: Thanks, Mike. I wasn't really expecting a serious answer, but I appreciate
: the input. I've generally cut the stretching and warm-up from exercising,
: particularly for X-C skiing, in favour of more time actually being
: aerobic. Perhaps I shouldn't apply this to lessons in what is essentially
: self-defense. Our instructor always urges us to take a break at the
: half-way mark of the class but it's hard to get out of the boat when you
: finally get a reliable roll going.

: Practising rolls in white-water kayaks has its advantages, but room to relax
: one's legs is not among them and they were cramping pretty badly. This
: morning my legs are the least of my suffering now that I can feel the
: bruising on my hips. It's all good, reminds me that I'm alive and all
: that.

No worries, Sean.
Your instructor has the right idea with the half way break. It is hard to stop when things are going well, but that's actually the best time to take a break, you're on an up. So when you go back to it, you're anxious to go again.

A warm-up shouldn't shorten your aerobic time, it's just to get the muscles activated more fully. Heart-rate should be slightly up, along with respiration. This loads your system with more oxygen and flushes more CO2. Higher oxygen levels prevent or break down the lactose in the muscles.

As far as the bruised hips are concerned, Arnica. Seems to work.

Mike Savage
South West Cork

"If our ancestors weren't nit-pickers, we'd all be covered in them."