For many of us, our participation in exercise has been limited to gym class in high school with no further activity in adulthood. Others may have participated in a sport or physical activity at one time in life and then decreased their intensity, duration and time of involvement to nothing at all. Perhaps it was due to an illness, accident, being too busy, or simply being so caught up in the circumstances and stresses of life, that participation in a physical activity just could not be squeezed in.

We are living longer lives now that science has eradicated many infectious diseases or created vaccinations against them. Increased longevity brings higher health risk and costs. It's up to us to incorporate exercise, good nutrition, stress reduction techniques and other health practices for fitness into our lives for further prevention and cost reduction.

The fastest growing population today is comprised of persons over age 65. Whatever your age, health condition, or relationship to exercise, it's never too late to begin. The physiological and psychological benefits derived from a well-balanced exercise program will far outweigh the difficulty in getting started.

Whether a person is beginning an exercise program for the first time, starting all over after a layoff, or is young or old, there are basic tips and guidelines to be followed.

1. Always consult your physician before starting an exercise program. Your doctor should determine if there are any health conditions that will exclude certain types of exercises. Often, hidden health problems, such as hypertension, aren't discovered until you have a physical examination.
2. Look at your schedule realistically. How many days are you willing to commit to an exercise program? How long per workout? Then write those workout times into your schedule. People often make the mistake of thinking they're going to exercise every day, only to be discouraged and disappointed when they miss a day. More is not necessarily better. The keys to developing a lifetime habit of regular exercise are: slow progression, consistency and regularity.
3. Identify any other obstacles which may prevent you from exercising and find ways in which you might work around them.
4. Select an activity that you enjoy. One that you feel you will participate in on a regular basis throughout your life. Selecting a variety of activities helps to prevent boredom and can give added health benefits for mind and body.
5. Develop an exercise contract with yourself. Sign it, date it and have it witnessed.
6. Keep a complete exercise log. Include activity performed, date, time of day, duration of activity and how you felt upon completion.
7. Be sure to include these five components in your physical fitness routine.
   • Warm-up
   • Cardiovascular conditioning
   • Cool-down
   • Strength training
   • Flexibility and range of motion exercises
   Often in a person's excitement to begin a particular form of exercise, one or more of these areas may be neglected. In order to achieve maximum value from an exercise program all five of these components must be included.
8. Set realistic goals. If you select walking as your activity, start out with 10 minutes per day, three times a week. Gradually add five more minutes each week. If you choose to lose weight, create a 500 calorie deficit per day, decreasing your caloric intake by 250 calories and increasing your activity level. This will allow you to safely lose 1/2 to one pound per week. Don't expect to lose 35 lbs. in two weeks. Safe weight loss takes time.
9. Exercise with a friend. Friends help to motivate each other and maintain regularity in exercise participation.
10. If you like to exercise on your own, use music, or books on tape for motivation by wearing a portable stereo unit.
11. Reward yourself after participating in an activity for a certain number of days. This could be a trip, movie, new outfit, etc.
12. Learn the benefits of exercise by:
    • Talking to fitness instructors, personal trainers, or fitness practitioners.
    • Joining a health club.
    • Consulting with a certified dietician.
    • Reading health and fitness magazines and books.
    • Watching fitness videos and exercise programs on TV. Be aware of who is writing the article or book or leading the taped program. Make sure they have a background and credentials in health and fitness.
13. Once an exercise routine is established, talk with a trained fitness professional to make sure that you are:
    • Warming up properly.
    • Properly executing each exercise for positive effect and injury prevention.
    • Using proper breathing techniques during exercise.
    • Using the equipment correctly.
    • Cooling down properly after exercising.
14. To avoid injuries and reduce the symptoms of overtraining (e.g., illness, tendinitis, severe muscle soreness) include rest days in your workout schedule. After a hard workout the body needs a period of time to recuperate and grow stronger. Scheduling rest days will not take anything away from your progress. Rather, rest days allow your body to function and make more efficient and rapid progress. You might feel stiff or sore when first starting out but you should never feel pain. Pain signals the body that something is wrong. If you feel pain or become overexhausted while training consult with your physician.

