Keep moving!

Try these exercises to help you get fit and feel younger

The ads for gyms need to catch up with the times! It's time to replace the 20 and 30 year olds in tank tops and bicycle shorts with athletic men and women in their 50s and 60s.

If we're to believe a recent survey - 70 and 80 year olds are now exercising in gyms! Babyboomers and adults who used to be considered sedentary are getting on treadmills and elliptical trainers in larger numbers. Why? Because exercise makes everyone look and feel younger while helping us stay healthier!

If you'd like to join the new fitness revolution, but it's been awhile since you have exercised read through our exercise basics before you begin and consult with your health care provider. If you're a regular exerciser, look at expanding your exercise routine to improve your overall health!

Cardiovascular exercises
Experts recommend at least 20-minutes, three times a week. More is better, but walking for less than 20 minutes is better for your health than doing nothing.

Walking - Try to do a little more every week to increase the time you spend walking for exercise.
If you can only do five minutes a day, two times a day during the first week - that's fine. The following week add a minute to each work out and gradually work up to 20 minutes, three times daily.

Swimming - Improves your flexibility and cardiovascular health at the same time!
Bicycling - Bicycling is easy on the joints while boosting cardiovascular health. If you don't bicycle outdoors, you can get the same benefit on a stationary bike in a gym.

Stretches
Improve flexibility and help reduce injuries. Do these moves before doing cardiovascular and strength-training exercises. Quadriceps stretches - Lie on your side with legs straight. Bend your top leg at the knee and grasp your foot or ankle with your top hand. Pull back slightly until you feel a stretch in your upper thigh. Hold for 5 seconds, release. Do 5 - 6 times, each side.

Chair stretches - Sit in a straight-back chair with feet flat on the floor. Slowly bend at your waist and touch the floor with your fingers, if you're able. Hold for 5 seconds and slowly sit up. Do 5 - 6 times.

Side torso stretches - Stand straight, feet shoulder length apart. Raise right arm above head and stretch up - and slightly to the left. Hold for 5 seconds, then slowly straighten and lower arm. Do 5 - 6 times, each side.

Quadriceps stretches - Lie on your
side with legs straight. Bend your top leg at the knee and grasp your foot or ankle with your top hand. Pull back slightly until you feel a stretch in your upper thigh. Hold for 5 seconds, release. Do 5 - 6 times, each side.

Strength training
Don't let strength training intimidate you - resistance bands will help you to maintain and build healthy muscles and bones. Here are two examples to help you get started.

Read the packages to see if the resistance bands provide light, medium or heavy resistance. If you have not been regularly strength training, begin with light bands.

Lateral Rows - stand on the band, feet are hip width apart and knees are slightly bent. Grip ends with palms facing each other and arms hanging at sides. Raise band to side of body, try to get to shoulder height, then return to start position.

Biceps Curls - stand on band, feet are hip width apart and knees are slightly bent. Grip ends with palms facing forward and hands in front of thighs. Raise band, keeping elbows against body until arm looks like a "V". Return bands to starting position.

Core strengthening
The core muscles are the muscles that make up the torso and they support the shoulders, back and pelvis. Since all movement is generated from the core, it's important to keep it strong to help stabilize muscles and protect against injury. Try these core strengthening moves:

Ab crunch - Lie on your back and place your feet against a wall so your knees and hips are bent about 90-degrees. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lift your head and shoulders off the floor. Hold for 5 seconds, lower and repeat.

Superman - Lie on your stomach with legs straight and arms overhead. Lift head, right arm and left leg off ground and stretch arm and leg in opposite directions. Hold stretch for 5 seconds and slowly lower head, arm and leg to ground. Do 5 - 6 times, each side.

The face of American fitness may be aging, but our bodies aren't! We're hitting walking and biking trails, jogging and lifting weights to feel better today, healthier tomorrow. Join the fitness revolution - keep moving and you'll feel and act younger!

Improve your athletic performance with optimum focus and flexibility
Two keys to outstanding performance are having good flexibility along with the ability to focus. That's where TriVita's Optima products come in. Take Optima4 to help improve focus and stamina. OptimaFlex helps your joints stay limber, so your movements are fluid and confidence high.

Thanks
  
French Montreville
fmontreville@yahoo.com
1-617-487-4340
http://www.myempoweringteam.ws/
French S. Montreville, Independent TriVita Business Affiliate, Trivita ID# 13011183