How many times have you heard “let’s warm-up” or “let’s stretch” used interchangeably?

It happens a lot, and these days it goes almost unnoticed.

It’s not so much that the terminology creates problems for physical and recreational activity: rather, it’s the content of the activity that is performed.

Let’s try to clear up the confusion as far as possible.

Warming up

Warming up is the activity that prepares an athlete (or also someone who is performing a simple motor activity) to begin training or to compete. In general, we can say that warming up improves performance and reduces the risk of injury.

We could certainly content ourselves with that, but to take things a bit further we can also say that warming up creates the physiological conditions that:

·  Make muscles contract faster

·  Make intramuscular coordination more effective (meaning the coordination between agonist and antagonist muscles during contraction and relaxation)

·  Improve muscle activity in terms of strength and power

·  Decrease viscosity in the muscle

·  Reduce the nerve stimulus transmission time

·  Improve the release of oxygen from hemoglobin and myoglobin

· Improve the circulation of blood to the muscles involve

· Improve all metabolic reactions

· Activate all biochemical reactions

And that’s just a small sample of the conditions that are created during the warm-up phase; there are many others but these are probably enough to show that it’s a necessary step.

Scientific evidence however has not completely cleared up whether the risk of injury is also reduced, in part because some of these conditions can reduce the perception of pain and therefore lead athletes to push harder against their own pain and self-protection thresholds.

Stretching

Stretching on the other hand is an activity that can be “integrated” into the warm-up but can never replace it. In this case as well, safe prevention against injury and accidents has been fully revised in the literature. Currently there is some small evidence that stretching before and after exercise can reduce the pain or the risk of injuries.

At the same time, there is strong scientific evidence that definitively advises against stretching before a competition, as well as before strength, power, speed, and strength resistance training and any exercise that requires instant reaction times.

Therefore, whether exercising as a team or in the gym, the first step must always be at least 10 minutes of warm-up. Stretching can be included after this phase.

In upcoming articles we’ll try to clarify good recommended warm-up activities, including some for athletes striving for lofty goals.

For now, enjoy your workout and watch your terminology. :-)

Wellness regards,

The Technogym Oman Team

Today we’re giving you the wellness manual; a relaxing and informative post. From A to Z that’s what wellness means to us at Technogym Oman. Ready...?

A as in Appreciation: physical activity is very important in helping us gain a greater appreciation and esteem for our own bodies and our own abilities! Sometimes we really don’t look at ourselves, and we don’t give ourselves enough credit!

B as in Balance: a good dose of balance is crucial for staying happy with ourselves and with others. Physical and mental balance: a lot of times it’s hard to achieve, but step by step you’ll get there. It’s just a question of commitment!

C as in Corporate Wellness: when you exercise, you’re calmer and more efficient at all your other daily activities. That’s why a growing number of companies have decided to organize Corporate Wellness programs for their employees.

D as in Daily: wellness is achieved day by day. It really takes just a few simple physical and mental exercises each day to feel good and live more calmly. An example? A twenty minute walk each day is the ideal, paired with a complete, healthy diet.

E as in Energy: keeping ourselves alive also means producing energy. Diet, emotions, sleep, and sustained physical exercise transform into flows of energy.

F as in Fit & Fat: who says that thin is synonymous with healthy? For example, if a person has toned, fit muscles and a good aerobic capacity, then the parameters of fat and lean lose their value.

G as in Generations: it’s our duty to educate new generations about a healthy lifestyle made of the proper habits and to invest in their well-being.

H as in Home Fitness: Home Fitness or Home Wellness? Home gym as a status symbol? It depends… but a gym in your home is a good start for regular physical exercise.

I as in Incentive: just one incentive to dedicate yourself to wellness? You’ll be happier and more satisfied!

J as in Joy: wellness and daily physical activity lead to feeling better in our own skin and better with those around us – they lead to joy.

K as in Kilocalorie: it’s a mistake to always associate physical exercise with burning calories. It’s important to also keep in mind the countless other benefits it delivers.

L as in Liberated: have you ever noticed that we say “no” a lot more often than we say “yes”? Fatigue, bad moods, stress, and headaches can keep us from doing the things we’d like to! Staying in shape is liberating because it lets us say “yes” more often.

M as in Movement and Medicine: you have to focus on the first to keep the second at bay!

N as in No Pain No Gain: it used to be popular to say that you’d only see results if you really exerted yourself. Enough with these obsolete sayings! In the age of wellness, it’s better to talk about relaxation and workouts in the same breath.

O as in Organization: when we organize our days more efficiently, we eliminate the things that hold us back and lead us to laziness. An example? Watching less TV and getting more exercise!

P as in Passion: passion is the fuel that lets us pursue the things we love day after day.

Q as in Quality: we add quality to every hour and every minute of our lives. How? For example, by doing away with time-wasters like watching television, and getting outside instead for a healthy run in the fresh air!

R as in Rhythm: rhythm means many things. The rhythm of life, the rhythm of our thoughts, the rhythm of exercises, the rhythm of your breath! If I say rhythm, what comes to mind?

S as in Sedentary: sitting still and getting no physical exercise is seriously harmful to your health, and leads to dangerous illnesses. A number of studies have proven it, so I suggest you try to set aside 30 minutes of your day for physical activity! You’ll feel the benefits immediately.

T as in Technology: Technogym is increasingly in step with modern technology, to guarantee you a perfect, well-rounded workout that meets all of your needs.

U as in Unique: we are each unique as individuals, with unique potential. Living well and living fit means discovering that potential.

V as in Value: the value of physical activity is crucial, along with the value of our small daily actions.

W as in Woman: by nature, women are more inclined to seek balance and wellness in their habits and lifestyle.

X as in eX-Lazy bones: ex-lazy bones, formerly “sturdy”! It’s time to say goodbye to laziness and get active and inclined to wellness. Goodbye couch and bed, hello exercise in the gym and the great outdoors. You’ll see how beautiful life is, and especially how healthy it is, as an ex-lazy bones!

Y as in You: you’re at the center of wellness! You need to develop your own wellness program starting with your needs, your goals, and your desires!

Z as in Zeal: when you decide to take up exercise, zeal for the cause is a great component! If you go to the gym one day, but then don’t come back for a month, the efforts you made the first time will be lost. Consistency, passion, and commitment are the key words!

What’s your favorite letter? Do you think that the W in the wellness alphabet could be swapped for Weight? Or maybe the C for cardiovascular?

Leave us a comment with your suggestions.

Wellness regards,

The Technogym Oman Team

From today we are adding a new online space to create awareness about the wellness Technogym Oman brings to the market, as well as to inform you and interact with you.

Why a wellness blog? We’d like to bring you all the latest news and products of Technogym Oman, whether you’re a personal trainer, or whether you manage a hotel or a company.

With this blog we hope to get closer to you all; if you have any questions or comments please use this platform as we'd love to hear from you. 

Wellness regards.

The Technogym Oman Team