1. health
circle
ed Bustle
ng man call
The re was a you muscle
build up his
W ho wanted to
each day
He exercised
nt away
All his fat we ooray!
d “Hip, hip, h
A nd he shoute
KEEP YOUR MUSCLES WORKING
How get up and walk around.”
Muscles need to move to keep
healthy and strong. Have you
Muscles “My brother does weights. He wants to
build up his muscles and have a
heard the saying, ‘Use it or lose it?’
Probably not, as it is usually said to
Move six pack.”
“My mom has big muscles in her legs,
she plays a lot of tennis.”
older people who do not exercise
enough! You can help your
muscles stay strong and healthy by
BY C KATHIRESAN
exercising every day and by using
WHAT CAN CAUSE MUSCLES different sets of muscles when you
TO HURT? exercise.
When you exercise a lot, your muscles
get tired from all that contracting and By doing push-ups
Muscles move the body by relaxing. Your muscles might hurt. They you will activate and
contracting and relaxing. can still be sore the next day if you have strengthen your
During contraction, the muscles get not been exercising regularly. chest muscle (pectorals)
shorter. The muscle fibres slide together
and stack up to make a fatter shape, Have you ever had a cramp? This is Standing upright and lifting any
a bit like when you shuffle a pack of when your muscles seem to lock up, weights using your hands will
cards together. and you have a pain in your foot or activate and strengthen
While relaxing, the muscle fibres your leg, or a 'stitch' in your side. This your arms (biceps)
slide apart and the muscle gets longer happens when one or more of your
and thinner. muscles contract and do not relax again Any lifting
Muscles which move bones act (called a spasm). movement above
together in pairs. This means that the head will activate
as one muscle contracts, its partner If you exercise for too long, you can get and strengthen your
relaxes. Then as the partner muscle a build up of chemicals like lactic acid in shoulder (deltoid)
contracts, the first muscle relaxes again. your muscles, and this can cause them
The brain sends simultaneous to tighten up. In a seated position,
messages to the relevant muscles to extend your legs. This
contract and relax, so that they act Sweating and not drinking enough will activate and strengthen
in unison. fluids on a hot day may lead to a your front thigh muscle
muscle cramp. If you develop a cramp, (quadriceps)
WHAT CHILDREN SAY drink water. Then stretch and massage
“My legs hurt when I am in bed the muscle that hurts. You will feel By lying down on your
sometimes. Mom says that it is due to better. stomach and pulling
growing pains.” your legs towards
“I hurt the hamstring in my leg while When muscles are over-stretched or your butt, you will activate and
running. It hurt for a long time.” strained, the fibers can tear and there strengthen the muscles at the back
“My muscles still feel sore after playing can be bruising inside the muscle. It will of your thigh (hamstring)
a game of football, but much less than take several days for the fibres to heal
what I had experienced before the start and the bruises to disappear. By standing upright and
of the training.” raising your heel, you will
“Sometimes I get cramps in my foot C KATHIRESAN IS A FITNESS TRAINER AND activate and strengthen your
when I am in bed. It hurts and I have to HOLDS AN MPHIL IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION. lower legs (calves)
32 Parent Circle / February 2012