Feeling Better In A Fitter Body

Posted on July 21, 2017 in Fitness

Exercise can be a very helpful tool in your overall health care plan. If you’re not already active, it can be both physically and mentally challenging to get going in a regular program, but the benefits can be a boon.

It’s important to consult with your doctor before you start an exercise program, however. One of the most difficult things to master is the delicate balancing act between exercising enough to help yourself and exercising without hurting yourself.

Your doctor can help you determine what kind of exercise will work best for you and when to use it, depending on what type of physical condition you have. (Remember, with many different personal situations, what helps one may aggravate another.)

For example, the best way to make sure your gout won’t go away is to shoot a few hoops while your foot hurts. And, if you’re going through an episode of acute inflammation, such as from rheumatoid arthritis, exercise can harm you. But if things have cleared up and your doctor’s given the green light, you can start creating a fitter body. And that should make you feel better all over.

The purpose of exercise is to keep joints moving, keep muscles strong, and build up your endurance. Because swollen joints can be worse when the pressure of your weight is put on them, at first the best exercise may be range-of-motion, moving each joints gently as far as you can, and simple moves such as straight leg raises.

Another advantage of exercising is that it will help you control your weight, which in itself is a factor for supporting your health and putting less stress on your joints, especially in the legs and joints. For that matter even lighter form of gym classes such as pilates or yoga burn weight loss sessions can have a positive impact. Likewise swimming is a low impact method that equates to a low intensity cardio.

Exercising in water is wonderful because it supports your weight, which means you can move more without overtaxing your joints. A general rule: if an hour after the exercise, you feel more pain than you did before, you are hindering more than helping. Stop that particular exercise.

Here are some basic tips:

• During flare-ups of inflammatory diseases, don’t work your joints. (You should, however, go through gentle, range-of-motion exercises once or twice daily.)
• Start slowly.
• Relax your muscles with a gentle massage or warm bath or shower before workouts.
• Warm up before working out by stretching gently and exercising slowly for 5 to 10 minutes and then stretching gently.
• Be consistent; keep a regular exercise routine. You won’t help yourself if you exercise every other day for a month and then stop for two weeks.
• If your joints are inflamed or painful, stop.
• Move slowly and steadily; never jerk or bounce.
• Wear comfortable clothing and good exercise shoes.
• Cool down by slowing the pace of your activity for the last 5 or 10 minutes, and then do some more gentle stretches.

There are three general types of exercise, and they all can be very helpful in an arthritis workout plan.

Get A Flat Belly After 50 Starting Now

Posted on May 26, 2017 in Fitness

Everybody dreams of getting a fitter body.

But being over the age of 50 does not mean you are no longer able to achieve that goal. There are a variety of ways to implement a healthier lifestyle, and when you age, focusing on a holistic approach to fitness is a must.

You need to achieve the mind-and-body connection to become holistically healthy. This means attaining both physical and mental wellness is required. Back aches, inflamed joints, flabby belly and wrinkled skin do not hinder you in thinking and feeling young.

You can definitely improve your state of health by exercising, eating healthy and incorporating lifestyle decisions that you enjoy and generally make you feel happy. Below are some of the activities you can practice to help you achieve a fitter self.

Cultivate Your Hobbies or Passion

At the age 50, you are bound to retire soon. Nobody wants to go to a party and leave feeling like someone had died. Before you retire, pursue your hobbies and passion and make it a part of your life. When you start following your passion and pursuing what you truly love doing, you will find a different kind of happiness.

Your mood will improve, your sleep will be more peaceful and you will feel fired up in life. Having this mental state sets the mood in committing to exercising and eating balanced meals.

Go For Age-Appropriate Sports

Honing a sport does not just help your muscles moving, it also makes the brain active. By the time a person is 50, he or she might have already grown to love a certain sport. It could be tennis, basketball or skateboarding.

But invasive sports like these can be difficult for older men and women to take part on. Instead, choose a more low-impact sport like swimming, golfing, bowling hiking, cricket, or shuffle boarding.

Find a sport that is appropriate for your age to prevent injuries. If you are looking to lose more weight, joining local fun run events will help you shed off some excess weight and get some cardio going for a better health.

Include Daily Cardio Exercises

For people over the age of 50, the most common medical issue is cardiovascular health. If you have never done any cardio workout before, you need to start today. This will have tremendous effects on your health.

As you get your heart pumping in a cardio session, it is like pushing your car at the highest gear, everything has to run faster and more effectively. Not only will this help you get a flat stomach, it will strengthen your cardio-vascular system, muscles and bones.

Having trouble staying motivated? The best solution is getting a dog!

Owing a dog does not just promote a longer and healthier life, it literally forces you to go out every day for walks. It is the perfect motivator to push yourself to leave the house and get those muscles moving. Who knows, you might enjoy walking so much, you may consider running and joining an Ironman event some day!

Incorporate Weight Training

Weight training becomes an integral requirement as you age because it helps build up, maintain and strengthen your muscles. Growing old does not depict physical weakness and frailty. If you start strengthening your muscles as soon as possible, it will help you feel more lively, strong and energetic.

Strength training is also the foundation for preventing injuries down the line and therefore contributes to a higher quality of life. It will allow you to continue doing what you love even until you are 80 or 90 years old.

Keep Your Brain Engaged

There are many activities you can enjoy to keep your brain engaged. You can keep your brain active by practicing calligraphy, teaching yourself how to assemble a computer, or studying a different language. By learning new things every day, you are keeping your brain active and prevent neuron degeneration, even dementia type diseases.

Reading is perhaps the best and easiest way to keep your aging brain involved. Make sure to find a good book you are interested in and will enjoy perusing. Other forms of brain exercises include puzzles, sudoku and brain trivias.

Improve Your Diet

As exercising and living an active lifestyle alone are not enough to achieve a healthier body, choosing healthier foods no matter how old you are is a smart step to take. The best way to start eating healthy is to eliminate all processed foods in your diet. This will help reduce the saturated and trans fats in your diet.

Eat different types of fruits and vegetables. A rule of thumb is to keep your plate as colorful as possible to get a variety of vitamins and nutrients. Make sure to eat whole grains. Cut back on foods with too much fat and sugar.

Source your fat intake from fish, nuts, avocados and seeds. They contain essential mono and polyunsaturated fats that are good for your heart. If you keep this up, you will achieve your dream body in no time.

Staying fit after 50 requires you to be mindful of your physical and mental state. Exercising and eating healthy are crucial lifestyle changes you can adopt. Apart from engaging more in your life hobbies, try to go to bed without setting an alarm clock and train your body to wake up naturally. This kind of sleep will make you feel energized every time you wake up.

Make sure to spend some time on important matters like going out with your grandchildren, playing golf, or reading a good book – anything that you basically enjoy.

Yes it is possible to get a great body after 50, if you put your mind into it.