Is exercise important and what exercises are best? Yes, it's important to exercise, but even if your options are limited, don't despair. The aggressive nutrition plan I have proposed in the pages of this book will allow you to lose weight.

EXERCISES FOR LEGS This set of exercises improves blood supply to the feet and increases the strength of the leg muscles. It can be done at any time of the day. The main thing is to do the exercises every day. Exercises for the foot1. If your feet are squeezed by shoes during the day, you should shake them often

Neck Exercises Tilt your head forward and make circular movements. If your head turns easily and smoothly, without “grinding,” then you have nothing to worry about, but if not, it’s better to start exercising as early as possible without delay. Here's how to do the exercises

Exercises Three times a week on regular days, do workouts lasting half an hour each. Follow the Sculpt 30 plan for Week 1 (see pages 303–305). Don't forget to warm up and stretch before training -

There are no ideal, symmetrically developed people: some have one leg slightly larger than the other, some have a right arm that is stronger and more resilient than the left. Typically, fitness experts identify several types of asymmetries: uneven development of the right and left sides (muscles, limbs), front and rear muscle groups (for example, the back is more developed than the chest), upper and lower parts of the body (one of them is much more massive than the other) .

In addition, our natural imbalances can be exacerbated by some kind of injury or illness. If we do not take into account all these features and load the whole body equally, then the imbalance can increase, causing many health problems. That is why experts recommend including asymmetrical exercises in their standard training programs (strength training, yoga). They will help you not only harmonize your appearance and solve health problems, but will also allow you to better pump up some muscle groups. Let's take a closer look at why an uneven load is useful.

Addressing general muscle imbalances

Experts say a lack of asymmetrical exercise can lead to serious injuries by increasing developmental differences between the right and left sides of the body. The fact is that the arm or leg that is our leading one is usually more developed. Accordingly, during classes it takes on most of the load, provoking an even greater imbalance.

Spinal scoliosis also causes severe muscle imbalance. As emphasized Yana Ananyeva, hatha yoga teacher at the yoga studio and Taste & Color practitioner, performing asanas with uneven load is an excellent way to prevent and eliminate this disease. “Scoliosis occurs when the weight is incorrectly distributed on the skeletal axis, in the presence of an uncomfortable workplace, and also due to birth or acquired injuries. Against the background of spinal curvature, problems arise such as decreased immunity, impaired digestion and respiratory functions, and many other problems that can be solved with the help of asymmetrical yoga exercises. Each specific position of the body in the asana is aimed at eliminating distortions, curvatures and tightness,” notes the trainer.

Alena Gribanova, expert in group programs of the federal network of fitness clubs X-Fit also adds that asymmetrical load allows you to locally work out muscle hypertonicity (strong tension).

Preparing the body for everyday stress

In our ordinary lives, we rarely make symmetrical movements. As a rule, we always carry a bag on one shoulder, sit on a chair with our elbows on one side, stand with support on one leg, etc. Experts note that such “everyday” asymmetry is the path not only to poor posture, but also to increased injury to the weaker side. As emphasized American fitness trainer Nick Jelly By strengthening the core muscles, asymmetric exercises, on the contrary, increase overall body coordination, balance and reduce the risk of injury (for example, during a fall on ice or due to heavy lifting).

Better muscle development

Since the asymmetrical type of load requires greater strength and balance from the muscles, by doing it, you pump your body much better. A study conducted by the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy found that those subjects who trained with uneven loads used small stabilizing muscles 25% more than those who performed traditional exercises.

Even distribution of load between different muscle groups

In asymmetrical exercises, it is easier for us to control our body, since the entire focus of attention moves to the leg, arm or side to which the load is directed. This allows you not only to hone your technique, but also to evenly distribute the load between different muscle groups during the training process.

How exactly to calculate the load in asymmetrical exercises?

According to Alena Gribanova, in general (unless you have any pronounced imbalances), 70% of your workout should be symmetrical exercises, and 30% asymmetrical. In this case, the latter should be aimed at the side of the body that is in hypotension. “Remember that we work weak muscles with less weight and fewer repetitions,” the expert emphasizes.

With a pronounced imbalance (more than 50%), the training consists mainly of asymmetric exercises. The ratio of approaches is 3:1. The strengths approach is a benchmark approach to evaluate progress.

As for the asymmetrical load in yoga, the exercises are performed on different sides with different durations of body fixation, which is calculated individually. “As a rule, the static position is fixed on one side several times longer than on the opposite side, thereby achieving a therapeutic effect,” explains Yana Ananyeva.

