Your Anti-Aging Workout
Gray hairs aren't the only sign that you're getting older. You may have also noticed that you're not as strong or as fit as you once were, that your balance is a little off and that your joints are a little creakier. (For more on the effects of aging, check out Staying Fit Through the Years.) This may not be exactly what you were hoping for when you pictured your golden years, but at least you can say that you're a heck of a lot wiser than you were in your younger years. All kidding aside, you don't have to simply accept this as your fate. There's a way to put a stop to--and sometimes even reverse--these age-related ailments: Exercise. Regular workouts can help you increase your muscle mass and aerobic capacity, improve your balance and coordination, and keep your joints healthy.
If you haven't started moving yet, what are you waiting for? Start small and build confidence before increasing the difficulty of your workouts. If you're already an avid exerciser, keep up the good work, but remember that you may have to adjust your routine from time to time to avoid overtraining, injury and boredom. Finally, the old adage, 'no pain, no gain' doesn't apply to exercise--ever. If your activity of choice is starting to hurt your knees, hips or back, it's time to think of other ways to increase your heart rate without the constant pounding on your joints. You can try the following routine, which will not only give you a good workout, but will also help you age-proof yourself.
Exercise: Get Up
What it does: Offers a full-body workout, which is a great way to keep all muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerve impulses working to improve your overall daily function.
How to do it:
• Start lying on the ground, holding a weight in your right hand, your right arm extended up toward the ceiling (don't lock your elbow). Bend your right leg and keep your left leg straight. Keep your eye on the extended hand throughout the entire move.
• Roll slightly to your left side and prop yourself up on your left elbow.
• Raise up to balance on your left hand.
• Keep your right foot planted as you swing your left leg back between your right leg and left arm so you're kneeling on your left knee.
• Remove your left hand from the ground as you prepare to stand, your right arm still pointing toward the ceiling and your left arm hanging freely at your side. Your right knee should still be bent as you push up off the ground.
• Once standing, pause to ensure balance, then reverse the process so you're lying down again. Bend your left leg so your left knee is back on the ground.
• Reach down and place your left hand back on the ground. Bring your left leg forward (twisting your torso) so you can straighten your leg.
• Lean down on your left elbow.
• Rotate your body so you're lying down flat on the floor.
• Slowly rotate toward right side so you are back to staring position laying flat on your back.
• Perform two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions on each side.
Exercise: March and Hold
What it does: Creates a situation where your brain must quickly send an impulse for your body to react. This move improves your overall coordination and balance without putting a lot of strain on your body, as things like jumping rope, box jumps and lunge jumps do. It also helps build or maintain muscle mass in your legs and core.
How to do it:
• Stand on one leg for 30 to 60 seconds. Try not to hold onto anything and raise the free leg in front of you so your knee is bent at a 90-degree angle (as though you are doing a high march).
• Switch legs and repeat.
• Perform anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. Make sure you get an even number of "steps" on each leg.
Exercise: Bosu Step-ups
What it does: Like the March and Hold move above, this exericse also helps improve your balance, with the added challenge of working on an unsteady surface. It's a great way to train your nerves impulses plus work on core strength and coordination.
How to do it:
• Place the plastic side or the straight side on the floor so the ball part is facing up.
• Face the BOSU ball and step up onto the center of the ball with one leg, then step back to the ground. Perform this exercise as though you're doing step-ups on a stair or a treadmill.
• Perform 10 to 12 step-ups on each leg.
Exercise: Bosu Balance
What it does: This move offers the same benefits as the Bosu Step-Ups above.
How to do it:
• Place the BOSU ball on the floor so the ball is facing up.
• Place items of varying weight from around your house--a dumbbell, a coaster, the phone book, a coffee mug etc.--around the ball in a half circle.
• Step up onto the ball with both feet so the items on the floor are in front of and around you. Do not move your feet throughout this exercise.
• Once you have your balance, squat down (bend your knees--do not bend at the waist) and pick up the first item. It might be easiest to start with the item directly in front of you, and then work your way to either side.
• Stand back up straight, then squat down to place the item back.
• Choose a different item from the circle. Perform until you fatigue (approximately 2 to 3 minutes). You'll notice that you're fatigued when it's harder to hold balance or to reach items you have placed on the ground.
