Q: Will aerobic exercises help me prepare for other forms of exercises?

TL, Kharagpur

Any kind of aerobic exercise helps improve your cardiovascular system, and will give you a stronger heart muscle and normal blood pressure. But improvement in terms of endurance also comes from training specific muscles. Running, for example, won’t improve the enduring power of your swimming muscles as much as swimming will. And to do that, you’ll need to start swimming on a regular basis. Most studies show that the best way to be good at a sport is to practice that sport.

Q: Ideally, should I have someone to hold my feet down when I am doing sit-ups? I have also noticed that I get a stiff neck while doing sit-ups.

SS, Calcutta

The unanchored foot position is safer and requires more abdominal and less hip muscle participation. Anchoring the feet during the sit-up facilitates action of the hip flexors because it gives those muscles a firm anchor against which to pull. The action does result in diminished activity in the abdominal region. Anchoring the feet has also been shown to produce increased lumbar curve, causing stress on the lower back.

• Don’t worry about the neck pain. It is quite common, especially when you are starting off a vigorous exercise programme.

• When you are doing sit-ups, the pull should come from the abdominals, not the neck.

• If your belly button is down, you’re going to be pulling from the abdominals.

• Abdominal exercises should be done in a steady, gradual manner with slow and controlled movement.

• Try to look at the ceiling even when you pull forward.

• Keep your chin off your chest (a tennis ball gap) and roll your tongue to the back of your front teeth and leave your elbows jutting out by your sides.

• Make sure you do not pull at all on head or neck during sit-ups.

• If possible, get someone trained to watch you work out, so that he/she can point out the minor faults. At the end of the day, your neck pain will decrease and your abdominal workout will be more efficient.