As the fitness industry continues to expand, so does the numbers of opinions regarding the components of the ultimate exercise program. Unfortunately, much of the information supporting these opinions is either completely false or born of half-truths leading to common misperception. The first and best way to judge information is to scrutinize the source. Some of the worst exercise suggestions are based on the testimony of famous, attractive or very fit individuals. While these attributes are certainly desirable, they do not necessarily guarantee individual expertise. Likewise, advertisements are notorious for manipulating facts and rendering them less than true in order to sell a product.

Although much of the misinformation that abounds regarding exercise is relatively harmless it can still prevent us from maximizing our wellness potential. Therefore, the following myths, misperceptions and popular notions that often derail and confuse the general population have been rectified to help set you straight on the road to physical fitness.

Misconception 1: If I weigh the same as I did in high school, ten years ago, I should be considered equally as fit.
Fact: Not necessarily. The makeup of body weight is primarily the relationship between lean weight (muscle) and fat called body composition. While an indicator of good health, body composition is not a direct measurement of fitness. Time and lack of exercise diminish our muscle tissue and increase our body fat. This sad fact of the sedentary lifestyle has a direct negative effect on our level of fitness, even if the bathroom scale does not change.

Misconception 2: If I want to lose weight I should just exercise aerobically and not lift weights.
Fact: Losing weight is primarily a factor of caloric expenditure or burning calories. When it is conditioned, lean muscle tissue is the very organ of the body that prefers fat as the fuel of choice during aerobic activity. To condition muscle tissue perform 20-30 minutes of circuit-style resistance training two to three times per week. This will help the body to burn fat more efficiently when exercising.

Misconception 3: As an older adult I've been told not to raise my arms above my head during exercise.
Fact: The reason older adults are instructed not to reach above their head during exercise is that it raises blood pressure. However, it raises blood pressure only if the arms are left in the raised position. Lifting the arms up and down in a rhythmic fashion as in aerobics or resistance training is not only appropriate but is specific to life. Otherwise, older people should remove everything in cabinets and closets that are above their head and store everything at shoulder height and below. Likewise, they should never comb their hair or wave good-bye. You can see how ridiculous some statements are even when there is a foundation of truth involved. If older people are expected to tip-toe through life afraid to move a certain way because they should fear a rise in blood pressure, then to be consistent we must be sure to tell them not to cough, sneeze, or have sex as well.

Misconception 4: I don't feel I'm really getting a good workout unless I'm sore for several days after exercising.
Fact: This myth is probably the toughest to eliminate. However, the bottom line is that muscle soreness indicates physiological trauma, and is believed to result from inflammation and microscopic tears in the elastic tissues surrounding muscle fibers. What soreness does give us is sensory feedback. As human beings we want and need knowledge of results. The soreness is th information that convinces us that we have indeed worked hard. Some personal trainers advocate that this trauma is necessary in order to develop muscle more effectively -- "No Pain, No Gain" mentality. In actuality, the continued effort to ensure such soreness induces what is known as overuse syndrome. The best rule of thumb is to increase exercise time or difficulty by 5-10% after every four to six workouts.

Misconception 5: I know I've had a good workout if I sweat a lot.
Fact: You should not gauge your workout by the amount of sweat you produce. Sweating is the body's cooling mechanism which reacts to ambient conditions, work intensity and individual differences.

Misconception 6: I know I'm working in my target heart rate zone in aerobics class because we take our pulse in the middle and at the end of each class.
Fact: Pulse monitoring is actually an inaccurate method of determining heart rate. Heart rates change with the slightest variation in movement effort and rapid arm movement can raise heart rate values without increasing cardiovascular output. In addition minimal movement increases in the leg and hip area can increase both the heart rate and cardiovascular benefit. A heart monitor is the key to truly quantifying an exercise program.

Misconception 7: As an older adult, I can just garden for exercise.
Fact: It's true that any movement is better than no movement. That is why gardening, since it involves a variety of movements, can be considered a positive step in the direction of physical wellness. The problem, however, is that the actual workload is unpredictable. The movements are random and the body is often in a vulnerable position, such as stooping to pull weeds, till the soil, or kneeling while planting.On the other hand, raking leaves could provide a more balanced workout.

Misconception 8: When I feel tightness or slight pain during exercise I just keep trying to stretch the muscle out.
Fact: Spasm or contraction of muscle fiber can be caused by a variety of conditions from electrolyte imbalance to overuse injury. Cramping is actually the body's own protective mechanism, signaling you to stop and limit further damage. Granted, some muscle cramps are minor and can be stretched out successfully in order to resume activity. However, if the muscle spasm cannot be relieved by one or two simple stretches, then you may be experiencing a precursor to an injury. Discontinue the activity, ice the body part and consult your physician.

