Exercise

As seniors, and I am 64, by the way, you and I are aware that we are different from many portions of the population which is catered to by exercise publications and equipment. However, that does not mean that we are so different that we cannot make use of the same information, guidance, and resources that “young folk” do. We just have to “exercise” (pun intended) some of that wisdom that supposedly comes with getting older.

Notice, I did NOT say, “old age”. I’m not there yet and neither are you!

Actually, senior exercise programs, in most cases, can be essentially the same as any exercise program presented to younger people, just adjusted for the facts of life.

For example, younger folk may do a lot of bouncing around, while many of us…ahem…more mature individuals, will want to use less bouncing and more around in our senior exercise programs.

Of course, as in so many other things, a lot will depend on the individual, but as we age, joints tend to wear out, various conditions surface, and we have to take those things into account.

Another example of what we might need to consider when planning our senior exercise programs is the fact that, as we age, we lose a certain amount of strength. Even the most physically fit individual will commonly only be able to lift a portion of what he or she could lift a few years previously.

So, when you pick up an exercise book written by younger people FOR younger people, realize that you can probably still do most of the exercises, but maybe not at the same level of intensity as before. Those in senior exercise programs should realize, in fact, that, while they can do almost anything the young people do, they probably cannot do it at quite the same level.

It really doesn’t seem to matter too much what kind of exercise or activity we are talking about, seniors can probably do it, they just need to adjust their expectations and goals to fit reality. This is not really too hard because first of all we are probably grateful that we DON’T have to work as hard as before, and the pressure is off to perform at some jock-like level.

When we were younger, we wanted big biceps or bosoms, but now we are grateful to have okay biceps or bosoms, and a little regular physical activity…okay, “exercise“…can help us attain our goals.

So, whether you are into yoga, weight lifting, swimming, biking, or some other example of the many senior exercise programs possible, you can do it and have fun. That’s nice, isn’t it: doing something that’s good for you and having fun at the same time?

There are probably as many possible different senior exercise programs as there are seniors, so get out there and figure out what yours is.

Donovan Baldwin is a 64-year-young amateur bodybuilder and freelance writer currently living in Stone Mountain, GA. A University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a member of Mensa and has held several managerial positions. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, he became interested in internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. He has recently posted a relevant article, “Exercise and Weight Training for Seniors on his website at http://nodiet4me.com/exercise/seniors/weight_training.html .

It seems like doctors have always had an inkling of the benefits of exercise. However, researchers are realizing more and more that exercise does more than just make you look good in a swimsuit. Exercise has a multitude of internal benefits that can help with your overall health and disease prevention.

First, it is important to realize that there are two major exercise camps. Some people only participate in cardiovascular, or cardio, workouts such as running, power walking, and elliptical training, among other things. Others prefer to do strength training with weight lifting exercises and moves that use your own body weight as resistance. However, there is no wrong or right way to exercise, as long as your body is healthy enough for the movement and you perform the moves in proper form.

As the name implies, cardio programs target heart-pumping workout regimens that focus on elevating your heart rate, strengthening the important muscle that is your heart. The one problem that you may face with cardio is that cardiovascular workouts can be high-impact, which can damage your joints. For instance, a very popular type of cardio is jogging, which can hurt your knees and ankles. Trade jogging for swimming or even power walking, and you will still reap the benefits of cardiovascular training while protecting the health of your joints.

Next, weight training tends to frighten some people away with the thought of building too much muscle mass. However, you can utilize many reps of light weights to tighten and tone without becoming overly bulky. Strength training workouts can help you prevent injuries because they stabilize the muscles that help you balance, such as your core. Besides that, the more toned muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn-even while at rest.

One way that people work to combine these benefits is to perform a mix of both cardio and weight-training workouts. Besides the muscular and heart strength gained from these workouts, there are several other benefits that you will have as a result of your hard work, such as:

Reduced risk of heart disease

Reduced depression and anxiety

Reduce your chance of developing diabetes

Decrease blood pressure

Decrease cholesterol

Lessen your chance for some cancers, such as breast and colon

Another way to keep yourself healthy is by having health insurance. This way, when you do need medical aid, you are more apt to receive the help you need because you can get help in paying for your treatments and medications. If you need help in shopping around for a reliable health insurance provider, talk to the independent health insurance agents at Catherine Michaels Insurance Services today.

Joseph Devine

Approximately more than 3 million kids experience injuries while exercising. These exercises vary from running, bike riding or when overheated because of strenuous exercises. In order to prevent injuries, there are guidelines that need to be followed when engaging in any kinds of exercises especially when they are tiresome and active exercises. Let us go through some exercise safety tips for kids.

Running. It is essential that prior to any kind of exercises or any type of physical activities like sports, warm up and stretching exercises should be performed to prepare the body for the activity. Moreover, after the physical activity, it is equally essential to cool down after.

Bike riding. When riding any vehicle, safety precautionary measures are always required. This is true on riding a bicycle also known as bike riding. Helmet, arm bands and pads are some of the safety clothing needed to serve as protection in such case the rider fall off or have a collision on bike riding.

Sports. With sports, there are different exercise safety tips for kids depending on the sports they engage in. The playground or the park is the favorite places of kids. Therefore, equipments utilized in parks and playground should be maintained and checked for safety like swings, monkey bars, teeter-totters, and other stationary equipment which kids uses for engagement.

Dehydration. Playing and other physical activities can be exhausting. And drinking water is one of the primary concerns when engage in these activities. This is to avoid dehydration and replenish the lost water in the body and prevent heat exhaustion.

Health. Another exercise safety tips that should be considered is the health of the kid or the player. It is a good idea that prior to any physical activities like sports, to ensure the safety of the kids, they should be checked by a physician for health concerns and if they are capable of doing the activity safely without any hazards to their health. There are some situations that some kids have health limitations like heart disease and asthma.

Supervision. It is highly important that kids are supervised when playing in parks. This is as well true with sports teams. Parents, coaches or sports medical team should be available to assist in case of occurrence of injuries while playing. This is done to ensure the safety of the kids while they enjoy playing.

Exercise, sports and other kinds of physical activities can be a source of enjoyment but when overexerted or done, can cause serious injuries. Exercise can be a fun activity but it should be done with caution. Therefore, through the above-mentioned exercise safety tips for kids, these can prevent unwanted situations that may happen because of not dressing properly or improper exercise behavior. Do the suggestions stated and ensure the safety of the kids while enjoying their exercise or chosen sports.

Riza C. Belgira is health enthusiast and an advocate of strengthening women’s health and well-being through informative health resources and articles.

Visit her web site and explore informative and useful tips on pregnancy, dieting and weight loss at http://www.weightloss-advisor.com/.