Vibrant Living by Fred G. Thompson - HTML preview

APPENDIX

EXERCISE PROGRAM

An exercise program should be designed according to the needs of the specific person using it. I have presented here the program that I have worked out over the years as fitting my needs. It is, therefore, not necessarily the right program for the reader. However, it may present some useful ideas, or may even be inspirational! It is in the form of an actual letter I sent to my friend for his consideration.

Dear Don:

The idea of documenting my exercise program came to me while sunning in Cancun, Mexico!

As I mentioned to you the other day, you might benefit from setting up some Yoga exercises for yourself, and perhaps add some Do-In* procedures. The stiffness you are experiencing, and the limitations of the aerobic exercises that you have been doing, suggest to me that you should look into a special program which you design for your own special needs. This is what I did some years ago when I had a sore back, and have continued ever since (without the sore back). However I have added some and modified others as I progressed and learned more of available exercises and my own changing needs. I will describe in detail what I do although you must not think that they are necessarily the right ones for you. They suit me, but in any case you would be interested in my program, I am sure.

First let me say that Yoga often includes a series of stretching exercises. Do-In consists of tapping the body with your fingers to stimulate the circulation and focus attention on the parts of the body as you move through the motions. In addition to these I do a few aerobic and muscle building exercises, to complete the package. I do this program every morning (almost) and spend just under half an hour doing it.

The program begins with stretching the calf muscles and hamstrings of the leg by standing and leaning against a wall or firm object. The position looks like you are trying to push the wall over, legs straight, feet flat on the floor, and leaning forward until you feel the leg muscles straining. Do each leg separately, then together. I don’t count the times, just 2 or 3 good stretches, while you hold the position 5 or 10 seconds at a time.

Next, while still standing, swing the arms around freely in a variety of directions just to stimulate the circulation and loosen up. Then rotate the head slowly in a big circle to loosen up the top of the spine; first one direction then the other. Also move the head way forward and way back. Now rotate the trunk, first one way as far as you can go, hold it a few seconds, then the other direction. While you do this, look around as far as you can so both the trunk and head move and stretch. Now while in this position I look at the facing wall and move my eyes, rapidly, up and down 30 times; then from side to side 30 times; finally in circles 15 times. This to stretch eye muscles and improve vision.

Sitting on the floor in a cross-legged position, start a special kind of massage that I learned from the Do-In procedures. With your finger tips of both hands start tapping the top of your head, and move on down the back of your neck. Move then to your eyes, holding the heel of your hand gently but firmly in the eye sockets and talking to your eyes to relax, to heal and restore original clarity.

This idea of talking to yourself as you do the exercises is an important part of the whole program. Your sub-conscious is a powerful agent in whatever you do. It controls your involuntary movement and, I believe, listens to your conscious mind as it instructs it. So tell it to heal any of your weaknesses as you move through the exercises. In my case, the optometrist tells me that I have an incipient cataract condition so when I am holding the heels of my hands on my eyes, I tell my sub conscious to heal and restore to natural health.

Massage the ears to stimulate the circulation. Also around the ears, while telling your sub conscious to improve your hearing (I need this!). I am told that it is possible for the sensitive hairs in your ear to grow healthier to improve your hearing. As you know I worked underground in the mines years ago, at times near the rock drills, and I am sure this didn't do my hearing any good. Continue to tap all over your face, around your lips and down your neck. I am trying to improve the quality of the skin around my neck to avoid that loose neck that is such a sign of aging.

Tap your chest bone at the bottom of your neck which is intended to stimulate the thymus which is intended to strengthen the immune system. Go over the body to the legs. Down the legs, and while doing this massage the knee caps. I do this believing that the elbows and knees are complicated joints that can stiffen up easily, so I give these special attention. When you come to the feet massage the bottoms, pushing fingers into the flesh. There is a special program called Reflexology that involves pushing the fingers deep into the flesh of the soles of the feet. Each part of the sole relates somehow to another part of the body, so this procedure in effect massages the other body parts in an indirect but healthy fashion.

Now do the arms. Tap under the arms to stimulate the lymphatic system. Then down the arms. My elbow bone was sore, or just tender to the touch one time, but I found that it healed gradually after regular massaging during the finger massaging. When tapping the flesh around the forearm, I tell my mind to build up the subcutaneous fat which, as you grow older tends to dry up and cause wrinkled skin. Also I rub the back of my hands to also encourage subcutaneous fat to avoid the parchment like skin that comes with aging, and to hopefully minimize those annoying dark “liver spots.”

Having done the light massage exercises, now do the Yoga series. While still sitting in the lotus position, legs tucked in, start bending at the waist, bending forward as far as is comfortable (or just a little more). Hold it for a few seconds, but do not strain and damage the muscles. Straighten up and repeat but over to the right knee, then again over the left knee. Repeat the series three or four times as long as it feels good. Some people can touch their nose to the floor when bending forward, or at least to their knees during the sideways bending (I can do the knee ones). However, I have found that if I breathe deeply and exhale slowly I can bend further each breath cycle. Try it.

Now while in the sitting position, stretch the right leg out to the right and, bending over, reach for the right foot, bending over as far as you can comfortably. While doing this the left leg is tucked in to your hips. Now repeat with the left leg and left arm. For each cycle, reach first with the one hand, then with both. This completes the exercises in the seated position.

Next, we will do exercises that stretch the leg and stomach muscles. Lie flat on the floor face up. Lift the both legs while bending the knees (to avoid trying to lift the legs straight out, as this is too strenuous for me), while at the same time lifting the head. Hold for 2 or 3 seconds, and lower the legs and head. Repeat for 5 cycles. This prepares the body for the more active series that follow.

Lying flat on the floor, face up, head and arms also resting flat on the floor, start cycling, counting as you go. I started at 40 and now are up to 100 or more depending on how I feel that day.

Turn over, lying on your stomach, do pushups from the knees up. That is you don’t try to lift the whole body, just the front half, from the knees up. I started at 5, but now do 18. My record on a good day is 20, but that’s it!

Still lying flat on your stomach, arms at your side, lift your head up as far as you can, while at the same time lifting your feet. You assume an arc position, which is also the position you try to hold while swimming the crawl. Do about 5 of them, or whatever is comfortable. Hold this position for 5 seconds each.

Now if you have any breath left, stand up (slowly?) and with hands on hips, bend at the knees and lower the body as far as you can keeping the trunk of the body vertical. The tendency is to lean over because it is easier. However try to keep your balance while bending the knees right down, with a straight back, usually with arms extended to the front for better balance. Your knees might crack, but hopefully not much.

Then finally I take a piece of bungee cord, about 2 feet long and stretch the arms wide as far as I can go in various positions.

That’s it.

Now hit the shower, you will need it, and you will feel good all over.

The most difficult part of this program of exercises is the commitment to do them every day. I take Sundays off! So, try all this out, develop your own variations and innovations and see how it goes. The benefits will not be apparent at first but it can’t help but pay off in the long run.

And speaking of run, plan also on doing a brisk walk running is a bit much at least three days a week for one or two miles.

Wishing you the best of health,

Your friend

Fred.