As you may have noticed, the most useful asymmetrical exercises are standard presses, squats or lunges, but with an emphasis on one limb. Let's also consider exercises from Pilates and yoga, which are good for working out imbalances.

Single leg squats. Place your right foot on the bench and your left foot on the floor. Do squats with emphasis on your left leg. Repeat the exercise with your right leg.

"Swimming". “As a rule, adults develop S-shaped scoliosis. On the left side, the buttocks will be imbalanced, on the right - the back. To eliminate this defect, this Pilates exercise is suitable: you need to lie on your stomach, stretch your legs and arms. Raise alternate arms and legs,” explains Alena Gribanova.

Spain twist or sitting turns. “Sit on the floor, straighten your back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. When the left side is lagging, as you exhale, rotate your body to the right, then to the left and again to the right (remember the ratio of 70 and 30% of exercises),” comments a trainer at the X-Fit fitness club network.

Marjariasana. Get down on all fours, placing your knees directly above your pelvis. The wrists are under the shoulders, the spine is extended. Raise your left arm and right leg. Start stretching yourself in different directions, pointing your arm forward and your leg back. Push off the mat with your supporting hand and foot, without allowing yourself to sag. “Be in this position for 40-60 seconds, and then lower your arm and leg to the floor, rest and repeat on the other side,” notes Yana Ananyeva.

Prasarita padottanasana. Stand up straight with your feet about a meter wide or a little wider. Inhale, lengthening your entire body, and as you exhale, rotate your body toward your left leg. Bending at the pelvis, lower your stomach onto your thighs. Relax your neck, aim your chest towards your knee. Stay in this asana for 30-40 seconds and then repeat in the other direction.

Try reading without saying the text to yourself. Now read the page of text without being distracted or rereading the sentences. Turn the book upside down and read the paragraph. It turns out? These and other simple exercises will help you master speed reading skills.

People who want to become professionals in their field must work through a huge amount of information. In addition, there is so much in the world, but time is sorely lacking. There is a way out - learn to read quickly. And this is possible: John Kennedy, Maxim Gorky and others read quickly, up to 2 thousand words per minute. For example, Napoleon read one rather voluminous book every morning before breakfast, managing to note in its margins the thoughts that were important to him.

And the former American president, who reads at incredible speed, developed his own, which is successfully used by those who want to learn it.

It could be argued that reading quickly reduces reading comprehension and retention. But practice shows that the opposite is true: with normal reading, approximately half of the information is absorbed, while with speed reading, 70-80%.

Why does this happen? Because fast reading requires more concentration than normal reading, during which we read less carefully. We have parallel thoughts: we think about current affairs, for example, that it’s time to turn off the refrigerator, about the upcoming vacation, or our thoughts return to past events. It is not surprising that reading progress is slow, and new information is poorly remembered.

You can master speed reading methods at special trainings: 5 lessons of 3.5-4 hours are enough. Their advantage lies not only in the fact that the classes are taught by specialists, but also in the fact that, firstly, the person who paid for the training is unlikely to want to voluntarily skip classes. Secondly, teachers form pairs of students, making classes more effective. Thus, the one who risks missing class will let his partner down - the obligation to him will serve as an additional incentive not to shy away from classes.

You can do it yourself. To do this, you just need a great desire, faith in the result and daily training. And if many people have the desire, then with faith it will be more difficult. Let's remember how children learn to ride a bicycle: those who think they will fall actually fall; those who are sure that they will go straight away somehow miraculously keep their balance and go. We believe that we can do it!

As for training, we do special exercises every day for 30-40 minutes for 21 days. Psychologists believe that it takes so long to get rid of an old habit and instill a new one.

For exercises, you need to choose a convenient time and place so that nothing distracts you from reading. It is useless to do this, for example, in the subway, where it is impossible to concentrate.

What slows down reading?

1. Pronouncing the text while reading “to yourself”, or subvocalization

This habit is formed in us when we learn to read and pronounce each word out loud, syllable by syllable. We learned to read, but the habit remained. Some not only pronounce the text internally, but also move their lips while doing so. Naturally, there is no question of reading quickly, because no matter how hard a person wants to, he is not able to say more than 500 words per minute. This means he will read at the same speed. Anyone who masters speed reading methods will be able to read up to 2 thousand words in the same time.

