Exercise & Fitness Articles

One of the most common mistakes that people make when they first begin their exercise program is overdoing it. When they're overdoing it, they push themselves to such an extent that even their whole lifestyle is altered for the sake of their zest in their exercise program. Doing so always end up creating unnecessary stress on their whole being - namely, physically, emotionally, mentally, as well as spiritually.

However, as the old saying goes: "The mind is ready but the flesh is weak." Such drastic change of lifestyles will render it rather difficult for the body to get accustomed to and thus vulnerable to weakness or even injuries of all sorts. It's not surprising at all to see those young and energetic athletes all of a sudden go weak and collapse during their regular training sessions or even in competition, just because they suffer the effect of burning out due to too intense of an exercise program.

Think this kind of problem only happens to older athletes? Think again! We're seeing more and more teenaged athletes collapse during their long jog or other intensive sport events too. Parents should be concerned and make sure that their young children will get enough sleep the night before any sport performance, not to mention competitive ones that tax a great deal of energy from the physical as well as emotional body.

The most recent medical findings confirm that the lack of sleep is the prime reason that causes one's heart problems to arise. In the case of athletes, the lack of rest together with the lack of sleep will double make sure such likelihood. Therefore, quite to the contrary to the common belief that one is to train hard and intense before the event to ensure good performance, the real secret to good sport performance is to relax and rest enough beforehand.

The more relaxed one is, the more power one can generate because of the polarity nature of the universe. Before strength can be gathered, relaxation must happen first which will further ensure the togetherness of all kinds of energies when needed. On the other hand, if one is too tense even before the right timing, one will have no room to 'flex one's muscles' so to speak. What good can it do then?

This principle applies to all micro and macro scenarios. So, the secrets is: relax, relax, relax and relax! Relax before exercise...relax during sport performance...relax after the event...and relax with the whole scheme of things!

When one is relaxed enough, the body has more time and room to recuperate and rebuild itself, getting ready for more and more demanding orders to come. Such is the secret to exercise. By the way, this is also congruent with the 'Yin/Yang' theory of the Chinese metaphysical system too - there must be a 'yin' before a 'yang,' and a 'yang' before a 'yin.' In this case, 'yin' is the relaxed state that ensures good outburst of energy which is 'yang.' Isn't life interesting or what?