process in the body is dependent on oxygen. Some of our most work-intensive
organs are:
 The brain — Uses 20% of the oxygen we consume. When there’s a shortage of oxygen, the brain
will work slower, and since the brain regulates a lot of other functions in the body, these are also affected.
 The heart — constantly active and beating about 100.000 times in a single day, the heart is a
massive consumer of oxygen and shortage in supply means the heart can’t pump out blood as efficiently.
That leads to bad circulation, and cold hands and feet.
 The muscles — Oxygen shortage makes the muscles go stiff, tense, and tired faster, which
naturally has a negative effect on athletic performance.
Now, there are plenty more ways that poor breathing affects our bodies, including crooked teeth and
“cranio-facial abnormalities” but I won’t go into more depth here. I’m sure you get the point: Proper
breathing is important.

The 5 Simple Principles of Proper Breathing

Luckily, changing your breathing habits isn’t all that complicated. All you have to do is adopt the
following five simple principles, and you’ll be sure to make the most out of the 25,000 breaths you take
every day:

1. Breathe through the nose

Every breath you take should go in and out through the nose. You can think of your nose as a little
factory that refines and prepares the air coming in to be used by the body as efficiently as possible.

2. Breathe with the diaphragm

The air you breathe in through your nose should go all the way down in your belly. 70–80% of the
inhaling should be done by the diaphragm so that your breathing is nice and deep. That has a couple of
advantages:
  It helps your lungs with the gas exchange because it’s much more efficient in the lower parts of the
lungs.
 The diaphragm”massages” your liver, stomach, and intestines, giving these organs a rhythmical
balance.
 The lymphatic system, which is important for your immune system, gets the help it needs to get rid
of the waste products from the bowels.
 The pressure in the chest and belly is decreased so that the heart won’t have to work as hard.
 The chest becomes more relaxed, and so does the neck and shoulders. As a result, the likelihood
of pain in these areas goes down.

3. Breathe relaxed
No matter what you want to do, you’ll do it better if you’re relaxed. Since your breathing reflects
your thoughts and feelings, situations that make you feel tense also lead to tense and stressed breathing
pattern. That way of breathing then leads to a lack of oxygen which, in turn, makes your body and brain
even more stressed.

4. Breathe rhythmically
Everything has a natural rhythm — the ocean waves, the seasons, the moon. Your body is no
different. The rhythm of your heart is measured in EKG and the brain in EEG.
The hormones in the body follow our natural rhythm. One example is melatonin that is released
when you’re going to sleep.
Optimal breathing is no different: When everything is in tune, your body functions at its very best.

5. Breathe silently
Coughing, snoring, sniffling and so on, are suboptimal breaths in disguise.
It’s easy to neglect all these sounds we make, but a breathing pattern that contains a lot of them puts a
considerable strain on the body. The breath loses its rhythm, and we mess up principle number 4.

How to Breathe Properly

That is important information, but it won’t help you unless you implement the habit of proper
breathing into your life. Here’s how you do that:
1. Create Recurring”Breath Check Triggers”
Choose five naturally occurring triggers to remind you to become aware of your breath every day.
Formulate them as “If → then plans” and spread them out throughout your day. Here are a few examples:
 If my alarm clock goes off → Then I will check my breathing.
 If I’ve put the last dish in the dishwasher → Then I will check my breathing.
 If I sit down at my desk → Then I will check my breathing.
 If I close my car door → Then I will check my breathing.
 If I turn off my bedroom light → Then I will check my breathing.
 If you find it helpful, you can also use reminders like post-it notes or phone alarms to remind you.
 The important thing is you pause and adjust your breathing pattern several times every day.

2. Analyze Your Breathing Habits

To change something, you first need to become aware of what needs to be changed. So, pay
attention to how you breathe in these different situations.
What’s your breath like at different times throughout the day? How does it change as your mental state
changes? How do you breathe when you’re focused? Angry? Stressed? Driving? Watching TV? And so
on.
Try to figure out when your breathing patterns are suboptimal and why it happens.

3. Adjust Your Breathing

Finally, adjust your breathing habits like this:
 Breathe through the nose. Close your mouth and place your tongue up the palate.
 Extend your exhale. Inhale for 2–3 seconds, exhale for 3–4 seconds, pause for 2–3 seconds and
then repeat.
 Be ”proud.” Make sure your body posture is upright.
 Relax. Become aware of any tensions going on at this moment and let them go.
Take a moment right now to adjust your breathing, and it will be much easier to remember how to
do it later. It can be helpful to put memorize these four keywords:
Nose → Exhale → Proud → Relax.

Super-Quick Summary
 Your regular breathing pattern is very likely bad for your body.
 You can feel, function, and perform much better by breathing correctly.
 Proper breathing means breathing through the nose, with the diaphragm, relaxed, rhythmically,
and silently.
 To retrain your breathing habits, create recurring “breath check triggers,” analyze, and adjust your
breathing according to the four keywords:
 Nose → Exhale → Proud → Relax.

Warm up & stretching

To stay safe and get the most out of your workout you must always include a pre-workout warm-up
before you begin and then finish with a cool down to get your body back into gear.
A warm-up preparation of your body for exercise by increasing your heart rate and blood flow to
your muscles. It doesn't have to be complicated. Just do an easy 5 to 10 minutes of your chosen activity
or of easy walking. By raising your heart rate at a gradual pace, the warm-up helps minimize stress on
your heart.
Once your muscles are warm, they're ready for stretching. Stretches can be static or dynamic. With
static stretching, you hold each position for about 10 to 30 seconds. With dynamic stretching, you move
through a full range of motion.

