Sport is the royal road to a healthier life. We have now saved that. According to the 2009 Body & Health Study, one in three Germans will already be going to the gym in 2015. Not just for figure training, but primarily to do something preventive for personal well-being. No wonder: health sports or, spiced up, “medical fitness” is more popular than ever in studios and sports clubs.
Prophylaxis through sport
Special course offerings that sound a bit like physiotherapy and rehabilitation are intended to specifically prevent health handicaps. With back yoga, for example, you learn to release the tension of everyday office life, cardiovascular risks are slowed down in cardio or fat burner courses, mobility is improved during workouts on wobbly balance tables, and in so-called PNF courses (proprioceptive neuromuscular Facilitation = isometric stretching) you practice optimally coordinating movement sequences to prevent wear and tear. Strength training also scores points for health, because it protects against osteoporosis and relieves the spine and joints. Your muscles will be made fit with resistance bands, on power plates or with circuit training on high-tech equipment. Courses such as “Medical Move” train all health basics in one go,Tip: Many rehabilitation and physiotherapy centers now also offer healthy medical fitness courses. Advantage : intensive care by medical professionals and a medical health check beforehand (e.g. www.medical-fitness.info ).
The cash registers pay
Health insurers not only offer their own health sports concepts, they also cover up to 100 percent of the costs for your course, provided it meets the criteria of the prevention guidelines set by the health insurance companies. Be sure to ask!
Find a good course
The “Sport pro Gesundheit” and “Sport pro Fitness” seals of quality are good guides if you want to be active in a club or club’s own studio. But the large gym chains are also reacting to the health trend, demanding additional qualifications from their trainers, such as “fitness and health coaches” with an examination from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce . Would you rather start at home first? Here are 7 exercises to keep you fit and flexible.
The best medical fitness exercises
Here’s how it works:
Lie on your back, bend your legs, lift up and wrap a scarf around both thighs. Tighten it slightly so that there is some tension. Now cycle with both feet in the air. Always slowly and stretch your toes. Try to consciously tighten your leg muscles. Please never fully straighten your knees! 15 times, short break and repeat.
That brings the exercise:
Well supported by the scarf, you can concentrate fully on the footwork. Optimal for the articular cartilage (protection against arthrosis) and the menisci.
Here’s how it works:
Sit upright in a chair with both arms hanging loosely. Breathe in deeply several times – the chest expands in all directions – and let the tension trickle out of your shoulders as you breathe out. Inhale again, on the next exhale let your shoulder blades sink towards your pelvis and raise both arms at your sides to below your shoulders. Inhaling, the arms sink again. Repeat slowly and smoothly 10 times.
That brings the exercise:
The smooth “wing beat” stretches and relaxes the shoulder girdle.
Here’s how it works:
Lie on your side with both shoulders and hips on a vertical line. The head lies on the lower outstretched arm, the legs lie on top of each other. The whole body is a straight line. Now pull your navel inwards, build up abdominal tension and bend your legs. Support your hips with your upper hand. As you exhale, slowly raise your upper knee. Toes stay together and straighten the pelvis. Inhale and lower the leg back down. 10 times, change sides.
This brings the exercise:
Keeps the hip joints supple and prevents wear and tear.
This is how it works:
Get on all fours. Place hands vertically under shoulders, knees under hips. Extend your right leg back and up, horizontal to your back. Extend your left arm forward in the same way. Raise your head and inhale. As you exhale, bring your right knee and left elbow toward your body and gently lower your head. Inhale and straighten your arm and leg again. Slowly 10 times, changing sides.
That brings the exercise:
great for lower back pain, warms and relaxes the lower back.
Here’s how it works:
Sit on a chair, bend forward and stretch both arms far in front of you. Put your hands on the backrest of a second chair (choose a suitable distance). Raise your right arm and head as you inhale. Push off the back of the chair with your left arm. Rotate your torso and head to the right so you can see under your right arm. Make it long and relax! Then exhale and back. 10 times, change sides.
That brings the exercise:
feels good after desk marathons. Stretches and mobilizes the upper spine, expands the chest.
Here’s how it works:
While standing, place your right front foot on a Thera-Band or scarf. Hold the ends with both hands. Hold the ends with both hands. The band or scarf should be slightly stretched. Left leg is slightly bent. Now lift your right front foot, keeping your heel on the ground. Then press your foot down firmly against the resistance of the Thera-Band or scarf. 15 times, change sides.
That brings the exercise:
Trains the calf muscle pump. The muscle contraction compresses the veins and pushes the backflow of blood upwards.
Here’s how it works:
In a prone position, support both forearms shoulder-width apart. Upper arms are vertical, legs hip-width apart. Now pull the belly button in and up, shoulders to the pelvis. Straighten your thoracic spine and lengthen your back as you exhale. Breathe in again and slowly turn your head to the right side. Push the top tip of your ear up to give you plenty of space between your shoulder and your ear. Exhale back to the center. Inhale and repeat on the left. 15 times.
That brings the exercise:
loosens and strengthens the back muscles.
