May 30, 2009 in Fitness
Do balancing exercises every day to optimize your balance. Keeping a good sense of balance helps you avoid dangerous falls which can result in broken bones. It also gives you a feeling of confidence everyday in every part of your life that you’re not going to lose your balance. As you start doing balance exercises, ...
May 30, 2009 in Fitness
Stretching is one of the most vital parts of a complete exercise program. Performing a variety of stretches will help you gain flexibility and reduce muscle stiffness and soreness. In addition to the benefits of stretching/flexibility exercises on their own, you should never start a workout without first warming up and stretching your muscles. This ...
May 30, 2009 in Fitness
Strength/resistance exercises emphasize repetitive motions to strengthen your muscles. They prevent loss of bone mass and improve balance too, reducing the frailty that can come with aging – and that often has devastating consequences. Most strength training is done using weights, resistance bands, nautilus machines or by using steps, furniture, walls or the floor for ...
May 30, 2009 in Fitness
Walking, swimming, bicycling, hiking. Some of the simplest and least equipment-intense activities can provide excellent cardio/endurance exercise. Cardio/endurance exercises improve your body’s ability to deliver oxygen and increase the ability of your tissues and organs to absorb oxygen and nutrients. When you do these exercises, you can feel your heart rate increasing and your breathing ...
May 30, 2009 in Fitness
Do What You Like If you don’t like jogging, just don’t jog. Ditto with swimming or weight lifting. Choose to do the activities you like – and you’ll be much more likely to stick with an exercise program. Try some new activities that you’ve never done to find out if you like them. Often the ...
May 30, 2009 in Fitness
Follow these tips to start – and maintain – a safe exercise program. 1. Get medical clearance. Before you start exercising, visit your doctor and get his or her permission for the type of exercise you plan to do. 2. Start slowly and build up. Especially if you haven’t exercised for a while, go slow ...
May 30, 2009 in Fitness
Often the most difficult part of exercising is just getting yourself started. It’s a question of commitment and motivation. First you need to decide – for your own reasons, and not anyone else’s – that you want to exercise. Most seniors are motivated when they realize that exercise will help them maintain a healthy lifestyle, ...
May 30, 2009 in Fitness
Regular physical activity is one of the most important ways to prevent functional decline as we age. This is critical because any functional decline can result in more serious and life-threatening issues such as broken bones, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. To maintain optimal function, human bodies require muscular activity and regular movement. ...
May 30, 2009 in Fitness
People of all ages, and especially seniors, avoid exercising for a variety of reasons. They think it’s too hard, too boring or they’re disappointed by their ability to stick with it. Take a look at some of the most common reasons seniors aren’t exercising and use our ideas to motivate yourself to start exercising NOW! ...
May 30, 2009 in Fitness
Just as eating right and pursuing an active social life can help you stay happy and healthy, exercise can help seniors enjoy a healthier and more satisfying lifestyle, with both short-term and long-term health benefits. And the benefits of regular exercise are not just physical. You’ll gain emotionally and psychologically too! Regular exercising will also ...