Exercise: Hip Circles
What it does: Gets the blood pumping throughout your whole body and improve flexibility. Most of the activities we do--whether for formal exercise or just regular day-to-day tasks--keeps our hips closed. When you're walking in the grocery store, running on a treadmill, seated behind a desk, or rowing down a river, your hips are closed. This exercise opens up the hips, working the joint through a full range of motion. Plus, it will also allow your muscles, tendons and ligaments to move, stretch and strengthen in multiple directions, which can help you avoid injury. Injuries, such as sprains and strains, can happen when a joint or muscle is moved quickly or suddenly in a direction that's be different from its normal motion.
How to do it:
• Clear a path down a hallway or in the backyard as you'll be walking forward as you perform this exercise.
• Stand straight with your right leg lifted, your knee bent to a 90-degree angle directly in front of your body, and then rotate your right leg out to the right. Pretend you are drawing a half-circle with your right knee. Put your right foot back down on the ground.
• Pick up your left leg and repeat the half-circle drawing.
• Keep alternating legs and perform this move for a total of 60 seconds
Exercise: Straight Arm Stretches
What they do: Similar to the move above, this exercise increases blood flow in the body. It also improves range of motion and flexibility in the shoulder, and stretches the tissue around your rib cage, lats (the muscles below the shoulder blades), deltoids (the muscles in the shoulders) and pectorals (the muscles in the chest).
How to do it:
• Start in a standing position with your arms resting at your sides.
• Tighten your arms, trying to extend them to the ground and slowly raise them out sideways.
• Continue stretching until your hands reach each other over your head.
• Bring your hands slowly back down to your sides and repeat. Perform for 30 seconds
Exercise: Walking
What it does: Increases your aerobic capacity (essentially, how much oxygen moves through the blood), strengthens your heart (which allows you to better pump blood through the body), and burns calories, without the strain and pressure of running. (To pick up the intensity, try walking up hills, hiking through uneven terrain or speed walking so you really engage your hips.) You can also try climbing stairs (either real stairs or the stair machine at the gym), taking a bike ride (either moving or stationary; use a recumbent bike if you have any hip pain or problems). There are plenty of other activities that will give you a good cardio workout without putting a lot of strain on the muscles and joints. Experiment with a different activity every six to eight weeks to prevent boredom and give some muscles and joints a break while challenging others.
http://thebestlife.com
If you haven't started moving yet, what are you waiting for? Start small and build confidence before increasing the difficulty of your workouts. If you're already an avid exerciser, keep up the good work, but remember that you may have to adjust your routine from time to time to avoid overtraining, injury and boredom. Finally, the old adage, 'no pain, no gain' doesn't apply to exercise--ever. If your activity of choice is starting to hurt your knees, hips or back, it's time to think of other ways to increase your heart rate without the constant pounding on your joints. You can try the following routine, which will not only give you a good workout, but will also help you age-proof yourself.
Exercise: Get Up
What it does: Offers a full-body workout, which is a great way to keep all muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerve impulses working to improve your overall daily function.
How to do it:
• Start lying on the ground, holding a weight in your right hand, your right arm extended up toward the ceiling (don't lock your elbow). Bend your right leg and keep your left leg straight. Keep your eye on the extended hand throughout the entire move.
• Roll slightly to your left side and prop yourself up on your left elbow.
• Raise up to balance on your left hand.
• Keep your right foot planted as you swing your left leg back between your right leg and left arm so you're kneeling on your left knee.
• Remove your left hand from the ground as you prepare to stand, your right arm still pointing toward the ceiling and your left arm hanging freely at your side. Your right knee should still be bent as you push up off the ground.
• Once standing, pause to ensure balance, then reverse the process so you're lying down again. Bend your left leg so your left knee is back on the ground.
• Reach down and place your left hand back on the ground. Bring your left leg forward (twisting your torso) so you can straighten your leg.
• Lean down on your left elbow.
• Rotate your body so you're lying down flat on the floor.
• Slowly rotate toward right side so you are back to staring position laying flat on your back.
• Perform two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions on each side.