2. Regression reading

The main brake that holds back reading speed is the return movements of the eyes to the text that has already been read. It seems to us that by rereading a phrase or paragraph, we delve deeper into its essence, but in reality this is not the case. The logic of the text itself is violated, and we are forced to return to what we read again and again, which only aggravates the situation. Speed ​​reading experts believe that, if necessary, it is better to return to a place after the entire text has been read.

By getting rid of the regressions with which most people read, you can increase your reading speed by 2-3 times.

3. Limited field of view

The field of view is the space of perception of the text. For people who read slowly (and these are the majority), it is 4-5 cm. They can be compared to peeping through a keyhole, who see only a small part of the picture. Experts say that it is impossible to expand your field of vision with training. But with their help, you can learn to perceive information that is located in the area covered by peripheral vision. And as a result of training, it can be up to 10 cm.

Exercises to develop speed reading skills

Knowing the “enemy” of speed reading “by sight”, we can eliminate it. Don't expect immediate results and be disappointed if they don't exist or leave much to be desired. Developing any new skill takes some time. It's like in sports: high results are achieved only through hard training.

1. Read with a pointer

In order for our gaze to smoothly slide forward, we read with a pointer (sushi stick), moving it a little faster than our understanding of the text. You can do this with your finger, if that’s more convenient.

This exercise is called a reading speed booster exercise. The gaze should follow only the lines along which the pointer moves, and in no case let it out of sight, returning to what has already been read.

After a while we will get rid of regressions and will be able to read without a pointer.

2. Suppress articulation

Some experts consider subvocalization a natural process that helps reduce the stress associated with learning new material. However, it significantly slows down reading.

You can suppress articulation - the work of the speech organs (tongue, lips, larynx) while reading “to yourself”, and not out loud, using distraction. That is, in parallel with reading, we (or a partner studying with us) can tap a rhythm on the table with a pencil. This will distract us from mentally speaking the text.

In addition to tapping, you can use the backward counting method: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, etc. We will monitor the count so as not to lose track and not be able to pronounce the words. Instead of counting, you can hum some tune (out loud or “to yourself”), read tongue twisters or simple rhymes by heart.

3. Green dot method

This method allows you to learn to perceive information in the field of peripheral vision. We draw a green dot in the center of a page with some text and concentrate our attention on it for 10 minutes. We mentally imagine a green dot in front of us when we go to bed and close our eyes.

After practicing concentrating on the green dot for two weeks, we begin to look at the text located horizontally and vertically from it. We try to take in as many words as possible – you don’t need to read them, just see them.

Exercises with a green dot can be complemented by classes with Schulte tables, designed specifically to improve peripheral vision. The tables themselves and the teaching methods for them can be downloaded from one of the sites.

4. Training gibberish

Training in the so-called gibberish reading, or reading from right to left, develops thinking, attention and the ability to concentrate.

To begin with, you can practice reading from right to left using palindromes (from the Greek “back” and “run”) - words or phrases that are read the same from left to right and vice versa. Examples of palindrome: “And the rose fell on Azor’s paw”, “Dear Rome is the city or dear Mirgorod”, “The cat is about forty days old”, “The boar pressed the eggplant”, etc. And then you can start training on regular text. You can find a site on the Internet that offers e-books written from right to left and order them for free.

5. Read upside down

Exercises for reading a book upside down can increase your reading speed. First, we read a paragraph in an upside-down book, then we return it to its normal position and re-read it. We will immediately feel how easily and quickly we can do this!

6. Tick-tock method

While reading, we capture with our gaze only the beginning and end of the line, and not each word, as during normal reading. This will be enough to understand the meaning of what you read, and your reading speed will increase significantly.

7. Reading diagonally

The gaze slides diagonally across the page. Eye movements to the left or right are not allowed, nor is returning to what has already been read. At first, the gaze will cover only a few words, but as you practice, the volume of what you perceive will increase. The main thing in this method is to learn to highlight key phrases and skip verbal garbage. You need to start reading from the top left corner of the page to the bottom right. People who have mastered this method need only glance at the page to understand what is being said.

Those who want to thoroughly master speed reading methods should choose a suitable book. This could be “Learning to Read Fast” by I. Golovleva. There are also many educational video courses on the Internet, for example, “More than Speed ​​Reading.”

It is convenient and interesting to learn speed reading using various applications. One of them is Spreeder. The text is loaded into it, and the number of words and the speed at which they appear can be set independently.

