Exercise is very important and you should do all that you can to
make sure you include a little bit every day. Most experts say that to
get the most benefit from exercise you should engage in physical
activities 5 to 6 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes per session. For
some that's realistic and for others it may not be. What you should do
is try and get as much exercise as possible. The following general tips
can help you work more exercise into your life.
1. Stress variety if you're over 40. Post-exercise muscle repair takes longer in people over 40. If you want to work out at a moderate or high intensity every day, then the solution is to work different muscle groups on different days. For instance, you could swim one day and then jog the next. After a tough workout, give the muscle group you worked roughly 48 hours to rest before exercising that specific group again. Also, if you're over 40 and just starting to exercise, don't think you're too old. Many seniors achieve record levels of fitness after starting in their 60s, 70s, or even 80s. Our reflexes slow and we lose some flexibility with age, but our cardiovascular fitness can be maintained at very high levels until old age. One man more than 100 years old even climbed Mt. Fuji! Check with your doctor first, start out easy, gradually work your way up to a moderate level of exercise, and stress a variety of exercises, and you'll do much to enhance your life and weight control at any age.
2. Don't damage your hair with rubber bands. Try a clip, head-bands, or an old baseball cap for style and hair protection.
3. Realize that only athletes need wonder drinks. Plain ol' water is by far the best thing to drink before, during, and after a workout. People selling wonder drinks would like us to believe that a huge amount of potassium and sodium is lost when we exercise. For a normal workout such as an aerobics class, however, this simply isn't true. If you reach the point where you're training at high intensity for 60 or more minutes several times a week, as a marathon runner would, then drinks such as Gatorade can be helpful. For most people, however, they are unnecessary.
4. Don't think exercise as an adult is like exercise in high school. You may have hated your gym teacher. You may have hated running, getting all sweaty, and going to class smelling like a pig. You may have hated everything about gym and dreaded it like the plague on days you had to go. If this describes you, you're in for a big surprise. Go try an aerobics class for starters. You should find exciting music and everyone pulling together and having fun...
1. Stress variety if you're over 40. Post-exercise muscle repair takes longer in people over 40. If you want to work out at a moderate or high intensity every day, then the solution is to work different muscle groups on different days. For instance, you could swim one day and then jog the next. After a tough workout, give the muscle group you worked roughly 48 hours to rest before exercising that specific group again. Also, if you're over 40 and just starting to exercise, don't think you're too old. Many seniors achieve record levels of fitness after starting in their 60s, 70s, or even 80s. Our reflexes slow and we lose some flexibility with age, but our cardiovascular fitness can be maintained at very high levels until old age. One man more than 100 years old even climbed Mt. Fuji! Check with your doctor first, start out easy, gradually work your way up to a moderate level of exercise, and stress a variety of exercises, and you'll do much to enhance your life and weight control at any age.
2. Don't damage your hair with rubber bands. Try a clip, head-bands, or an old baseball cap for style and hair protection.
3. Realize that only athletes need wonder drinks. Plain ol' water is by far the best thing to drink before, during, and after a workout. People selling wonder drinks would like us to believe that a huge amount of potassium and sodium is lost when we exercise. For a normal workout such as an aerobics class, however, this simply isn't true. If you reach the point where you're training at high intensity for 60 or more minutes several times a week, as a marathon runner would, then drinks such as Gatorade can be helpful. For most people, however, they are unnecessary.
4. Don't think exercise as an adult is like exercise in high school. You may have hated your gym teacher. You may have hated running, getting all sweaty, and going to class smelling like a pig. You may have hated everything about gym and dreaded it like the plague on days you had to go. If this describes you, you're in for a big surprise. Go try an aerobics class for starters. You should find exciting music and everyone pulling together and having fun...