When you are in already in good shape, you know how important it is to stay active. However, if you have been looking at your arms and legs and saying to them, hey, you aren’t doing very good these days! Then it’s time to think about getting them back into shape so you can enjoy the health and strength to do all that you have been wanting to do.
The hard part of beginning a program of exercise when you have been out of shape is getting past the the mental attitude of resistance. Picture yourself being active again, enjoying doing the things that you used to do. Then picture yourself continuing to feel tired and weak and helpless. Did you know you can choose which picture you want to live for your future? If you want to stay weak, don’t just move, sit there!
But if you long for those days when you had strength and energy, let’s move on it. It may be that you have had a desk job that required sitting all day Or an illness that left you with weakness and difficulty moving, you may not have the energy to start on a vigorous exercise program. So how about starting where you are now and taking it from there. Perhaps you need energy supplements to help you get started feeling well enough to want to exercise. Start with one that is guaranteed.
A statement by the National Institute on Aging has suggestions for personalizing your own program to maximize your health. Here are some of their suggestions:
“Several years ago, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) launched a national exercise campaign for people over 50 years of age because about 28% to 34% of adults ages 65 to 74 and 35% of adults 75 years and older are inactive. Through regular exercise, older adults can stay healthy and maintain independence. Our national exercise campaign addresses the four necessary types of exercise in a book called “Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging,” and in an companion video based on the book:
1 - Endurance exercises, like walking rapidly (while still being able to talk to a walking partner), raise the heart rate and get the heart, lungs and circulatory systems working optimally. Having more endurance can build stamina for tasks like climbing the stairs, shopping for groceries, and biking. You can start with short walks, just extend them a little each day and you will find your endurance increasing. Push yourself just a bit but don’t overdo it at first.
2 - Strength exercises–leg lifts, arm raises, and bicep curls — build muscles. Just a small increase in muscle mass can reduce frailty, even in 90 year olds. Weight lifting increases one’s metabolic rate, helping to keep weight and blood sugar in check.” If you have a walking cane, use it as a weight for starting out, holding it in both hands, with your hands even with your shoulders, try lifting it up in front of you, then over your head. Repeat up to 10 times, several times a day. As you begin to get stronger, try using a couple of soup cans for weights. It doesn’t have to be expensive soup.
3 - “Balance exercises that build leg muscles can prevent falls–a major cause of broken hips and other injuries that often lead to disability and loss of independence.” This exercise involves standing on one leg for a short time, then on the other. Be sure your are in a safe place with hand holds available. If your legs aren’t strong enough for this, start with sitting exercises lifting one knee up and down, then the other, repeat up to 10 times. Do this whenever you are sitting, several times a day. This helps strengthen the muscles you use when getting into and out of chairs.
4 - Flexibility exercises help keep the whole body limber. Stretching the long muscles in the legs, arms, and across the upper back can improve range-of-motion and the ability to reach things on the top shelf.” Simply bend and stretch to start. Remember that little kindergarten song they used to teach children these exercises: Bend and stretch, reach for the stars, here comes Jupiter, there goes Mars, (as you bend left and right) …can’t remember the next verse, can you?
If you are in really bad shape, talk to your doctor about prescribing physical therapy for you. A therapist can get you started on a good safe program. If you feel can do it on your own, start with a few of each type of exercise each day. After a few days, do each twice a day. Then when you feel confident double the number of each exercises you are doing. Continue adding more activities and doing more sets as you find your endurance increasing. You can build your endurance and flexibility considerably over a period of a few months. Just keep pushing yourself forward.
If you are not in really bad shape and tend to over-exercise vigorously, do you experience muscle pain after your workout? This energy supplement will help your muscles recover quickly so you won’t be tempted to give up exercising.
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