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Exercise firms muscles, strengthens the heart lungs and blood vessels thus improving systemic circulation. It also maintains and builds strength and endurance, keeps us lean by burning excess calories, limbers the joints, improves digestion, sexual function immune system and our brain’s ability to function at peak capacity. Exercise drives calcium into the bones, helps us absorb and utilize protein, vitamins and minerals and helps the cells of our body release toxins.
Virtually every health authority agrees that exercise is the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth. Exercise preserves youth and combats almost all of the signs of degeneration and aging.
To be most effective an exercise program must include three types of movements:
Aerobic: Movement of major muscles in a rhythmic manner forcing greater amount of oxygen to literally every cell of the body. Included in this type is jogging, swimming, power walking, jumping rope, bicycling and cross country skiing, 30-60 minutes 5-6 days per week is recommended. Exercise physiologists and trainers suggest working at 65-75% of your optimal level. This is figured by taking your age from 220 and multiplying by 65%-75%.
Anaerobic: Literally means “without oxygen.” Weight lifting, resistance training, calisthenics, or sprinting. Any activity requiring quick bursts of energy that the muscle can perform without utilizing oxygen. This type of exercise is particularly important the older we get. Muscles and ligaments are strengthened to aid us in lifting, movement and good posture, bone loss (osteoporosis) is prevented which is a sure sign of premature aging and metabolism is increased throughout the day which prevents obesity. This type of exercise should be done at least 2-3 days per week focusing on the major muscle groups including the chest, back, legs, arms and abdomen.
Flexibility training: Yoga, Tai-Chi, Chi-Gong and Pilates. Try active isolated stretching as advocated by Jim and Phil Wharton www.aistretch.com. In my opinion this program is the most advanced, particularly for the athlete.
Tightness, stiffness, shortening of the muscles and ligaments are also cardinal signs of aging and deterioration of our bodily systems. Symptoms of youth are flexibility and openness rather than inflexibility and constriction. This also applies to the mind as well as the body.
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