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eLearning Series:
I'm an Active Senior
Who Wants To Stay Healthy
( 50 aticles in this series )
How
To Increase Your Exercise Stamina
Exercise for seniors is increasingly important.
It can lead to a longer life span, prevent a number of medical
conditions, and help seniors feel better. However, in order
for a sedentary individual to start and stick with an exercise
program, an increase in stamina is essential. There are several
things you can do to increase your stamina.
Start
your exercise program by getting a physical. There are
a number of things that can change the way you exercise, so
it's a good idea to know if a change in health is being caused
by your exercise program or by other health concerns. Good
exercise programs are comprised of three factors: frequency,
intensity, and duration. If you get too much of any of these,
your entire exercise program is in jeopardy. Check with your
doctor to decide how much of any of these components is too
much for you. Don't move too quickly once you have started.
If your goal is to work up to walking for twenty minutes each
day, and you've decided to start with five, don't move from
five to twenty in the course of one day. Your muscles need
time to acclimate to the new level of activity.
Work
with your current health issues. If you've had a hip
replacement, marathons probably aren't going to be the best
exercise goal for you. Talk to your doctor to decide what works
well with your health issues. Choose activities that you like.
Forcing yourself to engage in an activity repeatedly isn't
going to do anyone, especially you, any good. Your workout
routine should include at least one activity that you can engage
in anywhere. If you have to travel for business, or you go
on vacation, it will be easier to keep that activity up, thereby
increasing your stamina. Find an exercise buddy or join an
organization that promotes your exercise activity. You're more
likely to stick with it if you have people to help motivate
you.
Keeping
some type of record of your performance might help you keep
track of where you are and where you should be.
Plan long term goals carefully, for example, if your fitness
goal is to go on a three day nature hike, allow your body
to acclimate to the conditions you will be experiencing.
Prevent
injury at all costs. If you feel a bit sore from your last
workout, it might be best to take it easy during your next
workout. Be sure to include a warm up and cool down period
in your daily routine. This will not only improve your flexibility,
it might also help prevent injury. Be sure to rest frequently.
If you need to engage in two fifteen minute sessions instead
of one thirty minute session, do it. Fatigue may make you
quit your exercise program, and then you could lose that
stamina
you've been building. Unless your doctor recommends them, don't
bother with dietary supplements. Your diet should supply your nutrients, not the
health food store. Weight training can help with all aspects
of your exercise program. Target the muscle groups you use
most. Choose your diet carefully. Eating too many empty calories
can only lead to added weight, which won't help at all with
your workout. Be sure to prevent dehydration. During an exercise
session, heat is built up in the muscle groups of focus which
causes the body temperature to increase. The body tries to
cool itself by sweating. The sweat evaporates from the skin,
and it is that process that assists in supporting a lower core
body temperature. Sometimes, though, this process isn’t an
adequate way of cooling, due to factors like moisture and humidity.
As a result, the bodies continue to sweat, causing further
fluid loss. The only way to replace this fluid loss
is to drink more fluid. Prevention of this entire process by consuming
enough liquid both during your workout and during the normal
course of your day will go miles in improving your stamina.
Learn
to manage your stress. If you spend all of your energy
during the day dealing with stress, you won't have any left
for your workout. One final way to work on stamina is through
your favorite music. Music can be very helpful in keeping
you motivated during a workout. The more motivation you
have, the
more likely you are to stick with your program, which will
increase stamina. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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