Exercise: March and Hold
What it does: Creates a situation where your brain must quickly send an impulse for your body to react. This move improves your overall coordination and balance without putting a lot of strain on your body, as things like jumping rope, box jumps and lunge jumps do. It also helps build or maintain muscle mass in your legs and core.
How to do it:
• Stand on one leg for 30 to 60 seconds. Try not to hold onto anything and raise the free leg in front of you so your knee is bent at a 90-degree angle (as though you are doing a high march).
• Switch legs and repeat.
• Perform anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. Make sure you get an even number of "steps" on each leg.
Exercise: Bosu Step-ups
What it does: Like the March and Hold move above, this exericse also helps improve your balance, with the added challenge of working on an unsteady surface. It's a great way to train your nerves impulses plus work on core strength and coordination.
How to do it:
• Place the plastic side or the straight side on the floor so the ball part is facing up.
• Face the BOSU ball and step up onto the center of the ball with one leg, then step back to the ground. Perform this exercise as though you're doing step-ups on a stair or a treadmill.
• Perform 10 to 12 step-ups on each leg.
Exercise: Bosu Balance
What it does: This move offers the same benefits as the Bosu Step-Ups above.
How to do it:
• Place the BOSU ball on the floor so the ball is facing up.
• Place items of varying weight from around your house--a dumbbell, a coaster, the phone book, a coffee mug etc.--around the ball in a half circle.
• Step up onto the ball with both feet so the items on the floor are in front of and around you. Do not move your feet throughout this exercise.
• Once you have your balance, squat down (bend your knees--do not bend at the waist) and pick up the first item. It might be easiest to start with the item directly in front of you, and then work your way to either side.
• Stand back up straight, then squat down to place the item back.
• Choose a different item from the circle. Perform until you fatigue (approximately 2 to 3 minutes). You'll notice that you're fatigued when it's harder to hold balance or to reach items you have placed on the ground.
Exercise: Hip Circles
What it does: Gets the blood pumping throughout your whole body and improve flexibility. Most of the activities we do--whether for formal exercise or just regular day-to-day tasks--keeps our hips closed. When you're walking in the grocery store, running on a treadmill, seated behind a desk, or rowing down a river, your hips are closed. This exercise opens up the hips, working the joint through a full range of motion. Plus, it will also allow your muscles, tendons and ligaments to move, stretch and strengthen in multiple directions, which can help you avoid injury. Injuries, such as sprains and strains, can happen when a joint or muscle is moved quickly or suddenly in a direction that's be different from its normal motion.
How to do it:
• Clear a path down a hallway or in the backyard as you'll be walking forward as you perform this exercise.
• Stand straight with your right leg lifted, your knee bent to a 90-degree angle directly in front of your body, and then rotate your right leg out to the right. Pretend you are drawing a half-circle with your right knee. Put your right foot back down on the ground.
• Pick up your left leg and repeat the half-circle drawing.
• Keep alternating legs and perform this move for a total of 60 seconds
Exercise: Straight Arm Stretches
What they do: Similar to the move above, this exercise increases blood flow in the body. It also improves range of motion and flexibility in the shoulder, and stretches the tissue around your rib cage, lats (the muscles below the shoulder blades), deltoids (the muscles in the shoulders) and pectorals (the muscles in the chest).
How to do it:
• Start in a standing position with your arms resting at your sides.
• Tighten your arms, trying to extend them to the ground and slowly raise them out sideways.
• Continue stretching until your hands reach each other over your head.
• Bring your hands slowly back down to your sides and repeat. Perform for 30 seconds
Exercise: Walking
What it does: Increases your aerobic capacity (essentially, how much oxygen moves through the blood), strengthens your heart (which allows you to better pump blood through the body), and burns calories, without the strain and pressure of running. (To pick up the intensity, try walking up hills, hiking through uneven terrain or speed walking so you really engage your hips.) You can also try climbing stairs (either real stairs or the stair machine at the gym), taking a bike ride (either moving or stationary; use a recumbent bike if you have any hip pain or problems). There are plenty of other activities that will give you a good cardio workout without putting a lot of strain on the muscles and joints. Experiment with a different activity every six to eight weeks to prevent boredom and give some muscles and joints a break while challenging others.
http://thebestlife.com
Source...