A message from Master Park...

On February 26, we will be hosting a promotion test at the Haskell school. Please prepare for your test at home by exercising and practicing your techniques.

Work on cardio exercises, like swimming, jumping rope, and running. Work on stretching, such as dynamic and isometric stretches. Practice your forms so that you know them inside and out. If you have the opportunity, practice with a partner, and make sure you can do the forms together synchronously. Ask any senior belt to work on sparring, forms tips, combinations, and techniques in general. And as always, be sure to maintain a good diet!

 

Exercise tip #1:

You can go swimming by contacting local hotels in your area, and see if they have indoor pools. The Sheraton Hotel in Parsippany has both indoor and outdoor pools, and the indoor one is open year-round, and at last check costs $10 per day per person. They also have a sauna and steam room, and a weight room - and all family members from 5 years old on up can use the pools, sauna, and steam room. Weight room and hot tub require 12 years old and up.

Exercise tip #2:

Before your workout, whether at the dojang or at home, be sure to begin with a mild cardio exercise. Jumprope or jogging is best. Jumping jacks are fine for younger folks, but older adults should avoid these until they are fully warmed up.

After your warm-up, begin stretching. The proper stretches are just as important as when you do them. After warm-up, work on dynamic stretches. These are light leg lifts and swings. Do not swing past your normal range of motion, since the muscles' stretch receptors haven't been engaged yet.

After your workout, you can optionally do some isometric stretches. These involve using resistance at varying ranges of motion. You can use ankle weights or a partner to help.

After your workout (or isometric stretches), perform static stretches. Static stretches are butterflies and toe touches, but these are not good for a post-workout stretch. The idea here is to help relieve the lactic acid buildup in the muscles, which occurs after heavy workouts. Runners know to use the quads and calf stretches, which are unequivocally the best stretches for this. For this, stand on one leg, and with one hand, reach behind you and grab your ankle and pull upwards as much as you can. Also, push against a wall so as to stretch your calf.

Never do heavy workouts two days in a row, especially weightlifting and isometrics on the same muscles. The key is the day of rest - that is where you will see improvements.

Image