Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Exercise to Live Longer, Live Healthier and Live Happier

No matter what our age, everyone has the choice to live healthy with healthy habits or to live not so healthy with not so healthy habits. Luckily we have the power to change an unhealthy lifestyle at any time, most of us are lucky enough to realize it and make the changes needed to live longer and healthier. If you have reached this threshold and are unsure of just how to proceed; the following suggestions will help you find your way to feeling and aging better.
Exercise and diet play a major role in how we age and how we feel going through the aging process. The old saying “use it or lose it” is so true after fifty. Even the simplest routine of exercise can make a difference, two or three times a week for thirty minutes. If you look at it this way; the 90 minutes out of 10080 total minutes in one week shows you that you can certainly find the time. Exercise keeps the body moving and supple. When you stay active and the activity keeps the blood flowing; you can slow down the aging process. Unfortunately as we age our bodily functions slow down and in turn we slow down but keeping active and eating right you can feel years younger and look years younger.
If you have not been to your Doctor for a physical in more than a year it is highly recommended that you schedule one and let your Doctor know you are ready to start a healthier lifestyle. Your Doctor will let you know at what degree you should start and how aggressive you can be at the start.
Your routine should include cardiovascular moves like the old jumping jack exercises we used to do in school or Aerobics exercises to get the heart pumping. During a study experts found that those who worked out had lower cholesterol levels and those who did not workout had higher levels of cholesterol.
Add to that resistance training, using the dumbbell set that has been in the back of your closet for the last ten years or if you don’t have an old set they are relatively inexpensive. Start off with 3 or 5 lbs. and add some weight lifting moves for upper body strength. According to the experts and study results resistance workout can enforce freedom of blood flow and increasing improvement of overall strength. Resistance training is important to women as we age because we tend to become frail without the exercise and the strengthening of the muscles. . If you are working toward resistance, keep the weights low and the repetitions up. Repetitions on low-density weight scales will suffice. Resistance training has proven to boost metabolism, which gives you energy. Yoga is another great method to strengthen the body as well as the mind. Yoga is very therapeutic and low impact yet can still strengthen your core muscles. There are numerous avenues to explore and any or a combination of them will help you feel better and gain strength to live longer.
Diet is a big factor; if you are not currently taking a multi-vitamin consider adding them to your grocery list next time you shop. Even the best balanced diet cannot give you all the pertinent vitamins and minerals you need. Consider adding a nutritional supplement to your diet. There are numerous ones available on the market; Vemma is a great one to try. If you are not a breakfast person you can keep a bowl of dry cheerios with nuts and raisins and simply snack on it as you work. This easy to put together snack will save you money usually spent on the donut cart and your cholesterol and your heart will thank you in the long run. Put more beans and fresh greens into your diet. Read labels if sugar is one of the top ingredients, don’t buy it. Make these small changes in your life and you will be surprised at how well you start feeling and the level of your energy will amaze you.

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