Exercising Does Not Simply Equate to Gym Sessions

Tai Chi is Best for Older People as Balance is an Important Aspect Here

Fitness and work outs are part of an athlete’s life. But for people who want to hit the gym just for the sake of weight loss or health, the gym scene can be pressurizing. Thinking about the stationary bikes, treadmills and weights can make you slump over your sofa couch without any thoughts of going out.

There are quite a few exercises that requires no visits to the gym, can make you fit as a fiddle, keep your weights under control, improve balance, range of motion, strengthen your bones, protect your joints, prevent bladder control problems and keep your memory afresh. Activities given below mold your fitness quotient and help you get in shape, whatever your age or activity level might be:

Swimming: Swimming is the best exercise for the body and mind. Buoyancy of water helps to relieve pain off painful joints and is suited for people with arthritis as it is less weight bearing. Uplift your state of mind and feel good after few laps of swimming. Water aerobics helps you to burn calories and tone up better.

Tai Chi: This martial art form of China is commonly called “meditation in motion” and is good for both body and mind. There are various training levels available and hence, is suitable for people of all age groups and fitness levels. Tai chi is a series of graceful movements that work together with one movement blending over with the next one. Older people lose balance gradually, and tai chi is typically the best exercise form for these people as balance is an important aspect of it.

Strength training: Strength training is not only for the muscular man. We are not talking about weight lifting here to bulk up your muscles, but only about lifting weights to strengthen them. Not using your muscles can weaken them over time. Muscles help in burning calories and strength training can help you retain your sharp memory. Weight training should be done under proper guidance starting with just 0.5 to 1.0-kilogram weights. You should be able to lift these weights easily for 10 times. Try this for a couple of weeks before increasing the weights by a kilo or two. If you can lift these easily for more than 12 times, again increase your weights slightly.

Walking: Walking, till date, is the best exercise form that requires no specific criteria to perform. It works on your entire body and helps you stay fit, improve cholesterol levels, strengthen bones, keep BP and sugar levels controlled and reduce the risk of other diseases as well. A peaceful walk in the park or with your friend can brighten a gloomy day and improve memory.

Walking requires nothing but comfortable clothes and a well-fitting pair of shoes. Starters can try to walk for 10-15 minutes and gradually increase their duration and speed reaching the target of 30 to 60 minutes of walk on at least 5 days of the week. Read more on walking and its other benefits at www.firsteatright.com.

Kegel exercise: Kegel exercises don’t help to shape you fine but help to do something more better-strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder. It helps to prevent incontinence and more women than men are familiar with these set of exercises and follow them. You can do three 3 sets of 10-15 Kegel exercises every day. All you must do is squeeze and release the muscles you use to stop urination. Alternate quick squeezes and releases with longer contractions that you hold for 10 seconds, and the release for 10 seconds.

You would be surprised to know that many activities that we do for fun are actually exercise forms. For example, raking the yard, ballroom dancing and playing with kids or grand kids are simple yet effective exercise forms. Performing aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes and including at least two strength training sessions a week can put you in the ‘active’ person category.

Involve yourself in any exercise form which you are comfortable doing. How you do and what you benefit from it matters more than the exercise form that you do.