Where Do I Begin?
Deciding to begin an exercise program is an important decision and should not be taken lightly. You should think it through and get advice from others as to what level of exercise will be good for you. Talk to your doctor and make him aware of what you are going to do. You may even want to ask him for suggestions that conform to your health level. Exercise can be done by just about anyone at any age. You just have to make sure you choose the correct level of activity. If you are 65 and in reasonably good health you should be able to do more intense training than someone who is 80 but even at 80 there are programs specific to your age group. Silver Sneakers has been very successful in keeping the elderly fit and healthy. You can check them out at SilverSneakers.Com
Benefits
Exercise and strength training helps you look and feel younger and stay active longer. Begin slowly to avoid injury. Regular physical activity lowers your risk for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity. Here are a few of the benefits you get from regular exercise:
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduced risk of heart disease
- Increased endurance, strength, energy, and productivity
- Reduced stress
- Improved body tone and enhanced attractiveness
- Reduced risk of osteoporosis
- Protection against adult-onset diabetes
- Help with smoking cessation
Key Elements of Your Program
Every exercise program should include these 5 elements in order to be a complete program:
Balance – by improving your balance you will avoid potential injury from falls.
Flexibility - reduce the risk of injury and prepare your muscles for vigorous activity with dynamic stretching and gentle cardio before a workout and static stretching at the end.
Strength - Weightlifting and resistance training is one of the most effective ways to develop muscle. Lean and healthy muscle mass will help you keep your metabolism and burn more calories. Strength training also helps maintain joint stability and prevents injuries.
Core Stability – The muscles in your abdomen lower back and pelvis are your core muscles. Core strength helps keep your upper and lower body stabile and protect your back from injury
Aerobic Fitness – Aerobic exercise causes you to breathe faster and more deeply, which maximizes the amount of oxygen in your blood. The better your aerobic fitness, the more efficiently your heart, lungs and blood vessels transport oxygen throughout your body Aerobic exercise includes any physical activity that uses large muscle groups and increases your heart rate. Try walking, jogging, biking, swimming, dancing, water aerobics — even leaf raking, snow shoveling and vacuuming.
Research
Get as much information as possible before deciding. There are many websites and publications to help you through the process. There are exercises and workouts on this website for you to use. (go there)
Most all remember you are making a lifestyle change not just exercising.
Deciding to begin an exercise program is an important decision and should not be taken lightly. You should think it through and get advice from others as to what level of exercise will be good for you. Talk to your doctor and make him aware of what you are going to do. You may even want to ask him for suggestions that conform to your health level. Exercise can be done by just about anyone at any age. You just have to make sure you choose the correct level of activity. If you are 65 and in reasonably good health you should be able to do more intense training than someone who is 80 but even at 80 there are programs specific to your age group. Silver Sneakers has been very successful in keeping the elderly fit and healthy. You can check them out at SilverSneakers.Com
Benefits
Exercise and strength training helps you look and feel younger and stay active longer. Begin slowly to avoid injury. Regular physical activity lowers your risk for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity. Here are a few of the benefits you get from regular exercise:
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduced risk of heart disease
- Increased endurance, strength, energy, and productivity
- Reduced stress
- Improved body tone and enhanced attractiveness
- Reduced risk of osteoporosis
- Protection against adult-onset diabetes
- Help with smoking cessation
Key Elements of Your Program
Every exercise program should include these 5 elements in order to be a complete program:
Balance – by improving your balance you will avoid potential injury from falls.
Flexibility - reduce the risk of injury and prepare your muscles for vigorous activity with dynamic stretching and gentle cardio before a workout and static stretching at the end.
Strength - Weightlifting and resistance training is one of the most effective ways to develop muscle. Lean and healthy muscle mass will help you keep your metabolism and burn more calories. Strength training also helps maintain joint stability and prevents injuries.
Core Stability – The muscles in your abdomen lower back and pelvis are your core muscles. Core strength helps keep your upper and lower body stabile and protect your back from injury
Aerobic Fitness – Aerobic exercise causes you to breathe faster and more deeply, which maximizes the amount of oxygen in your blood. The better your aerobic fitness, the more efficiently your heart, lungs and blood vessels transport oxygen throughout your body Aerobic exercise includes any physical activity that uses large muscle groups and increases your heart rate. Try walking, jogging, biking, swimming, dancing, water aerobics — even leaf raking, snow shoveling and vacuuming.
Research
Get as much information as possible before deciding. There are many websites and publications to help you through the process. There are exercises and workouts on this website for you to use. (go there)
Most all remember you are making a lifestyle change not just exercising.