Misconception 9: If I lift weight I'll put too much stress on my joints.
Fact: Actually the opposite is true. Joints become healthier with resistance training. Obviously, overloading a joint can lead to an injury. However, an appropriate prescription of resistance combined with prudent progression, controlled range of motion, and proper technique can be the best thing for any joint. Simple movement or articulation of a joint provides nourishment by way of increased blood flow to a joint. Furthermore, the resistance strengthens the connective tissue (e.g., ligaments and tendons) which maintains the integrity of the joint and helps to prevent injury. Joints without consistent resistance training are weakened and vulnerable.

Misconception 10: As a woman, I don't want to lift weights because I don't want big bulky muscles.
Fact: Don't worry, it won't happen. Women do not produce enough of the hormone testosterone for hypertrophy to occur. However, women can expect to achieve tone and definition from resistance training.

Misconception 11: I always wear a weight belt to protect my lower back when lifting weights.
Fact: A weight belt does actually help protect the lower back by compressing the abdomen and stabilizing the trunk. However, a weight belt shouldn9t be worn for the entire workout because it can become a crutch when used during lighter weight lifting. The body should be trained to stabilize itself during the lesser intensities and the belt used only when additional stabilization is warranted.

Misconception 12: High protein drinks will maximize my muscle size.
Fact: Such drinks may add to your size, but it may not be all muscle. The average human body needs approximately 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of body weight. This roughly translates to 70 grams of protein for a person at 154 pounds. Athletes may sometimes require 1.5 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight. The average American diet provides approximately 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The problem with overconsumption is that while the proper amount of consumed protein is used by the body for protein synthesis, the excess is converted to fat and stored. Therefore, the girth of a muscle may increase, yet much of it may be from deposits of intramuscular fat. If a person is inclined to supplement their diet with additional protein, they should at least monitor their body composition regularly. Quantification of the weight lifting program should also be meticulous so as to try to isolate contributing variables.

Misconception 13: If I stop weight training, the muscles I've developed will turn to fat.
Fact: Muscle and fat are as different as wood and metal. One cannot become the other. However, curtailing a resistance training program may allow the developed muscle tissue to atrophy (shrink). The decreased muscle tone combined with new fat deposits, due to the lack of exercise, tend to give the appearance of muscle that has turned to fat.

Misconception 14: I don't really need to lift weight or perform aerobics. I feel great with the flexibility classes I'm taking.
Fact: Flexibility is truly a positive quality. However, flexibility does absolutely nothing for maintaining lean muscle tissue. You must strike a balance of aerobic work, anaerobic work or resistance training and flexibility.

Misconception 15: I am really working on my flexibility. My friends even say I'm double-jointed.
Fact: There is no such thing as actually being double-jointed. Hypermobility is the most accurate term for those who seem to have created such flexibility in the muscles that the joints appear abnormal. Some tension in the connective tissue helps maintain the integrity of the joint. Swimmers and gymnasts, for example, run the risk of serious injury by over-stretching connective tissue beyond its normal state of extensibility. We have all heard that it is important to "get fit." However, many people are unclear about the meaning of fitness. Over the years, misuse of terminology has caused a great deal of confusion for the consumer. This confusion is one of many reasons why people do not initiate an exercise program, or fail to commit over time to the program they started. By clarifying the differences between health and fitness and their components, you can develop a program that is safe, effective, and feasible. The first step is to understand the following terms.

