[FASTLARRY]

Legs

They are your wheels and when they go, you go. As a pool player you need to protect and keep them strong. Just playing pool alone won’t do the job. Yes, there is a lot of walking in pool and it is a good mild form of exercise, but you can damage your joints by putting on weight. That puts stress and pain in the ankles and knees. Maintain a proper weight, that is rule one, be a little on the thin side. Just losing 15 or 20 lbs for a fat person can cut knee pain in half.

Go look in the mirror, if you see a beer gut or a nice pair of love handles, it’s time to go to work in the gym and lose them. To be in shape, you need to exercise your entire body.
Get in a gym and work the leg machines. If you are young and fit, then 30 squats a day from 3 different positions and some light jogging works when you are out on the road and can’t get at a gym. If you are older and out of shape, then avoid these or anything that put excessive strain and stress on the knees. The impact of jogging could damage your knees.
Your knee has two bones in it. Four ligaments help to keep these bones joined. Knees carry a lot of the weight of your body.

Even though it is a large joint in your body, it gets injured the most when it comes to playing sports and doing all types of exercises.
Many groups of muscles help support your knee. It is not only a good idea to do knee stretching exercises, but also to strengthen the muscles that give support to your knee.
A physical therapist can put you on track with the right knee stretches, and knee strengthening exercises that you may need.

Hamstring Stretches
Stand up straight and lift one leg to put it onto a chair. Bend where you’re hip joins toward the chair. You are trying to work your hamstring of the leg that is on the chair.
If you would like to do this exercise while sitting in a chair you can. Make sure you keep your leg straight with the heel of your foot on the floor and lean forward from your hip joint. Reverse legs and repeat.

Ilitotibial Stretch
While standing upright put your right leg behind the left leg, and then incline to the left until you feel the stretch.
Repeat the exercise with your other leg. You can do these five times apiece. Make sure to do flowing movements, no bouncing or jerking.

Quadricep Stretching
While you are standing with your hands onto the back of a chair for support, grasp your right ankle with your right hand and pull your leg up behind your back.
Hold your position for about thirty seconds. Release your ankle and put your leg back on the floor. Switch to the left leg and repeat the exercise. You can do these stretches at least five times each.

Glutes Stretching
Stand up straight and hold onto a chair or counter for balance, then take your right leg and swing it back until you feel your muscles tighten. Switch to the left leg and repeat this exercise. You can do this exercise ten times per leg.

Hip Abductors Stretching
For this exercise, you will need to set with your legs out in front of you on a flat surface. Bend your right leg up toward you while keeping your right foot on the flat surface.
You will need to twist your upper torso to the right while using your left elbow to push up against your right knee. When you feel a stretching sensation in your right hip, you will know it is working. Switch to the left leg and repeat the exercise.

If you are an athlete or just someone that would like to stretch and strengthen your knees, these knee exercises will work wonders for you.
For those of you that have inured your knee, and need to get it back into shape, it would be a good idea for you to consult a physician before starting any type of exercise regimen.
Legs are important part of your body as they carry you around every day with fewer complaints.

Therefore it is important to keep your legs in best shape with leg exercise so that they can take you around and up on stairs.
If you are suffering from illness and confined to bed, leg health is also important.
Legs are made up of six major muscles and muscle groups.
There are group of muscles known as quadriceps located in the front of the thigh.
Another group of muscles called hamstrings are opposite the quadriceps. The inside thigh is the location of the adductors.

The lower consists of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the back and the tibialis anterior muscle in the front. Connecting the leg and hipbone to the spine are the hip flexors and the illiopsoas. All these muscles work together in order to be able to walk, point your foot up and straighten your knee.

The legs will become firm and well defined when the muscles are strong and well conditioned. Good muscle tone prevents varicose and spider veins in the legs. Maintaining strong and healthy legs with leg exercise is a wonderful decision and many muscles in the legs are fastest to respond to conditioning.

Aerobic exercise is good for toning but concentrated work is best to shape the individual muscles. For maximum results for legs, you have to plan leg exercise workout at least three times weekly. Four to five times a week gives faster results.
Lunge is the best leg exercise for conditioning all leg movements. It targets most of the major muscles within the leg and shapes them fast. Lunging requires both lower leg muscles to help stabilize you and upper leg muscles to raise your body back up. Performing the same movement conditions the muscles to take the strongest form possible.
When doing this leg exercise, don’t try to force your body through pain, instead try to modify the movement. Instead of dropping the body all the way down, go only half way or as far as you feel comfortable.

Squats are another leg exercise for firming and toning the buttocks and upper thighs. This leg exercise demands lot of work from the muscles in your buttocks and legs both going down and coming up.

Lateral raises are the leg exercise for inner and outer thighs. Start with your weight on left foot and your right foot pointed slightly behind you. For balance, hold on to a chair or wall and slowly raise and lower your right leg out to the side. Do at least 20 repetitions for three sets several times per week to tone back of the thigh and hips.

To condition the inner thigh muscles, stand with your weight on your left foot, raise and point your right foot in front of you and slowly move your right foot and leg across your left leg.
With effort, you can have strong and healthy legs and your legs respond quickly without putting in weeks of work with leg exercise. Incorporate squats and lunges into your daily routine and you will be surprised how fast your legs shape up.

[Demondrew]

I get enough exercise . . .
01) Beating around the bush
02) Jumping to conclusions
03) Climbing the walls
04) Swallowing my pride
05) Passing the buck
06) Throwing my weight around
07) Dragging my heels
08) Pushing my luck
09) Making mountains out of molehills
10) Hitting the nail on the head
11) Wading through paperwork
12) Bending over backwards
13) Jumping on the bandwagon
14) Balancing the books
15) Running around in circles
16) Eating crow
17) Tooting my own horn
18) Climbing the ladder of success
19) Pulling out all the stops
20) Adding fuel to the fire
21) Opening a can of worms
22) Putting my foot in my mouth
23) Starting the ball rolling
24) Going over the edge
25) Picking up the pieces

I also make sure to exercise my prerogative while I am exercising caution!

[FASTLARRY]

I have a sign in my bathroom, if god wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put my hands on my knees. Man, when I get a shoeshine now, I have to take their word on it.

[RoyZ]

George Burns said "You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoes and wonder what else you can do while you're down there."

Jumping rope is good for leg strength and cardiovascular and isn't too tough on the knees.

[FASTLARRY]

RoyZ, on Aug 18 2009, 10:57 AM, said:

George Burns said "You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoes and wonder what else you can do while you're down there."

Jumping rope is good for leg strength and cardiovascular and isn't too tough on the knees.

Oh yes, absolutely, I have a jump rope I use every day.

Goodnight gracie.