Many excuses for not exercising ?

Thinking about health, the first thing to do is moving!

What are your excuses?

“I’m too busy”, I’m too tired”, “I’m too old”, “I hate exercising”?

However busy you are, you can find free time in your day for some activity. Just 5, 10 or 15 minutes can prove very effective.

You feel tired—– many studies demonstrate that making exercise, reduces fatigue and boosts energy levels. With regular exercises, you’ll feel more energized and alert at all times.

I’m too old, my health isn’t so good——– it’s never too late for starting building your strength and physical fitness. If you are a senior, or has never exercised before. Very few health or weight problems, rule exercise out of the question.

 You hate exercising—– many of us feel the same. But you are not alone! Try to start with a walk at lunchtime, or do exercises at home, while you watch TV.

Importance of Exercise :

Exercise is important for the prevention of aging associate diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes type 2 and Sarcopenia which is a loss of muscle mass and function. This condition can be the result of several causes, and obviously lack of regular exercise.

Older individuals who exercise may find difficult to build muscles compared with when they were younger. The human body was built to move, but  many people spent his life seated! Inertia is a experience among people, mainly when we get older. This occurs, because they need to accomplish a task but have trouble finding the motivation to get started. But there is a vicious cycle involved in falling to exercise. Without exercising, muscle mass diminishes and the muscles becomes weak or frail and people have less desire to exercise.

People who exercise may feel more energetic, think more clearly, sleep better and remember more. Not to mention the benefit of feeling physically better and more beautiful. But also for mental health. Taking part in exercise of any intensity every day is essential for preventing diseases and others health issues.

What is better?

These two men are the same age !

You don’t have to start young. Just start at any age!

This beautiful old man is the famous Dr. Life. He started exercising at almost 70 years old. Also he was overweight and had no muscles. He was like the other example. But obviously he changed his diet and lifestyle too.

We have 3 types of exercises:

• Aerobic
• Anaerobic
• Agility Training

Aerobic exercise —– aims to improve how the body uses oxygen. A lot of them takes place at average levels of intensity over long periods. A session of exercise involves warming up, exercising for at least 30 minutes, and then cooling down. Aerobic exercises mostly uses large muscles group. A good walk every day is enough.

Benefits:

• Improves circulation and blood flow in the muscles
• Lowers blood pressure
• Increases the red blood cell count to enhance oxygen transportation
• Reduces the risk of diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease
• Improves life expectancy
• Improves muscle strength in the whole body
• Stimulates bone growth and reduces the risk of osteoporosis and more

Anaerobic Exercise:

Does not use oxygen for energy. People use this type of exercise to build power, strength and muscle mass.

This type include:

•  weightlifting
•  sprinting
•  interval training
•  any rapid burst of intense activity.

While all the exercises benefits the heart and lungs, anaerobic exercise provide fewer benefits for cardiovascular health than aerobic exercise, and uses more calories. And it is more effective than aerobic exercise for building muscle and improve strength. Increasing muscle  mass causes the body to burn more fat, even when resting.

Agility Training:

This type of exercise improves a person’s agility to maintain control while speeding up, slowing down and change direction. In tennis for example, helps the player to maintain control over their court positioning through good recovery after each shot.

People who take part in sports that heavily rely on positioning, coordination, speed, and balance need to engage in agility training regularly.

Examples of agility sports:

•  tennis
•  hockey
•  basketball
•  volleyball
•  boxing
•  football

But you need some stretching and flexibility….

As a general rule, whenever you exercise is good to relax and stretch your muscles. Believe it or not, stretching is a critical part of any exercise. You might be thinking that it’s hard to carve out time in your schedule for exercise, let alone stretching. But most cardio and strength-trainning programs cause your muscles to tighten. Then you  see how is important to stretch and to keep your body functioning well.

Regular stretching helps:

•  relieve stress by relaxing tense muscles
•  prevent injury, specially if your muscles or joints are tight
•  improves circulation
•  better posture
•  increases flexibility
•  improves range of motion of your joints, to keep you mobile.

When you are stretching, focus on your calves, thighs, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders. Also you need to stretch muscles and joints that you use at work or play.

But warm up first ! because stretching muscles when they are cold increases your risk of injury, including pulled muscles. Warm up by walking while gently pumping your arms, or do a low intensity exercise for 5 minutes.

The best way to do stretching is after you exercise, because your muscles are warm and more receptive to stretching.

Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds ! it takes time to lengthen tissues safely. Then repeat the stretch on the oder side. For most muscles groups, a single stretch is usually sufficient.

Don’t forget : relax and breathe freely!

Risks of not exercising:

A sedentary lifestyle can contribute for health problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes type 2, cancer, osteoporosis, premature death from all causes, including the complications of being overweight and obesity.

But always remember that —–to lose weight just exercise is not enough, you need to change your diet and lifestyle!

Mental Benefits of Exercise:

You know that exercise is good for your body. But did you know it’s also effective for your mental health?

Depression—- a recent study done by Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health fun that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for 1 hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%.

Exercising is a powerful depression fighter, because it promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, less inflammation, feelings of calm and well-being. Exercise is a effective treatment anti-anxiety. It relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy, through the release of endorphins.

Stress—–you may feel your muscles tense in the face, neck and shoulders. You may experience headaches, pounding pulse, insomnia, heartburn, diarrhea or frequent urination. The worry of all these symptoms can in turn, lead to more stress, creating a vicious cycle between your mind and body. Exercising is a super break  in this cycle, because body and mind are so closely linked. If your body feels good your mind will too.

Memory and thinking—–The endorphins released after exercising help you concentrate and feel mentally sharp for tasks at hand. Exercise also stimulates the growth of new brain cells, helping with age-related decline.

Sleep Better—–exercises in the morning or afternoon helps regulate sleep patterns. Exercise at night is preferable to do  relaxing exercises such as yoga or stretching, to promote a better sleep.

You don’t know how find time for exercise ?

Fitting exercise into a busy schedule can be a roadblock to a successful regime. But people do not need to dedicate large amounts of extra time to exercise to see a good benefits.

•  You can replace cars journeys with walking or cycling. Is driving to work necessary ? If so, try parking half a mile away from the office and walking the final bit.
•  Walking up and down the stairs , instead of taking elevators or escalators.
•  Thing about the amount of time spent watching TV ! While watching TV you can do light exercises such as stomach crunches, jumping jacks, stretching and others.
•  Walk your dog more often or go for walks and jogs with friends.

And how hard do I need to exercise?

Low intensity—–you can easily talk in full sentences

Moderate intensity—–you can speak in full sentences

Vigorous intensity—–you are too breathless to speak in full sentences.

For most people moderate exercises is sufficient for overall health. Everyone is different, you don’t assume that marathon is better than a good walk. There’s no need to overdo it.

These examples can be a motivation for you :

While it may be hard to think about the effects of exercise that you will experience 10 years from now, or even in a month when your clothes fit better, some benefits are immediately noticeable! But if you exercise as a life routine, you will arrive in the future in great condition!

Concluding,

The philosopher Lao Tzu told: “a  journey of a thousand miles begins with a simple step”

by Helena

     Naturalize Yourself !

 Ref:

Lifeextension.com

Medicalnewstoday.com

Mayoclinic.com

Helpguide.org