Stable body position: 

It is important that you maintain good posture while completing your resistance training exercises. Poor posture can cause the force to be distributed incorrectly, leading to injury. Be sure to open up your chest and pull your shoulder blades back and down slightly. Engage your core by actively pulling your stomach in (like you are pulling your belly button toward your spine). Rather than sucking in your tummy, instead imagine bracing your stomach as if someone was about to punch you in the belly. By engaging your core in this way, you will be able to maintain good posture and complete your exercises safely and properly. Finally, if the exercise allows, ensure that your feet are shoulder width apart or have a staggered stance with one foot forward and one back. This will allow a secure base of support.

 

Proper Technique:

Following proper technique will not only assist in keeping you safe from injury but will also maximize the activation of the desired muscle and boosting the training effect. Ensure you lift straight and avoid twisting motions, so you can control your spine and avoid putting yourself at risk of injury. Follow the pictures and descriptions provided to ensure you are positioned properly. Using a mirror or an exercise buddy to watch your technique will help. If at any time you can’t remember the exercise, it is no longer feeling comfortable, or it is painful, contact one of the study team members. 

 

Breathing:

Holding your breath while exerting force can cause your blood pressure to rise and cause undue stress on your heart. Continuing to breathe during exercise will ensure your muscles get sufficient oxygen and are able to function properly. A good rule of thumb is to exhale when you are doing the work (i.e., lifting the weight or pulling the band), and inhale while releasing. Breathing slowly and smoothly will ensure adequate oxygen supply to your working muscles, will help you perform the exercise in a controlled manner, and will reduce the stress on your heart.

 

Rest:

It is important to give your muscles sufficient rest to facilitate recovery. This means both within an exercise session (between sets) and between exercise sessions. Most exercise specialists recommend 24-48 hours between exercise sessions. After completing a resistance training session, you should take 48 hours rest before doing the routine again. Cardiovascular training requires 24 hours rest before the next cardio session. The research team has provided you with specific guidelines or schedules to follow. It is important to follow what they have advised. It is also important to rest between sets, so you ensure your muscles have recovered. Usually about a couple minutes between sets is sufficient. However, you should listen to your body. If you are feeling quite tired one day, resting longer between sets should help ease this fatigue. It is possible to do too much training (overtrain), which would be detrimental to your progress.

Exercising in a circuit that alternates upper and lower body or different areas of the body may have been recommended, allowing for proper rest. If you are ever unsure about what is appropriate, speak with a member of the research team. Allowing your muscles to recover will enable you to work them at an intensity sufficient to increase your strength.

 

Temperature:

Take caution to maintain your temperature when you are exercising. Ensure your exercise area is well ventilated (fans, open windows) and wear breathable clothing to avoid over-heating or discomfort. If you do feel you are overheating, stop exercising and cool off by drinking water and finding a cooler environment. 

 

Hydration:

Hydration is very important during an exercise session. Dehydration will impair your ability to train and can lead to serious issues such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or exacerbate other health-related concerns. It is important to drink water before, during and after exercise to ensure proper hydration and recovery.

 

Considerations:​

• Listen to your body in order to avoid exercise induced fatigue. Remember that completing your program in small, multiple chunks throughout the day is always a smart option.

• Be aware of public exercise settings if you are immune-sensitive.

• Stop exercising if you feel nauseous, light headed, short of breath, dizzy, or if you develop chest pain or any other sudden sharp pain in your muscles or joints.

• If you suffer from neuropathy, ensure that your activity and exercise occur in a way that does not or only minimally increases your symptoms. Always ensure you are active in a cool environment or if outside make sure you are hydrated with cool liquid. If symptoms begin to increase listen to your body and rest until you return to your normal neuropathy levels. 

 

Progression Guidelines:

Progression is an important part of any exercise program. Without progressing your exercise program, your program will become easy and you will not be achieving the benefits of your hard work. Once you start exercising, your muscles go through a cycle of shock, adaptation, and then staleness. The shock is what causes your muscles to feel sore initially. As you continue to exercise, your muscles adapt, and you become stronger and fitter. However, if you do not continue to adjust the resistance or the loading of your muscles as you get stronger, they will not continue to adapt. In turn, your workouts will become stale. Therefore, by including appropriate progression into your exercise program, your body adapts by becoming stronger and fitter.  

If you have been working on your exercise program for a while and you find its beginning to get too easy, then it is time to progress. First, increase the number of repetitions (reps) you are doing; if your range is between 8-12 reps increase, gradually increase from 8 reps to 10. Eventually, progress your reps until you can complete 12 without too much difficulty. 

Second, once you can complete 12 reps, try adding a set (increase the number of times you perform your reps). Usually, you will start with two sets and you can increase up to three sets. Unless there are specific training goals, it is not typical to do more than 3 sets of exercises. Third, increase the resistance you are using. This can mean using a thicker exercise band. It is important to note at this point that you may have to decrease your reps, as the increased resistance may be too hard to complete. You would then progress yourself in the same manner – first increase number of reps, then sets, and then resistance again.