Dodging Discomfort
02-09-2010
An active lifestyle is an effective way to maintain the optimum level of health for both body and mind. Endorphins are released into the bloodstream, carrying with them a supply of happiness. Exercise also improves low self-esteem as we actively target literal and metaphorical goals, in order to achieve a sense of personal success as we steadily extend our boundaries of ability. By engaging and honing our skills of co-ordination, perception and endurance we welcome new capabilities that equip us in other aspects of our life, strengthening an overall physicality, as well as stamina and social bonds. Exercise in its various forms can be adapted to suit and individual and can be used as a way to release tension, whilst promoting a sound sleep.
Unfortunately the exertion that exercise enforces upon the body can lead to injuries. Footballer’s ankle, runner’s knee and tennis or golfer’s elbow are all terms that demonstrate the common conditions that occur through the repetitive movements of a favourite sport. Sprains, inflammation and swelling can occur, as well as torn ligaments or trapped nerves in the legs or back, which are all part and parcel of most exercise regimes. Sports stars suffer from injury, especially those involved in contact sports such as football, rugby and boxing. Although ice baths are a popular and extreme choice amongst sporting professionals, used as a preventative measure in which recovery from gruelling training sessions is quickened through the new oxygenated blood that is fed to muscles; for the rest of us, quality rest is usually the most effective means of recovery.
Dance is a credible source of exercise, as it is combines rhythmic expression with a vigorous workout. It has become an increasingly popular pastime, as the emergence of various televisions programmes, devoted to the celebration of dance induced a nationwide passion. People have become more dance savvy as a result; many people can now differentiate between the bull-fighting flamboyance of a Paso Doble and the floating steps and sophistication of the waltz. As a result dance classes are advertised more, with sports centres incorporating a variety of options into their programmes, which offer a meld of dance styles with other forms of exercise, such as aerobics and martial arts.
Street dancing seems eternally contemporary. Hip-hop dancing involves a lot of demanding movements, including popping and locking, which means the joints are put under increased pressure, as well as the muscles which contract in pulsing waves throughout the body. Break dancing also involves twisting and flexing, as well as weight bearing, concentrated into the small areas, such as the wrists and neck. Dancing also puts strain upon the back muscles and spine, which are continually bent and stretched, as well as acting as an absorber of the high impact that comes from contact with the ground and other bodies.
The supportive structure of a visco-elastic memory foam relieves the aches and pains acquired through the demands of exercise. The memory foam mattress can align the body, which is ultimately a finely tuned machine. The fatigue that comes with exercise does not need to be a drawback, as the knowledge of weightless comfort awaits in the form of memory foam which provides support to the muscles, tendons, bones and tissues used in exercise, so that the restorative properties of slumber can be activated and both mental and physical tension can dissipate.
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