• Fitness: Your ability to perform daily tasks efficiently, without feeling overly tired. A person who is fit should possess the minimal levels of strength, flexibility and endurance to carry out everyday work, while also having enough energy remaining to participate in additional activities outside the home or work.
• Health: The absence of disease.
• Wellnes: The condition of being healthy. It is a process, a way of life, that is based on self-responsibility. When you understand that you have control of your own well-being, you have taken the first step toward being "well." As stated by Halbert Dunn, MD, "Wellness is an active process involving zest for living." It includes not only the physical, but also your emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual aspects. Wellness takes the definitions of fitness and health and broadens them into the concept of a fully balanced lifestyle.
• Exercise: Performing an activity requiring physical or mental exertion in order to maintain or develop physical or mental fitness.
• Activity: Any specific form of action or pursuit, as in recreation or education. Activity can be undertaken for more than just the improvement of physical fitness, but also for the social, spiritual, intellectual and emotional aspects of wellness.
• Intensity: The amount of stress placed on the body to produce physiological results. It can be confusing to determine your appropriate exercise intensity, but experts state that if you work at a moderate intensity (55% to 75% of estimated maximum heart rate) you will see fitness related benefits. You can determine your own moderate intensity level with one of the following methods:
  1. Heart Rate:
     • Step 1: Determine your resting heart rate (the rate at which your heart beats at complete rest). This is best assessed first thing in the morning, before rising, by taking your radial pulse (located at the wrist along the thumb side) for one full minute, finding the average three mornings in a row.
     • Step 2: Using the formula below, determine your training heart rate range.

       220 - age - resting heart rate x 55% + resting heart rate = estimated exercise intensity (lower end of the range). To determine your range repeat formula by using 75% (higher end) instead of 55%.

     • Step 3: Once you have your range, divide by 6 to get a 10-second count.
     • Step 4: During exercise, take your radial pulse for 10 seconds. If it falls within that range, you are in a safe, moderate range. (Think of the lower end for beginners, the upper end for those with a higher fitness level.)
     • Step 5: Periodically check your resting heart rate and recalculate your training range. Your level of fitness can be seen through improvements in your resting heart rate.The more physically fit a person, the lower the resting heart rate.
  2. Talk Test: If you can carry on a conversation while exercising, without gasping for air, you are working at a level that is safe.
  3. Perceived Exertion: Listen to your body, and using a rating scale of 1 to 10 (1 being at rest and 10 being heavy exertion), work at a level that feels moderate to somewhat hard (4 to 6 on the scale).

THE IMPORTANCE OF FITNESS
Evidence indicates that leading an active versus a sedentary lifestyle is an effective method to improve your overall health. Physical activity, along with a balanced diet, is one of the most important steps for preventing coronary heart disease and non-insulin dependent diabetes, as well as reducing the risk of certain cancers. The Surgeon Generalreported in 1996 on the hazards of a sedentary lifestyle and has since adopted the following guidelines offered by the Centers for Disease Control and the American College of Sports Medicine:

"Individuals should participate in up to 30 minutes of continuous or non-continuous moderate intensity activity most days of the week (preferably every day)." Examples of moderate activity are walking, gardening, fast dancing, bicycling, and raking leaves.

These guidelines have been established for those individuals who lead a sedentary lifestyle and are to help encourage America to become active. Following these guidelines may not produce optimum fitness-related benefits. In order to improve your fitness level (the ability to perform daily tasks satisfactorily), you must include exercise that focuses on cardiorespiratory conditioning, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition.

In order to develop fitness benefits, you should follow the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines listed below.

1. To improve cardiovascular fitness:
   • Mode: activities that utilize large muscle groups, maintained continuously and rhythmic in nature
   • Frequency: 3 to 5 days per week (3 for the beginner)
   • Duration: minimum of 15 minutes, and up to 60 minutes of continuous activity
   • Intensity: 55% to 90% of maximal heart rate (55% to 70% for beginners)
2. To improve strength and endurance:
   • Mode: 8 to 10 exercises for the major muscle groups
   • Frequency: minimum twice per week
   • Sets and Reps: 8 to 12 repetitions/1 set minimum
3. To improve flexibility:
   • Mode: static (held and sustained) stretching for major muscle groups
   • Frequency: to be completed at end of workout when muscles are warm
   • Duration: hold stretches for 20 to 30 seconds each
4. To improve body composition:
   • Mode: follow the exercise programs listed above, together with a balanced diet and try to stay within the healthy body fat percent range
     • Male: 12% to 20% body fat
     • Female: 18% to 25 % body fat

Circuit training has been practiced for many years in the weight training room to maximize equipment usage and minimize workout time. Traditionally this method allowed participants to move from one piece of weight equipment to the next, performing one set of 8 to 12 repetitions at each station. It served as an excellent way to accommodate a large number of people in the gym for an efficient strength training session. This original concept has now been expanded to include workout formats that can also be done in the aerobic room and, in addition, can include cardiovascular and flexibility activities.

