Medical Workout Collection - Fitness Coach Guide +

Is It Safe for Me to Exercise?
Do you worry that working out could cause more knee damage or pain? As long as your doctor says it’s OK, the best thing you can do is to strengthen the muscles that support your knee and keep them flexible. Start slowly, and build up over time.

Warm Up First
You can ride a stationary bike for about 5 minutes, take a brisk 2-minute walk while pumping your arms, or do 15-20 wall push-ups followed by the same number of calf raises. Doing this will help you get more out of your workout, prepare you to stretch, and lower your risk of an injury.

Time to get schweddy with some balls! Medicine balls, that is. Available in varying sizes and weights (some up to 150 pounds!), these weighted spheres can help improve muscular power and sports performance . The balls can be thrown and caught (don’t try that with a dumbbell!) making for explosive medicine ball movements that can improve overall athletic ability . Plus, they’re super old school. Hippocrates used sand-filled animal skin pouches to help patients recover from injuries almost 2,000 years ago (clearly he was on to something).

When choosing a weight, pick a ball that’s heavy enough to slow the motion (slower than if you weren’t using any weight at all), but not so heavy that control, accuracy, or range of motion take a hit (or the poor guy next to you). For each move, aim for 10 to 15 reps—or as many as you can do with good form. And don't miss the full-body workout below that puts some of these moves together. Ready? Let's go balls to the walls!

If you suffer from knees that feel like they have been bludgeoned with a scalding hot tire iron, you are not alone. One study from Gallup-Healthways found that 26% of the adult population in the US suffers from knee pain.

Causation can be varied. Over use, under use, mobility restrictions and muscular imbalances are some of the big factors than can factor in to knee pain. Whatever the reason, you don’t have to live with it. Try adding these exercises and stretches to your daily warm-up routine.

One of the easiest body parts to injure is most certainly the lower lumbar (lower back). The word lumbar is derived from the latin word lumbus meaning lion, which is fitting since many guys get injured while trying to unleash their inner jungle cat - allowing their egos to push more weight than their bodies can handle. Throw in a dose of bad form and you've got the perfect storm for a weightlifting related injury.

To significantly lessen your chances of doing severe damage to your body, while increasing the strength of your lower back, consider incorporating these isolation exercises into your workouts.

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25 Must-Try Medicine Ball Exercises READ
What’s the deal with those big bouncy balls taking up space around the gym? Stability balls (also called exercise balls, balance balls, Swiss balls, or fitness balls) are more than just fun to sit and bounce on—they’re a great way to improve strength, cardio endurance, and balance. By tackling basic moves (like push-ups, squats, and planks) on an unstable surface, muscles get more bang for their buck . Stability balls are also great for getting back into shape after an injury because they can reduce muscle and spinal strain during certain movements .

hances are, jump ropes have been in your life since the PB&J-and-juice-box days of your childhood. So it’s time to add a new, badass kind of rope to your fitness routine: battle ropes. You’ll usually find them anchored to a wall or sturdy beam or pole, and while they may vary in length (they can be up to 100-feet long), weight, and thickness, all battle ropes serve the same purpose: Providing a killer workout.