Women
over 40 can strengthen their bones starting with strength training.
Bone density increased significantly of the lower spine and pelvis
if heavy weights are lifted during one of their three total-body weight
sessions per week. This rarely happens in women (or men) over 20,
regardless of their exercise regimen.
Study:
University of North Carolina.
Jogging/Running
Make
a few adjustments on your running style and you have a good chance
to:
-Prevent injury
-Tire less quickly
-Improve your performance
Adjustment
1:
Keep your head up
Adjustment
2:
Keep your arms loose and relax your shoulders
Adjustment
3:
Keep your chest up
Adjustment 4: Keep fingers and hands
loose; elbows close to your body.
Adjustment 5: Keep your back straight
and your buttocks tucked in.
Adjustment 6: Do not lift your knees
high like a 100 meter sprinter and point your knees forward.
Adjustment 7: Try to land your feet "softly"
on your heel and point your feet forward.
Ask
a friend to evaluate your new running form or videotape your running.
Tips
on Exercising
Before
beginning or increasing physical activity, you should take some precautions
to ensure a healthy start. To avoid soreness and injury, start out
slowly and gradually build up to the desired amount to give your body
time to adjust. Most healthy individuals can safely start a light
to moderate exercise program without much concern.
However, if you have such chronic health problems as heart disease,
diabetes, asthma or obesity, you should first consult your doctor
before increasing your level of physical activity. Healthy women over
50, and men over 40, who wish to start a vigorous exercise program
should check with their doctor to make sure they do not have risk
factors for heart disease or any other health problems.
Women
under 50 and men younger than 40, should also see a physician if they
have two or more risk factors for heart disease - such as elevated
blood pressure or cholesterol levels, smoking, diabetes or obesity.
And at any age, you should check with your physician first if you
have cardiovascular, lung or joint-muscular disorders (or symptoms
which suggest such disorders).
1.
How much do I need to exercise to see benefits?
It
is recommended that adults get an accumulated 30 minutes or more of
physical activity (e.g. walking the dog, taking the stairs rather
than the elevator, etc.) most, if not all days of the week. For fitness
benefits, adults should do 20 to 60 minutes of continuous aerobic
activity, three to five days a week at 60 to 90 percent maximum heart
rate using the major muscle groups. (e.g. swimming, cycling, etc.)
2.
What's the best form of aerobic exercise?
Any
form of steady exercise will be effective, in health terms, provided
that it uses large muscle groups and can be sustained over time, preferably
30 minutes. Cross-country skiing and moderate-to-fast cycling are
the most aerobically demanding sports, followed by running, swimming,
aerobic dance and finally, walking.
3.
If I become fit doing one type of aerobic exercise,
will this help prepare me for other forms of exercises?
Every
type of aerobic exercise yields general improvements to your cardiovascular
system, such as a stronger heart muscle and lower blood pressure.
But endurance improvements also come from training specific muscles.
Becoming a fit runner, for example, won't improve the endurance of
your swimming muscles as much as swimming will - to do that, you'll
need to also start swimming on a regular basis. Most studies show
that the best way to be good at one sport is to do that sport.
4.
How does exercise help in body fat reduction?
Exercise
helps in a matter of ways. First, it burns extra calories--a few hundred
or more per hour of exercise, depending on your weight and how hard
you work out. Frequent exercise and moderate food intake can add up
to a significant fat loss. (A pound of fat contains 3,500 calories.)
Over time, an exercise program also raises your resting metabolism
(by increasing your muscle mass), enhances your ability to burn the
fats you eat (instead of converting them into fat stores), and may
also improve the appetite control system in your brain (making you
less prone to overeating).
5.
How important is it to warm up before exercising?
Because
it takes a few minutes for your aerobic system to kick in fully, it's
a good idea to begin each exercise session with a few minutes of very
easy walking, swimming, etc., before reaching your normal pace. This
way you'll avoid premature fatigue and ensure a smooth, trouble-free
workout. Some easy stretching is also fine, but anything more involved
isn't necessary before aerobic exercise: Studies have found that lengthy
warm-ups do not reduce the risk on injury.
6.
Will lifting weights make me healthier?
For
people under 50, strength training appears to boost HDL (good) cholesterol
levels modestly and also builds significantly more muscle mass that
aerobic training -making fat loss easier. For people over 50, strength
training may be even more important, since we all begin gradually
to lose muscle mass as we age. Lifting weights two to three times
a week can prevent or slow this decline.
7.
Is it true that the fitter I get, the healthier
I'll be?
Not necessarily. Being in good shape can make you healthier,
but to push beyond your limits can be unhealthy. The heavy training
needed to become a world-class endurance athlete (often several hours
a day of intense exercise) doesn't offer any extra health benefits,
and carries an increased risk of injuries, colds and other stress-related
illnesses.
8.
What's the best sports diet?
One
made up mostly of complex carbohydrates, found in fruits, vegetables,
cereals and grains, pasta and beans. Protein should be eaten in moderation
(most Americans already eat more than enough protein) and fat intake
should be limited. The standard diet recommended by the American Heart
Association (AHA) consists of 10 percent protein, 30 percent fat and
60 percent carbohydrates.
Try
PERIODISATION, which means chaining your programme.
Verifying your weight routine will keep the boredom out and is crucial
to build muscle. There are five variables to change your training
programme:
-The
type of exercise you do
-The order in which you do the exercises
-The number of sets you perform
-The number of repetitions versus the amount of weight you lift -
that means, more weight less repetitions.
-The amount of time you rest between sets.
Consult
the gym instructor to help you on the above methods.
DO'S
-DRINK FLUIDS AT FREQUENT INTERVALS DURING EXERCISING.
-SLEEP AT LEAST 8 HOURS DAILY.
-WARM UP BEFORE TRAINING.
-EAT A BALANCED DIET OF CARBS, PROTEINS AND FAT.
DON'TS
-AVOID PRACTICING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, ESPECIALLY DURING SUMMER
-AVOID DOING TOO MUCH TOO FAST.
-TAKE SPORT DRINKS FOR THE REPLACING OF LOST FLUIDS.
-AVOID SALT TABLETS.
-IF YOU FEEL FAINT OR LIGHTHEADED, SLOW DOWN