Today, circuit training involves a series of work segments or stations followed in a consecutive sequence. Participants perform exercises for a predetermined length of time, moving from segment to segment or station to station until all exercises have been completed at least once. Popular in-home circuit training equipment includes hand-held weights, elastic tubing, step platforms, jump ropes and stationary cardiovascular machines and equipment. There are also many videos available on the market that demonstrate a circuit training style of workout. For the time conscious exerciser (and who isn’t) a strength and cardiovascular circuit program can provide a way to maintain a fit body in a minimal amount of workout time. Circuit training is also a great way for the novice exerciser to train in shorter bouts of aerobic activities, which may be less threatening than trying to complete 20 to 45 minutes nonstop. And, in order to keep exercise stimulating, circuit training allows you to vary what you do from segment to segment every few workouts.

Research has shown that circuit training can provide significant improvements in muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance as well as positive effects on body composition. Investigators have found up to a 22% increase in muscular strength, 17% improvement in aerobic capacity and as much as 3.2% decrease in body fat (Blair, S., Kohl, H., et al. 1989. Physical fitness and all-cause mortality: a prospective study of healthy men and women." JAMA, 262:2395-2401.)

CIRCUIT FORMATS AND SEQUENCE DESIGN

Today’s circuits can be designed to meet individual training goals and fitness levels. There are three main circuit formats, each of which should include appropriate pre-and post-training flexibility work.

1. All Strength Circuit This type of circuit focuses on increasing muscular strength and endurance and improving your ratio of lean body tissue to fat tissue, thus aiding in long-term weight control. It should include at least one exercise for each major body part and corresponding muscle group: back (latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and spinal erectors), chest (pectoral group), shoulders (deltoids), arms (biceps and triceps), abdominals (rectus abdominus and obliques), hips and buttocks (gluteus, abductors and adductors), legs (quadriceps, hamstring and gastrocnemius). You will need some form of resistance that can be increased for stronger muscle groups and progress with your developing strength gains. This circuit is best suited for the weight room.

Sequence Design: 5 to 15 segments or stations with one minute per exercise and 15 to 30 seconds rest between stations (stretching of exercised muscles during rest is recommended)

2. All Cardio Circuit This type of circuit focuses on cardiovascular conditioning and maximum calorie usage (aerobic activity utilizes the highest amount of calories during a given workout period). It should involve at least two different types of aerobic activity utilizing large muscle groups over an extended period of time, elevating the heart rate to a training level of between 55% to 85% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age). All cardio circuit training allows participants to exercise longer with less stress to the joints due to the variety in activities. Research shows that cross-training of aerobic activities greatly reduces overuse injuries.

Sequence Design: 5 to 15 segments or stations with two to five minutes per activity; no rest between segments

3. Strength and Cardio Circuit This type of circuit focuses on both strength increases and cardiovascular conditioning, helping to improve your overall fitness level. It can be performed in an alternating fashion with every cardio segment followed by a strength segment (or vice versa); or you can complete all of the cardio segments followed by all of the strength segments (or vice versa). You may also choose to focus more on cardiovascular conditioning by lengthening the time spent during the cardio segments, or focus more on strength by completing two to three sets of each strength segment prior to performing a cardio segment. It is this change in sequence design that can create tremendous variety within each workout, helping you to avoid training plateaus as well as to keep your interest and motivation levels high.

Sequence Design: 6 strength and 6 cardio segments or stations with 2 minutes per strength and 2 minutes per cardio activity; alternate between strength and cardio segments; no rest period between segments. (See diagram below.)

FOR MAXIMUM RESULTS

• Before beginning a program, check with your physician for medical clearance
• Use a strength training resistance that fatigues the muscle group between 8 and 12 repetitions
• Select at least one strength exercise for each major body part
• Perform your aerobic conditioning between 55% and 85% of your estimated maximum heart rate intensity (220 minus your age).
• Learn proper weight training and aerobic techniques from a fitness professional

CIRCUIT TRAINING PROGRAM EXAMPLE

Warm-up	10-15 Min.
Circuit segments:
6 cardio segments	2 Min
6 strength segments	2 Min
Total circuit time	24 Min.
Cool-down stretches	10 Min.

