Exercise can really do wonders for your body — externally and internally — provided you do it right.
I have seen people complain that a particular movement strains their joints; many have injured themselves while exercising and others think that their reduced flexibility is a result of weight training.
Exercise is supposed to enhance your body. It should affect your health in a positive way, and if it impacts you adversely, that means you are doing something wrong. It is important to follow correct body mechanics. Keeping this in mind, I have devised a biomechanical way of exercise termed BMXStrength. In the “BMXStrength” or “biomechanics strength” technique, three things are taken care of:
Posture (your body should be centrally balanced);
Movement (motion of joints and muscles during exercise);
Breathing pattern (inhalation and exhalation while working out).
Let’s talk about your posture first. Posture actually refers to the alignment and position of your body against gravity. It is essential to maintain a good posture so that the force of gravity is shared across your body and a particular joint or connective tissue is not stressed.
Next, your movements. The human body is designed to move in a biomechanical way, and this means that your joints should be properly aligned and should be in a relaxed state while running, lifting weights, or doing squats or lunges. Incorrect biomechanics can put pressure on your joints and connective tissues, which could result in pain. In most of the cases, incorrect biomechanics are the main reason of chronic pains and injuries.
Finally, your inhaling and exhaling pattern. I have noticed many breathing mistakes among exercisers, such as holding your breath during a movement; shallow breathing; and too quick or too deep breathing. When you exercise, your heart rate increases and your body requires more oxygen. This excess need of oxygen needs to be fulfilled in the right manner or the deficiency could cause adverse effects such as fatigue, dizziness and lower back strain. Holding your breath also leads to a sudden rise in blood pressure.
Your body should be centrally balanced and when you maintain a good posture, the force of gravity distributes itself equally in the body. Thus, none of the joints, connective tissues or ligaments feel especially stressed. Exhaling while you are pushing weights away from your body line is the right way to breathe.
You can actually become your body-engineer.
Let me explain the technique with the example of the biceps curl. While doing the biceps curl, you should stand in an upright position, your body should be centrally balanced, feet should be shoulder-width apart, back arched, and ribcage up.
If your movements are according to your body mechanics, you can concentrate on hitting your targeted muscles rather than supporting muscles or stabilisers.
Inhale while flexing your elbow and exhale while going back to the starting position. Let’s look at another popular form of exercise — chin-ups — from the BMXStrength’s point of view.
A good posture for chin-ups demands a naturally arched back with the rib cage up. Hold the bar with a hammer grip to avoid any strain on the wrist joint. Inhale and lift your body up until your chin is at the bar level. Pause for a second, exhale and lower your body down until your arms are fully extended. During the movement, don’t use the shoulder muscles. Try to lift your body up with the power of the upper back muscles. Do not let your elbows flare out. Ensure that your wrist joint, shoulder joint and elbow joint are in the same line.
Neeraj Mehta is Director, GFFI Fitness Academy, New Delhi.
neeraj.gffi@hotmail.com