Exercises against scoliosis can correct the lateral. There are several professional complexes that can prevent the progression of the disease and reduce the size of the scoliotic curve. Below in the article is given the gymnastics of O. S. Petrov, used in large rehabilitation centers in Russia for patients with.

Tactics and approaches to implementation

To treat the frontal displacement of the spinal axis, there are symmetrical and asymmetrical exercises. The former are included in Petrov’s basic gymnastics, which a person performs independently at home.

Asymmetric types are selected by doctors and physical therapy instructors depending on the characteristics of a person’s pathology.

The entire complex of gymnastics for spinal curvatures can be divided into 2 types depending on the purpose:

• Corrective;
• Supportive.

When choosing exercises, concomitant pathology should also be taken into account. For example, with curvature of the thoracic region in the frontal plane, an increase in heart rate (tachycardia), increased pressure, and intercostal neuralgia are observed. In such a situation, you should abandon asymmetrical training of the upper back, as it increases.

Petrov's technique

The initial stages of lateral displacement of the spine with a curvature angle of no more than 25 degrees can be successfully cured by daily basic training of the back muscles according to Petrov’s method.

Here is an example set of exercises:

• Walk around the room on all fours for 3 minutes, which will relieve the back muscles and prepare them for static load;
• Traction () of the spinal column is a complement to physical therapy. It helps increase size. Lying on your back, stretch your legs down and your head up for 15 seconds. Turn over onto your stomach and repeat the procedure;
• Lying on your back, perform a leg movement that is similar to riding a bicycle;
• Lying on your stomach, place your palms under your head. Try to lift your head up and pull your upper body down. Repeat the procedure 5 times;
• Do scissoring while lying on your stomach;
• In a standing position, spread your arms to the sides. The palms should be directed upward. Pull them back as far as possible and then forward. We recommend doing about 10 similar movements.

The above-described complex helps to relax the muscular frame of the back, subject to the following rules of implementation:

1. Do not make sudden jerking movements;
2. Perform each exercise smoothly and slowly;
3. Control your breathing. To do this, before using Petrov’s technique, you should study the principles.

Katharina Schroth has developed effective corrective exercises to eliminate chest deformation and normalize the height of the intercostal spaces. Her gymnastics is relevant in the presence of a lateral displacement of the spine in the thoracic region.

Symmetrical exercises

Exercises against scoliosis according to Petrov’s method are prescribed only by doctors. They are aimed at eliminating persistent spasmodic contractions of individual muscle groups of the back.

Here is an approximate list of special symmetrical gymnastics for the back:

• As you inhale, bend forward. As you exhale, straighten your torso and hold the position for 5 seconds;
• Place your hands on the back of your head, with your elbows out to the sides. Perform body turns to count;
• As you inhale, turn your body to the side and move your arms back. In this case, the chest must be arched forward. As you exhale, we return to the starting position;
• Rotate your head left and right. In this case, breathing should be uniform;
• While standing, place your feet shoulder-width apart. On the count of “one-two”, lean forward, on “three-four” turn to the right. As you exhale, return to the starting position;
• While kneeling, rest your hands on the floor. Bend your chest at the count of “one-two”, and at the count of “three-four” arch your back upward. As you exhale, take the starting position;
• Lying on your back, fix your feet on the floor. In your hands, hold a load weighing no more than 3 kg. As you inhale, arch your back and lift the weight. As you exhale, return to the starting position;
• In a standing position, place your hands on your forehead. At the same time, lower your head and overcome slight resistance of the head, hold your breath. Exhale after 2-3 seconds and relax. Number of repetitions 2-3.

Corrective exercises

Corrective exercises will not bring a therapeutic effect if a person does not keep his back straight when performing them. Correct posture is one of the important principles for maintaining health.

If a displacement of the spine has formed in the frontal plane, you should spend as much time as possible in the anti-bending position:

• For left-sided curvature, try to strengthen the muscles of the right half of the body;
• When sitting for a long time, place an object under the buttocks on the side of the curvature that will align the horizontal position of the iliac bones;
• When performing symmetrical exercises, make sure that they do not lead to increased muscle tone due to deformation of the spinal column. To do this, after physical movements, you should massage your back with your hands. In professional medical clinics, strength meters are used to determine the tone of skeletal muscles.

In conclusion, we note that the effectiveness increases when it is combined with other procedures: massage, manual therapy, physiotherapy. The therapeutic effect also depends on the regularity, correctness and duration of physical education.