Basic Warm Up/Stretching Exercise

Head and Neck
A strong neck can help prevent problems with your
shoulders, upper back, and arms, too. If you already have pain in
your neck or elsewhere, talk to your doctor before you start. You will
feel some tension in your neck muscles when you stretch. But you
shouldn’t have pain. If you do, stop right away.

Flexion Stretch: Chin to Chest

Begin each exercise with your neck in midline position.
Your head should be centered and not tilted forward, back, or to
the side. You can do this exercise while either lying flat on your
back or sitting up.
1. Gently bend your head forward while bringing your chin
toward your chest.
2. Stop when a stretch is felt in the back of your neck.
3. Hold position for 20 seconds.
4. Return to starting position.
5. Repeat this four more times for a total of five repetitions.

Extension Stretch: Eyes to Sky

Begin each exercise with your neck in
midline position. Your head
should be centered and not tilted
forward, back, or to the side. You can do this exercise while either lying flat
on your back or sitting up.
1. Gently bend your head backward so that your eyes are looking
up to the "sky."
2. Stop when a stretch is felt in the front of your neck.
3. Hold position for 20 seconds.
4. Return to starting position.
5. Repeat this four more times.

Rotation: Side to Side

Begin each exercise with your neck in midline position. Your head should be centered and not tilted
forward, back, or to the side. You can do this exercise while either lying flat on your back or sitting up.
1. Gently turn your head to the left, looking over your left shoulder.
2. Stop when a stretch is felt in the right side of your neck.
3. Hold position for 20 seconds.
4. Return to starting position.
5. Repeat above stretch four times.
6. Gently turn your head to the right, looking over your right shoulder.
7. Stop when a stretch is felt in the left side of your neck.
8. Hold position for 20 seconds.
9. Return to starting position.
10. Repeat above stretch four more times.

Arms and Shoulder Warm up/ Stretching

Overhead Triceps and Shoulder Stretch

• Start standing or sitting tall. Bring one arm overhead and drop your forearm behind you, resting it
on your back between your shoulder blades.
• With your other hand, grab right above your bent elbow and pull
gently, until you feel a stretch in your shoulder and the back your arm. “You
 never want to pull on your elbow,” Giordano
says.
• Try to keep your bicep close to your ear, and
don’t force it past.
• Hold for at least 30 seconds and
then repeat on the other side.

Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch

• Start standing or sitting tall. Grab one arm above your elbow with
your opposite hand, and pull it across your body toward your chest
until you feel a stretch in your shoulder.
• Make sure to keep your elbow below shoulder height.
• Hold for at least 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.

Chest Stretch
• Start standing tall, fingers interlocked behind you near your butt.
• Keeping your back straight and shoulder blades together, push your
arms up until you feel the stretch in your pecs.
• Hold for at least 30 seconds.

Wrist Extension Stretch

Muscles Stretched: forearm flexors
1. Hold out your arm with the palm facing down.
2. Bend the fingers and palm at the wrist.
3. Grab your fingers with the other hand and pull them back and towards the body.
4. Hold the stretch.
5. Repeat for the other hand.

Wrist Flexion Stretch

Muscles Stretched: forearm extensors
1. Hold out your arm with the palm facing down.
2. Drop the fingers and palm at the wrist.
3. Grab your fingers with the other hand and pull them towards the
body.
4. Hold the stretch.
5. Repeat for the other hand.
Forearm rotation
Starting position:
• Position as above, hands rose to shoulder height.
• Exercise (Perform dynamic forearm rotation at the elbow):
• 30 seconds inwards.
• 30 seconds outwards.

Arm rotation
Starting position:
•Place your legs at shoulder-width,
•Keep your arms straight at your sides.
•Exercise (Perform both arms rotation simultaneously):
•20 times clockwise,
•20 times counter clockwise,
•20 times in opposite directions.

Shoulders rotation
Starting position:
• Place your legs at shoulder-width.
• Keep your arms straight at your sides.
Exercise: 20 REPETITIONS
• Perform both shoulders rotation
clockwise and counter clockwise.

Torso swings
Starting position:
• Stand with your legs straight,
• Place your feet at shoulder-width,
• Bend your torso forward 90 degrees,
• Raise both arms straight to the outside.
Exercise: 15 REPETITIONS TO EACH SIDE
• Perform the most extensive movements to the left and to
the right.
• Look at the hand you are lifting.

Torso bends
Starting position:
• Place
your feet at
shoulder-width,
• Keep
your knees
straight while
performing the
exercise.
Exercise: 40
REPETITIONS
• Count the bends made to the left leg 1, the right
leg 2 and straightening the body 3.
• Join your legs and try to touch your forehead to
your knees (stay like this for a few seconds).

Hips rotation
Starting position:
• Place your hands on your hips and your head straight.
Exercise: 10 REPETITIONS
• Perform extensive hips rotation.
• Perform the exercise 10 times clockwise and 10 times counter
clockwise.

Knees rotation
Starting position:
• Place your feet slightly apart, and hands on hips.

Exercise: 10 REPETITIONS FOR EACH LEG

• Raise your knee-bent leg.
• Perform knee rotation to the right and to the left.
• Change the leg.

Feet rotation
Starting position:
• Place your feet slightly apart, shifting your body weight on one foot, stand on the toes of your
other leg.

Exercise: 10 REPETITIONS FOR EACH LEG

• Perform rotation of the raised foot clockwise and counter clockwise.
• Change the leg.