What are the functions of fitness equipment?

Indoor fitness equipment has many names, including multi-functional large-scale equipment for gymnasiums, and single-function, dual-function, and multi-function portable equipment for use at home. Although these numerous devices have differences in size, size, and functionality. But its sports performance can be summarized into three types.

The active resistance movement, semi-active resistance movement, and passive movement.

1. Active resistance exercise: The resistance exercise of fitness equipment is the same as the resistance exercise of dumbbells and barbells. It uses the contraction force of its own muscles to lift the weight to increase the strength of the muscles and increase the volume.

The combined fitness equipment uses the principle of mechanical transmission and combines the characteristics of the human body’s joint structure to move the human body in various directions.

For example, to exercise the pectoralis major, the method of exercising with dumbbells is: lying on your back, holding the bell with your arms sideways, and doing the movement of adduction to forward. However, the joint device is mostly used in the sitting position, holding the stent with both hands and forearms, and repeatedly doing adduction movements. Although there are different forms, they are all exercises and strengthen the pectoralis major, and they are all resistance exercises for the contraction of the pectoralis major.

2. Semi-active resistance exercise: some resistance exercises, for some people with poor basic strength, obesity, thinness, and no exercise foundation, it is difficult to start the exercise. You can adjust the body position or reduce the strength of the equipment or complete it in stages.

If you use a bodybuilder to exercise your abdomen, you can reduce the difficulty of sit-ups and reduce the contraction force of the abdominal muscles to complete the action. Part of the power is assisted by the rotation of the equipment, which will help the practitioner to transition from low intensity to high-intensity exercise.

Electric treadmills are also semi-passive because the rotating track has reduced the effect of the practitioner’s feet on the ground.

3. Passive movement: Passive movement is the movement of joints by an external force. The characteristic of this movement is that the muscles do not actively contract, and the muscles are stretched and restored by an external force. It has the function of moving joints and can relax the muscles, but it cannot increase muscle strength.

Such as the swinging movement and massage of the lower limbs of the rotary motion wobbler attached to the electric treadmill. This kind of exercise is characterized by a small amount of exercise, prevents joint stiffness, and is suitable for the weak.

Exercise with fitness equipment should follow the following principles and methods.

1. Adjust the resistance of the fitness equipment according to your physical strength. The weight is generally less than 1/2 of the ability to withstand the direction of movement of the limb. For example, if you can bench press 100 kg, you should adjust it to less than 50 kg on the fitness equipment, because you have to repeatedly press more times until you are exhausted. 1~2 times.

It can also be calculated by the number of times: the starting weight is based on the ability to push more than 5 to 10 times, and as the strength increases, it can be pushed up to 15 times, 20 times, or more. When you can push it many times without feeling strenuous, adjust the weight to only push 5-10 times.

2. When using fitness equipment to correct your body shape, you should design and arrange targeted exercises according to your body’s defects or deficiencies.

For example, if you have a big chest and a small friend, you can arrange the adduction movement of the arms against resistance. There are winged scapulas, which can be arranged to resist resistance to expand the chest to increase the strength of the trapezius and rhomboid muscles of the back, and to correct the shape of the winged scapula. Only purposeful and targeted exercises can achieve the ideal orthopedic effect.

3. Before using fitness equipment to exercise muscle strength, you must first do preparation activities. When the joints are flexible and the body has a warm feeling, you should not only exercise resistance but also avoid muscle damage. When you exercise, you should do it 1 to 2 times when you are exhausted. This will increase your strength and muscles quickly.

4. After resistance exercises, you must do muscle relaxation exercises and self-massage. If possible, you can relax your muscles in warm water to maintain and increase muscle elasticity and achieve true fitness.

Bodybuilding muscles are plump and round when they are relaxed. When tension is exerted, muscles of various sizes are swollen, distinct, and clearly visible. If the muscles have been in a state of tension, rigidity, and clumsiness, they will form a weird body shape. Especially for women, they should maintain their plump and curvy healthy beauty. So after strength exercises, you must be good at relaxing your muscles to increase muscle elasticity.

5. For frail middle-aged and elderly people, some passive exercises can be done with equipment to maintain and recover the mobility of the joints, but pay attention to the frequency and amplitude.

If you use a treadmill, you should pay attention to whether the frequency is suitable for your heart function. People with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should slow down the track speed or avoid this exercise. Passive movements such as rotation and swing of the waist and lower limbs should also be the same to avoid accidents.

