You don’t have to be an exercise fanatic to reap the benefits of increased physical activity. Adding just a little activity to your daily routine can have major benefits, no matter what your current age is. Even fifteen to thirty minutes of walking each day is probably enough to gain substantial health benefits, provided you increase your pulse rate to higher than one hundred beats per minute. However, our exercise plan will require you to do thirty minutes of different types of formal exercise each day, five days a week, which is still not a lot considering the positive outcomes that you’ll experience from doing it, such as looking and feeling younger than your chronological age. Walking a small dog and stopping frequently every time it does its business—while a fun and necessary activity—would not be considered a formal program of exercise. On the other hand, carrying the dog and walking swiftly around the block for the requisite amount of time would be.
As soon as you pass the age of thirty, other types of physical activity become more important as well, particularly exercises that help you maintain your balance and improve your posture. So your exercise plan will include working on five important types of activities during the week: endurance, resistance, balance, posture, and flexibility. On any one day, you can choose to focus on just one area or a combination of areas. Try to be practical with what you do; choose a few exercises instead of a long list, and vary what you do on a regular basis to get optimal benefits and to stay motivated to continue with your program.
While a block of planned exercise done regularly is undeniably important for staying younger, you also need to concentrate on increasing your daily movement doing anything, your so-called spontaneous physical activity. By doing so, you can even more dramatically improve your well-being and levels of physical and mental fitness. We will discuss the simple means by which you can increase this informal component of activity .
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Being Healthy at Any Age
Promoting good health is best when done over a lifetime, but you can still start implementing healthful practices at any time to increase your odds of longer survival and a stronger, healthier body. You can always gain some of the health promotion benefits, regardless of your current age, but the sooner you get started, the better your results will likely be.
It is important to note, however, that some guidelines change as time passes, and what is appropriate for you at twenty years of age may not be when you reach forty, sixty, or older. For general guidelines to optimal health at any age, consult the sidebar that follows, which was developed by Dr. John for the Aging Successfully magazine produced by Saint Louis University and the Saint Louis
Veterans Administration.
A Guide to Optimal Health over Your Lifetime
0–40 Years
1. Exercise regularly.
2. Avoid obesity.
3. Ingest adequate calcium.
4. Eat nutritious foods, including fish.
5. Wear your seat belt.
6. Drink in moderation after age 21, and do not smoke.
7. Get your vaccinations.
8. Drive at a safe speed (once you get your driver’s license).
9. Avoid violence and illicit drugs.
10. Do a monthly breast self-exam (females, after menstruation begins).
40 – 60 Years
1. Exercise regularly.
2. Avoid obesity.
3. Ingest adequate calcium and vitamin D
4. Eat fish.
5. Wear your seat belt.
6. Drink in moderation, and do not smoke.
7. Have your blood pressure checked.
8. Get your cholesterol and glucose checked.
9. Screen for breast and colon cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
10. Get regular Pap smears (females).
11. Have regular mental activity and socialize.
12. Avoid taking too many medicines.
13. Consider hormone replacement (males and females).
60 –80 Years
1. Exercise regularly, including balance and resistance exercises.
2. Avoid weight loss.
3. Ingest adequate calcium and vitamin D.
4. Eat fish.
5. Wear your seat belt.
6. Drink in moderation, and do not smoke.
7. Screen for breast and colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and diabetes.
8. Get your cholesterol checked.
9. Have flu, pneumococcal, and possibly herpes zoster vaccinations.
10. Get regular Pap smears (females).
11. Have regular mental activity and socialize.
12. Avoid taking too many medicines.
80 Years
1. Exercise regularly, including balance and resistance exercises.
2. Avoid weight loss.
3. Ingest adequate calcium and vitamin D.
4. Be screened for osteoporosis.
5. Wear your seat belt.
6. Drink in moderation, and do not smoke.
7. Have your blood pressure checked.
8. Do monthly breast self-exams (females).
9. Have flu and pneumococcal vaccinations.
10. Make your home safety proof to prevent falls; if you are unsteady, use a cane and consider hip protectors.
11. Have regular mental activity, socialize, and avoid being depressed.
12. Avoid taking too many medicines.
13. Keep doing what you are doing right.
It is important to note, however, that some guidelines change as time passes, and what is appropriate for you at twenty years of age may not be when you reach forty, sixty, or older. For general guidelines to optimal health at any age, consult the sidebar that follows, which was developed by Dr. John for the Aging Successfully magazine produced by Saint Louis University and the Saint Louis
Veterans Administration.
A Guide to Optimal Health over Your Lifetime
0–40 Years
1. Exercise regularly.
2. Avoid obesity.
3. Ingest adequate calcium.
4. Eat nutritious foods, including fish.
5. Wear your seat belt.
6. Drink in moderation after age 21, and do not smoke.
7. Get your vaccinations.
8. Drive at a safe speed (once you get your driver’s license).
9. Avoid violence and illicit drugs.
10. Do a monthly breast self-exam (females, after menstruation begins).
40 – 60 Years
1. Exercise regularly.
2. Avoid obesity.
3. Ingest adequate calcium and vitamin D
4. Eat fish.
5. Wear your seat belt.
6. Drink in moderation, and do not smoke.
7. Have your blood pressure checked.
8. Get your cholesterol and glucose checked.
9. Screen for breast and colon cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
10. Get regular Pap smears (females).
11. Have regular mental activity and socialize.
12. Avoid taking too many medicines.
13. Consider hormone replacement (males and females).
60 –80 Years
1. Exercise regularly, including balance and resistance exercises.
2. Avoid weight loss.
3. Ingest adequate calcium and vitamin D.
4. Eat fish.
5. Wear your seat belt.
6. Drink in moderation, and do not smoke.
7. Screen for breast and colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and diabetes.
8. Get your cholesterol checked.
9. Have flu, pneumococcal, and possibly herpes zoster vaccinations.
10. Get regular Pap smears (females).
11. Have regular mental activity and socialize.
12. Avoid taking too many medicines.
80 Years
1. Exercise regularly, including balance and resistance exercises.
2. Avoid weight loss.
3. Ingest adequate calcium and vitamin D.
4. Be screened for osteoporosis.
5. Wear your seat belt.
6. Drink in moderation, and do not smoke.
7. Have your blood pressure checked.
8. Do monthly breast self-exams (females).
9. Have flu and pneumococcal vaccinations.
10. Make your home safety proof to prevent falls; if you are unsteady, use a cane and consider hip protectors.
11. Have regular mental activity, socialize, and avoid being depressed.
12. Avoid taking too many medicines.
13. Keep doing what you are doing right.
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