SEGMENT OR STATION ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

Strength: Most of the exercises below can be performed with elastic tubing or hand-held weights

Cardio

High or low-impact aerobics, jogging in place, step aerobics, slide aerobics, jump rope, stationary cycle, stair climber, treadmill, riders and gliders

Sample Circuit Set-up This circuit plan includes six cardiovascular (CV) and six muscle strengthening stations. These could include equipment such as steps, mini-tramps, jump-ropes, slides, weights, tubes and mats.

Deep water provides a unique resistive environment in which you can improve fitness while completely "suspended," eliminating joint impact. Your abdominal muscles work constantly to balance your body as you exercise with complete freedom of movement, working through full range of motion. Water currents provide a cool, relaxing body massage. To train your muscles, it’s easy to capture the resistance "on demand" by simply adding effort and pushing harder through the water. The harder you push, the harder the water pushes back. And, by slowing down or stopping, you can immediately rest. You’re in control!

Benefits of Deep Water Training

• It’s a private workout because only your head is exposed.
• Speed is used to regulate resistance, so go at your own pace.
• Your arms and legs work constantly through a giant liquid weight machine.
• Rest is easy—simply slow down, float through the moves or stop to take a break.
• Water pressure decreases swelling and blood pooling in arms and legs.
• Muscles that control inhalation become stronger as you inflate the lungs against water pressure.
• During water exercise, cardiac volume increases 27%-30%, stretching the myocardium (heart muscle) which can then contract with greater strength.
• Stroke volume (amount of blood pumped with each contraction) increases about 35%, making your heart more efficient.
• Circulation and blood supply to muscles increase, improving oxygen delivery to muscles.
• You’ll feel less muscle soreness after water exercise, compared to land exercise.
• Water exercise constantly trains your stabilizers (abdominals, obliques and the lower back) by adding resistance against your postural muscles. Your abs get to work all the time!

Deep Water Training Results

Research indicates that regular participants:

• Improve cardiorespiratory and muscular endurance
• Increase range of motion
• Lose body fat and gain muscle

Deep Water Precautions

To participate in a deep water program, you should feel safe in deep water and be able to perform basic personal recovery skills. Work with a swim instructor to brush up on, or learn, deep water safety.

Always train under the supervision of a qualified lifeguard or in the company of an experienced swimmer who can provide assistance if necessary.

Equipment for Buoyancy, Balance, Resistance and Travel

Proper buoyancy in deep water is a must. A buoyancy belt, worn around the waist for support, can help you to achieve this state. The amount and type of buoyancy needed by each person in deep water depends on bone density and body fat.

To check your buoyancy belt, relax and "hang in the water vertically." Your shoulders should be above the surface of the water so you don’t submerge when you exhale.

• If you struggle to stay afloat, add more buoyancy by using a thicker belt.
• If you float too much, decrease the buoyancy by using a smaller or thinner belt.

You will also need webbed gloves for balance, resistance and travel. Webbed gloves make your hands more efficient and effective for balance and make it easier to move through the water faster. The intensity for upper body resistance can be adjusted by opening or closing the webbed gloves.

SAMPLE EXERCISES FOR FUN

Take the plunge and start slowly to build your strength. Then increase the intensity and time you perform the exercises.

1. Warm-up: Jog (4 minutes)	Tips: Keep breathing rhythmically. Move in a figure 8 for balance. Gradually enlarge the move, jogging legs to the side and back.
2. Churnin’ and Burnin’ Cardiovascular Set:	Tips: Bicycle with "breast stroke arms,"keeping your thumbs up. Travel forward, sideways, and backwards. Intensity Progression: Travel faster, further, and bicycle larger. Monitor Intensity: Keep breathing rhythmically, and slow down if you’re gasping.
3. Posture Perfect, Muscle Work Repetitions: Perform 8-12 repetitions, then relax Sets: Perform 1-5 sets, until upper back muscles feel almost fatigued.	Tips: Kick legs and "breast stroke," powerfully pulling both arms back. Keep thumbs up, and webbed gloves open. Squeeze shoulder blades together. Relax arms on forward recovery. Intensity Progression: Push harder, open webbed gloves, extend arms.
4. Sit and Chest Stretch (4 minutes)	Tips: Let buoyancy lift you up, stretching buttocks. Bicycle easily with relaxed legs and toes out. Drag arms, stretch chest.