6. Children and adolescents should promote growth and development, cultivate speed, flexibility, flexibility, and coordination. For the time being, do not use excessive resistance exercises to improve muscle strength. It is not too late to vigorously develop strength after maturity.

How to use bicycles for fitness?

Bicycles are the most common means of transportation, which creates convenient conditions for the extensive use of bicycles for fitness and rehabilitation. Although there are many people who ride bicycles, some people lack the scientific knowledge of using bicycles for fitness and rehabilitation. Applying it on the basis of understanding the scientific knowledge in this area can obtain unexpected benefits.

Walking and running are the basic skills for the human body to move while loading its own weight. A bicycle is a skill that uses the flexion and extension of the lower limb joints to move forward without loading its own weight.

It has the functions of saving energy, not bearing weight, and promoting and maintaining people’s balance ability. When people reach middle-aged and old age, their physiological characteristics are gradual decline in physical fitness, and the prominent feelings are a weakness of lower limbs, weakened balance ability, and joint stiffness, and they often fall easily.

Riding a bicycle consumes less physical energy, but it can make the lower limb joints bend and extend without loading weight, thereby maintaining joint function and preventing joint rigidity.

Since the balance must be constantly adjusted when riding a bicycle, and the body’s balance organs are frequently used, it can prevent the balance organs from deteriorating prematurely. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people who have the habit of cycling should keep the habit of cycling and don’t have to give up prematurely.

Middle-aged and elderly people should choose a model with flat-curved handlebars when choosing a car model. For a bicycle with flat-curved handlebars, the fist is forward when holding the handle, because when the fist holds the handle forward, the shoulders, chest, and scapula muscles In a state that is neither tense nor relaxed, when turning or arcing, gently and coordinated contraction, one turn of the shoulders can turn the handlebar to complete the turn.

However, straight-handle models are not suitable, because straight-handle bicycles face each other when holding the handles, forcing the elbows to bend slightly, and the muscles of the shoulders, chest, and scapula are in a state of adduction and internal rotation. When turning or arcing When driving, the muscles of the shoulders, chest, and scapula are blocked, and the upper body must be turned to drive the handlebars to turn or arc. This is not suitable for middle-aged and elderly people. There is a fear of falling and should be avoided.

Cycling has a special effect on the rehabilitation of certain hip and knee joint diseases.

1. Aseptic necrosis of the femoral head: The biggest contraindication of aseptic necrosis of the femoral head is the pressure of one’s own body weight, and it is often necessary to stay in bed for several years during treatment. But on the other hand, the hip also needs certain joint activities to avoid joint stiffness and hip muscle atrophy.

Cycling can avoid the pressure of your own weight on the hip joints, and can exercise the muscles around the hips and thighs, which can prevent muscle atrophy and joint stiffness. Obviously, this is good for maintaining hip joint function

2. Patella strain: It is a common disease in the knee joint. It is necessary to avoid the friction between the cartilaginous surface of the patella and the surface of the femoral ankle in the weight-bearing and specific angles.

Exercise practice and clinical measurements have shown that when the knee’s weight-bearing flexion is between 105 degrees and 30 degrees, the cartilage surface of the patella and the articular surface of the femoral condyle are the tightest, and the friction is the largest. Cycling is a weight-bearing flexion and extension exercise of the knee joint, such as raising the seat, and the knee joint flexion and extension activities are above 130 degrees, and the friction between the cartilaginous surface of the patella and the articular surface of the femoral condyle is the smallest.

This can not only maintain the flexibility of the fermented joints but also increase the strength of the quadriceps, which meets the rehabilitation requirements of the patella strain.

3. Injuries in any part of the knee joint: such as knee meniscus, medial and lateral collateral ligaments, anterior and posterior cruciate ligament injuries, and patella fracture healing during the recovery period, quadriceps muscle strength, and knee flexibility rehabilitation exercises must be performed.

But riding a bicycle can achieve this goal. The resistance of riding a bicycle has different effects on the knee joint. When going downhill, the resistance is small and the frequency of knee flexion and extension is fast, which is conducive to the flexibility of the knee joint. The uphill resistance is large. The quadriceps muscle is strong, which contributes to the growth of muscle strength and makes the atrophy and thinner thighs thicker.

However, the application and stimulation of the gluteal muscles and calf triceps (rear muscles of the calf) are not enough when riding a bicycle. For those who often use bicycles, they should be supplemented by walking, running, jumping, and other exercises to fully enhance the load capacity of the lower limbs.