Exercise to stay strong and vibrant!
May 02, 2008
contributed by Paul Kuck

In the previous article we talked about how exercise can actually be the fountain of youth. We will tell you in this article specifically what you must do to achieve this powerful effect.

There are several components of fitness that relate to your overall health you must do in order to be considered as balanced and healthy. Choosing one and ignoring the others is not recommended if you truly want a pain free, youthful and tough body that can last for another few decades.

If you just concentrate on just one or two components you will achieve some but not all the potential benefits. Here are some examples:

1. If you train specifically for cardiovascular fitness (e.g. doing brisk walking everyday) but lack strength in your major muscles, you might still have difficulties carrying weighted items or possibly injuring yourself in the process. Your back and your posture may also be poor.

2. Similarly, you could be as flexible as a snake (e.g. from doing Yoga frequently) but would you call yourself fit if you find difficulty climbing a flight of stairs without panting like a freight train?

So, to build a great overall fitness, one needs to address all the components that make a healthy, fit and strong body.

Strength training

Strengthening activities to help:

• Build or retain your muscles

• Build stronger bones

• Increase your overall strength

• Reduce your need for a cane.

• Reduce the risk of bone fractures and other injuries, or recover faster if you are injured.

• Maintain or lose weight because muscle burns more calories than body fat.

For strength training, you need to use some form of resistance like your bodyweight, light weights, rubber resistance tubing or even canned food.

Two sessions of strength training a week of 20-30 mins of exercises is sufficient. Concentrate on major muscle groups like legs, chest, back and abdominal muscles.

A good upper body exercise to strengthen the chest, shoulder and arms muscles would be a wall push-up exercise.

To do this, stand at about 2 feet away from a wall with your hands placed on the wall, shoulder width apart and chest level. Slowly lower your upper body toward the wall and push yourself away once your chest is about to touch the wall. Repeat for 10 – 15 times.

We will feature some other strengthening exercises in an upcoming issue.

Cardiovascular/aerobic training

Cardiovascular exercises (also called aerobic exercises) help:

• Reduce functional declines associated with aging.

• Lose or maintain your weight by burning calories.

• Lower your risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes and stroke by strengthening your heart and lowering your blood pressure, controlling blood sugar level and improve blood lipid profile.

• Keep your joints moving and reducing arthritic pain.

• Reduce your stress level and improve your mood.

• Give more energy.

For cardiovascular exercises, stair-climbing, cycling, brisk walking and dancing are great examples. For maximum benefit, build up to 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity cardiovascular or aerobic activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.

Flexibility training

Flexibility/stretching exercises help:

• Maintain the movement of your muscles and joints.

• Prevent stiffness as you age.

• Prevent injuries.

• Lower your stress.

Flexibility exercises can be done anytime, anywhere. For example, to stretch your core and upper body muscles, simply stand up, push your arms toward the ceiling, and stretch. Stretch slowly and only enough to feel tightness—not until you feel pain. Hold the stretch, without bouncing, for about 30 seconds. Stretch only after your muscles are warmed to prevent injuring yourself.

Balance, coordination and functional training

Balancing, coordination and functional exercises will help you:

• Walk with minimum aid and prevent fall.

• Stay steady on your feet.

• Reduce the risk of injury.

• Perform everyday tasks more easily

For balancing exercises, a simple exercise would be to stand on one leg for 10-20 seconds. Repeat this for 5 times for both legs.

Working out to get a good fitness level and a strong healthy body takes time and commitment. But it is well worth the effort! Start today!

About the Author
Paul is the Founder of Fitness Tutor and owner of Personal Training Studio.
He holds a Master Degree in Exercise & Nutrition Science and is a Gold Certified Advanced Health Fitness Specialist. Contact him (paul@fitness-tutor.com) for a FREE consultation if you wish to embark on a personalised exercise program to improve on your overall health
www.fitness-tutor.com