I'm sure most people have seen pictures of body builders and wondered like me what use such a large amount of muscle can be put to. Most of us have pretty unremarkable bodies by comparison. Our muscles however are enormously important even though they may not be enormous.

More people spend their days sitting than ever before. They drive to work and sit in front of a computer when they get there. If you drive 30000 miles a year at an average speed of 60 mph (increasingly unlikely on Britain's roads) you are spending 500 hours or more than 12 40 hour weeks sitting in one position. It's not hard to see why we are facing an epidemic of overweight, back and neck problems

Stiffness and spasm occur in muscles which are not used. Spasm of muscles is painful and unfortunately is not relieved by painkillers. Massage, heat, acupuncture and radian B from the chemist are generally more effective at dealing with muscle spasm than painkillers.

I have over the years devised some simple exercises which I perform myself. By doing straight leg lifts I cured myself of an inguinal hernia, hence avoiding the need for surgery.

1) Straight leg lifts

Each morning, before rising from bed perform 6 of these with each leg. As slowly as you can raise the leg straight from the bed to a height of about 6 inches(no more than this!). Hold it for 10 seconds and then as slowly as possible lower the leg onto the bed and repeat 6 times. This exercise helps to strengthen up the muscles around the knee and will benefit those with mild arthritis of the knee. It will also help to strengthen up the abdominal muscles - hence preventing the development of a hernia.A contributory cause of hernia is weak abdominal muscles.If the muscles are weak they can be strengthened by exercises which use these muscles.The straight leg raise described helps to tighten up the muscles around the inguinal ring.Clearly whether this works or not is a matter of the degree to which the hernia is 'developed'.In a small hernia which reduces spontaneously overnight the exercises when done in the morning pose no danger of strangulation.However if the hernia is large and does not reduce spontaneously then such an exercise is probably inappropriate as the inguinal ring will have been so stretched that improvement in muscle tone is not going to solve the problem.

You may be interested to know about the  British Hernia centre where they only do hernia repairs.They're based in London and have a website www.hernia.org

 

2) Squats

This is an exercise I perform to relieve tension in the neck muscles and improve posture. In my work as a health screening Doctor I reckon that 6 out of 10 people I see have bad posture. Squat on your haunches, balanced on the balls of your feet with the heels close together. With your back straight first place your hands on your knees and then clasp your hands behind your head. This position needs to be maintained only for a few moments.Then hold your arms behind your back in the same position as if they were folded in front of you-that is with each hand holding the opposite elbow.You will feel this pulling the muscles across the front of the shoulders this sensation will persist for a few moments after you stand up again-this is normal. The exercise reminds the body what a normal posture is like. If you spend long periods in front of a VDU try to get out of your chair every hour and do this exercise. It doesn't take long and you will feel better for it. Good posture is essential for the maintenance of health and it has been demonstrated that those with good posture live longer than those without..

Yoga  classes are available in Bristol.This is a good exercise for maintaining posture and improving breathing.

 

3) Calf Clenching

If you are standing or sitting for long periods, the blood tends to collect in the legs. Clench your calf muscles and move your heels up and down by pressing the balls of your feet on the floor.

 

4) Neck Pull

When one is seated for long periods especially in front of a VDU the head tends to fall forwards and the neck muscles become weak. This exercise tightens up the muscles at the back of the neck. Clasp your hands behind your head and push the back of your head against your hands, then relax. Repeat half a dozen times or so.

 

5) Walking

I am convinced this is the best exercise people can get and is the one God intended us to do. Whenever you get into the car ask yourself whether you could possibly walk instead. If you only walked 2 miles a day over a year you would have walked a distance equivalent to going from Lands End to John O'Groats.

6)Breathing

Most people are lazy with their breathing.We are supposed to use our diaphragm(the big muscle inside our bodies under our chests) to breathe.Proper abdominal breathing involves expanding the chest and opening up the small air passages.If you put a hand on your tummy you should feel it moving up and down when you breathe.If you place your hands across the front of your chest with the thumbs touching the two thumbs should move apart by at least a centimetre when you breathe in.When we exercise we breathe properly-this is why gentle exercise is good for people with breathing problems.

7)Back exercise

The back is a collection of joints each of which can go wrong.As with any other joint it is better to have strong muscles working around the joint than weak ones.The main antigravity muscles lie at either side of the spinal column.Unfortunately exercises such as swimming or cycling do not involve much work for these muscles.A simple exercise is to lift a small weight (about 2lb) with the hand ,flexing the elbow (Biceps curls)When you do this the back muscles automatically contract to stop you overbalancing.A dozen repetitions of this exercise done daily will help to tone up the muscles of the back.If you are prone to episodes of your back 'going out' or of sciatica this exercise might help you.

The exercises mentioned above are intended for people without significant joint problems or disability.If you have significant joint problems or are disabled you should seek advice from a physiotherapist before starting an exercise regime. If you have any joint problems and are considering going to a gym, be sure to ask a trainer about the range of exercises you can do which won't make things worse.