| SolveYourProblem
eLearning Series:
I'm an Active Senior
Who Wants To Stay Healthy
( 50 aticles in this series )
Your
Exercise Routine:
Setting Realistic Expectations
Set realistic expectations for your work outs.
After you have had your check-up and talk with your doctor
and gained clearance for an exercise routine, there are some
basic rules that will help you ensure that you have set realistic
expectations. First and foremost, if something hurts,
stop immediately. If the pain persists when you begin to exercise
again, take a break.
If
you are under the weather, take it easy. You may need to
skip your routine entirely if you are feeling very ill, but
certainly thinking about at least modifying your routine when
you are not feeling well. If you have experienced some unusual
pain or if you have been ill, when you start your routine up
again, start slowly likely you did when you began the routine.
If you feel chest pain or pressure, breathing trouble or excessive
shortness of breath persistent pain in a muscle or joint, nausea
and unusual balance difficulties you should make an appointment
to meet with your doctor once again.
The
best way to get started on a routine is to begin with 10
minutes a couple times a day. Take it slow, moving at a
consistent pace. Be sure to wear comfortable, non-restrictive
clothing that keeps your body temperature comfortable as well.
Dressing in layers is a key element to ensure that you can
adjust as your body temperature rises. Early on, don’t overexert
yourself in any manner and be sure to drink plenty of water
before, during and after your activity.
Always
ease your body into exercise. Stretching or walking
for at least 5 minutes is a great way to get both looser and
warmed up. As you begin to feel stronger, gradually increase
both the time and intensity of your activity. If walking, walk
faster or uphill and walk for longer periods of time. If bicycling,
do likewise. If you can get active with friends you stand a
good chance of keeping it interesting. Finally, work for consistency.
If you do a small amount every day, it will become a part of
a routine that you will automatically include. Too many people
focus on doing a lot occasionally. That tends to make it difficult
to keep up your routine - with research pointing to regularity
and consistency, keeping up your routine is the most important
aspect of your program.
Remember,
your schedule can include a variety of activity. It is also possible to mix traditional forms of exercise with
the non-traditional to ensure that your routine is neither
grueling nor boring. Non-traditional forms can include gardening,
walking your dog, and even spending an evening going dancing.
Most importantly, if you are having fun, your routine will
be better for you overall, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Most importantly it will be much easier for you to maintain.
A tip that helps those who start an exercise schedule to maintain
that schedule is to keep an Activity Log. Writing down what
types of activity you do everyday is a great way help you realize
just how much you have accomplished or haven’t accomplished
on any given day. In addition, as the days go on, your log
will make it easier for you to keep up your new pace especially
when you are to look back to see the progress you have made.
Physical
activity yields a multitude of physical, mental and psychological
benefits. Regular physical activity reduces a
person’s risk of heart disease and if the person experiences
hypertension, exercise will also lower the blood pressure of
the exerciser. Physical exercise protects against loss in bone
mass, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and reduces the risk
of falling and breaking a bone in the fall. New research shows
that regular exercise may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease
and dementia. Exercise also increases your body metabolism
helping shed useless weight - increased muscle mass helps a
person burn more calories as muscle burns more calories than
fat. A healthy, strong body is also the surest way to fight
off infection and sickness, as well as allow people who become
sick to recover from their illness far quickly.
There is no doubt that a physically active lifestyle is one
of the most important contributions to healthy aging. The
key is to start and to start now. In fact, many people will state
that the most difficult part of any new endeavor is getting
started. So the key is to simply tell yourself that you can
do it and the time to do it is now. Be sure to pace yourself
and move slowly at the outset, making exercise a regular part
of your day. Regardless of the amount of time and the intensity
of the work out, the key is to start by doing something, anything.
If you can make it a habit, then it will become easier for
you to create a routine that you can consistently commit to
and ultimately build upon if you seek to increase your fitness.
# # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
> Home > Healthy
Seniors Articles : Main Page
|
