3 Methods for Staying in Shape

3 Methods for Staying in Shape

Why work hard to make money and die young? Why work long hours only to grow old and be so feeble you cannot enjoy the fruits of your labour?

Here are 3 Methods for Staying in Shape and hopefully live longer, live better and enjoy life more. CAUTION: Check with a doctor before starting any exercise regimen!

Method #1: Stretch. Most old people lose their flexibility, limiting their spectrum of activities. These three simple stretches, a few times a day can keep you flexible. (Yoga is a wonderful stretching activity)

o Stand straight and slowly touch your toes, working to get your palms to the floor.

o Stand straight and slowly rotate your hips as far around as you can clockwise and anti-clockwise to loosen up your hips, back and upper legs.

o Slowly roll your head in a circle both clockwise and anti-clockwise (Caution: NOT if you have spinal injuries)

Method #2: Strength. What we do not use, we loose. Strengthen all key muscle groups 2 times a week to exhaustion. Good, simple exercises include:

o Push-ups with a straight back, breathing regularly.

o Sit-ups with knees bent help prevent back injury (65% of the back`s support is from stomach muscles…do not do if you have back problems - 50 a day may also eases constipation)

o Leg work. Biking, in-line skating, walking, running, stair machines or just climbing stairs for 30 minutes to an hour. (Going up stairs is easier on knees than going down where you put double or triple your weight on your joints)

Method #3: Aerobics: Give your lungs and heart a great workout 3 to 5 times a week. If you are doing the leg work just mentioned under strength, you are accomplishing 2 things at once. Rowing machines, playing basketball, netball, water polo, handball, racquet ball or other sports also gives you an aerobic workout.

Interesting, just 10 minutes of jumping rope or hard punching a body bag have the same effect, but few people have the stamina to go a full 10 minutes. Swimming takes about 45 minutes to accomplish the same effect. Dancing 20 to 60 minutes works really well.

Caution: Playing tennis you only average 5 minutes of aerobic running in 30 minutes of play and golf played with carts is rarely aerobic in nature. You need to do 20 to 30 minutes of non-stop aerobic activity to gain the most benefit.

Some people do better with the same set daily and weekly routine. Others need variety. Find what works for you and like Nike says, “Just Do It!”

Got comments or questions? Just leave your comments and ask me questions one to one through the blog.

Smile Makers:

Exercise can be a funny thing.

A man and wife were avid joggers but seldom ran together because they ran at different speeds. One day she started out before he did. Two kilometres later, he overtook her and said in his best Humphrey Bogart voice, `Where are you going, sweetheart?`

Without missing a stride, she replied, `Your pace or mine?`

———-

Waiting for an aerobics class to begin, several class members were chatting about fitness and diets. One woman said her brother-in-law quit smoking, quit drinking booze and quit watching TV - all at the same time. Another woman thought no human being could possibly do this without acquiring at least one bad habit for compensation. Jokingly she asked her, `What did he start doing instead of those things?`

After a slight pause, the woman smiled and said, `Well, my sister IS pregnant now.`

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