When would one want to use an exercise?

On Mon, 5 Feb 1996, Name wrote:

> Hi, my name is Adis and I have a question for you.I have past over
your
> recommendations for exercises but one thing I am not sure of. The
thing 
> that I want to be clear with is the subject of playing itself.Does the

> succesfull performance depends on the  muscular configuration of the 
> hand or the playing and practicing is the proccess of motor
coordination 
> dependent of the nervours system.What is more efficient in terms of
time 
> and results.(Of course both should be paracticed) But my question is
if 
> you do any physical exercises to develop your hand and then you
practice 
> the neuromuscular control or you just stick to the instrument without
> doing any 'outside' exercises at all. 

I sometimes use proprioceptive neural-muscular facilitation exercises
during warm up much the way an athelete does stretching exercises
before "performing."  As for the other types of exercises, for example
the separation exercises, I mostly do those during warm-up, too.  I
find that when I perform often (lately I have been) and include material
that covers the same bases that the exercises cover, I tend to use
the exercises less.  However, when I spend weeks working on material
that doesn't cover the same bases, I supliment my playing with the
exercises.