The Jordan Method, Supporting the Body
Friday March 8, 2024 by Christopher Jordan

There are three basic needs that are required to be met to maintain the integrity of the physical body. Nourishment of the tissues, flexibility and strength. When considering the Body as being one aspect of our Selves, we acknowledges that we are complex beings. The concept of Body, Mind and Spirit will be addressed in a separate narrative.

When addressing tissue nourishment, we are referring to nutrients and oxygen being delivered to the tissues by the circulatory system. As oxygen is derived from the lungs, we will be referring to the cardiopulmonary system as the system we must stimulate to achieve this. When discussing exercise, this is the “Cardio” portion of exercise. Increased cardiopulmonary output is achieved by exertion. Whether by increasing the velocity of an activity, going faster; or the resistance of effort, using weights, elastic bands, or moving against water; the heart will beat faster, the lungs will gather and transfer more oxygen to the blood. This is cardio. Actual nutrition, will be discussed in a separate narrative.

Any form of cardio should be performed at least three times each week purposefully, if your general health is good. If you have a personal history of cardiac issues, or there is a family history of cardiac issues, the frequency should be four times per week. The period of time for each day has been set at variable ranges over the years, as various studies reveal different findings. Our recommendation is tolerance. Try to do as much as possible. Sometimes, how much time in the day do you have can be the deciding factor. Ball-parking here, fifteen minutes is the absolute minimum, while more than forty minutes is more than necessary. Rule of thumb, try to bring your heart rate up to around fifty percent above resting level at the peak of your activity, and it should return to its resting level within fifteen minutes (no longer than thirty) at the end of your activity. You should feel comfortably tired, not beat down.

Dr. Jordan recommends stretching exercises to be performed prior to bed, in a passive manner, if there are specific musculoskeletal issues that you are experiencing. Otherwise, any time of day is OK as long as you are moving into comfortable resistance, rather than trying to force your body into submission. If you are over fifty, move carefully if you intend to stretch immediately upon awakening. All areas, all parts of the body should be included. The rule is: move every joint of the body through full range of motion once a day and that joint will maintain its capacity to move. As stated in another narrative, movement is critical for health. Every stretch should be done as you exhale, relaxing in between as you inhale. Three to four breath cycles is sufficient. Stretch to tolerance, not to pain.

Strength training involves any form of resistance to movement (isotonic), or setting a muscle group firmly (isometric). As indicated above, this can involve weights, elastic bands or moving against water. Each of these will require some base-line with which to begin. How much, how many is totally unique to every individual. Choosing wrongly tends to result in the eventual abandonment of resistance exercise. Start low and perform resistance exercises no more than every other day. Stay at each increment for two weeks, adding just a bit more resistance and repetitions every two weeks. If any soreness persists for three days, reduce until you can perform at that level for two weeks with no tissue distress. Perform resistance exercises NO MORE than every other day, if it’s been a long while, give it two days of rest in between. Calisthenics are using body weight for resistance. Anything held in position for a “count” without movement (including activities like “planking”) is isometric. Just holding a muscle as hard as you can for a count of ten will suffice. Non-movement exercises protect inflamed joints. Move only when it’s painless.