Isn’t the spellcheck feature on most commonplace computer word processors a godsend?

Granted, it may have made us a little lazy, but we certainly appreciate its value when even one spelling mistake has the power to ruin the credibility of an important document.

In the language of fitness programming, little mistakes in your exercise plan can similarly make or break your fitness aspirations.

Taking up a more active lifestyle and committing to a structured exercise programme is a big plan, often involving plenty of time and hard work. A good programme will mean the difference between getting your just rewards for the investments you make, picking up an injury or, even worse, giving up altogether.

Before investing so much time and effort therefore, you want to be pretty sure your plan is fundamentally sound. If you don’t possess a relatively advanced grasp of fitness jargon, however, peace of mind can be hard to come by. This is where a professional or more knowledgeable other can prove invaluable by looking over the programme with you.

If you’ve been given a personalised exercise programme directly by a fitness professional, run a final spellcheck before implementing it.

Just as your computer may not detect spelling mistakes when similar sounding words are used in different contexts, your instructor may not have interpreted certain aspects of your personal requirements in the best possible way, so it’s up to you to ask the right questions for a totally successful spellcheck.

A balanced exercise programme reads a little like a perfect musical manuscript. A good programme will include all areas of the body, and take them through the important fundamental movement patterns. It should include methods of training and exercises that cater not only for relevant specific goals, but also for well-rounded development of the remaining components of fitness, including strength, stamina and flexibility.

It will tie all these elements together as efficiently as possible, minimising unnecessary stress and maximising recovery time between sessions.

When a goal is specifically centred around just one of the components, the others should still be catered for even if only in subtle flourishes. The elements will also tie in together in an interesting and enjoyable way that keep the participant engaged.

A balanced exercise programme reads a little like a perfect musical manuscript

Workouts will be challenging enough to trigger positive adaptation in the body, no more and no less. After producing the desired strain on the body, an effective programme will allow ample time to rest, recover and overcompensate between each session, facilitating long-term and continuous progression. Some of the right questions to ask therefore are: Does the programme address my goals? Is there any part of the body left out? Is there any missing fitness component? How will I progress? Can the sessions be shortened by avoiding repetition and without leaving anything out? Will I get enough recovery between sessions after targeting each body part or component of fitness twice in a row?

If you managed to get it right, and the programme can pull all these elements off, it tends to have the wonderful ability to fix and assist in the management of a whole range of issues and conditions that might be experienced by the participant engaged in it.

As long as we follow these basic programming rules, even us fitness professionals tend to help encourage positive outcomes through our programmes we never actually anticipated.

Strength imbalances, excessive tightness or weakness in specific areas, lower back pain, upper back pain, poor posture, joint pain, chronic fatigue and stress are all benefits reported by participants undergoing exercise programmes that never actually set out to work on any of these particular areas. They nevertheless produced such effects simply because they were well written and balanced.

I’ve seen people come into the gym with niggling aches and pains which, while not serious enough to receive a diagnosis or treatment, were bad enough to affect quality and enjoyment of life.

After just a few months, they report the aches and pains are gone and their energy levels have soared. This may all be achieved simply through the implementation of a basic programme with no fancy techniques or equipment required whatsoever.

A recent report also showed arthritis sufferers will benefit from exercise in managing their painful condition,yet another thumbs-up for the philosophy of active living.

On the other hand, poor programmes can actually create problems, like overusing an area or muscle group, leading to joint, ligament, tendon or muscle injuries. Sometimes they may not allow sufficient recovery, leading to overtraining and even illness due to suppression of the immune system.

Programmes featuring too many upper body exercises that employ pushing or pressing movements in various planes of movement, for example, can lead to overuse injuries in and around the shoulders.

Even a moderate amount of pushing exercises can lead to this if they are not balanced by opposing pulling movements in the same plane.

Similarly, too many curling movements for the arms may result in elbow or forearm pain when performed in excess or not balanced out with corresponding extensor movements.

Leaving out major areas because they don’t appear to need as much work is also a slippery slope. Remember that all the muscles of the body are in some way connected, even if distantly, and that whatever you do in one area may eventually have a knock-on effect elsewhere.

matthew.muscat.inglott@mcast.edu.mt