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Seniors Elderly Pilates Sitting Chair Exercises DVD: This Easy Sitting Exercise DVD is good for Seniors, Elderly, Physical Therapy, After Surgery and Rehabilitation with Slow Paced Pilates & Stretching exercise… More >>
Senior / Elderly Sitting Exercises DVD: Easy Sitting PILATES Strength, Rehab & Physical Therapy Seniors Elderly Exercises DVD. Sunshine is a Certified AARP and Personal Trianer by The American Council on Exercise & by AIFE The American Institute of Fitness Educators, Exercise For Seniors & Older Adults.
Spend Time Developing Your Core Strength If You Want To See Improvements In Your Golf Swing
You may be wondering exactly what it is I am referring to when I mention the idea of ‘core strength’ in the title of this article. Well, developing your ‘core strength’ is simply the process of spending time working on the conditioning and strength of the core muscles that are responsible for the success or failure of your golf swing out on the golf course.
When you look at the golf swing in any amount of detail you realise that it is not a particularly standard movement for the human body, yet we ask ourselves to perform this activity 70, 80 or 100 more times in any given round of golf we play. And this is the reason why so many people find it challenging to master the art of the golf swing, after all even if you are trying your absolute best to get your swing right your body is likely to be acting against your best efforts.
So when you think about it further it is a good idea to spend the time exercising and conditioning these core muscles so that as you help them to adapt to the golf swing it will become more and more natural. Of course once you can accomplish this feeling of naturalness to your swing you will find that your golf game will noticeably improve making you enjoy the game far more each time you play.
Of course nobody wants to spend too much time sweating their way through some sort of crazy exercise routine in order to achieve improvements in their core strength. And let’s be honest the whole idea of golf doesn’t really lend itself to being seen as an arduous, uncomfortable process; it should be a fun sport played in excellent weather on a brilliant course.
The great news is however that this is not likely to be the case with a carefully managed golf exercise program aimed at helping you to target your core strength. After all many senior members of the sport have successfully spent time working on these areas of their body and not only has it helped to develop the strength they need but it has allowed them to overcome serious back pack or other problems that may have been worrying them for years.
Give your golf swing the help it needs to allow you to play the type of golf that you dream of, take the time to work on your core strength and muscle conditioning by investing in a golf exercise program to help. You will reap the benefits every time you get out onto the golf course and the pleasure you receive from your play improving will be well worth the effort.
Uncover the secrets to a powerful golf game and how a simple golf fitness program can allow you to make huge improvements to your current golf swing. Head on over to http://www.golfexercisesecrets.com/ to learn how to change your game for the better now!
Strength Training Prevents Age Related Muscle Loss
The condition known as sarcopenia derived from the Greek words for vanishing flesh is the gradual wasting away of lean muscle tissue of one’s body. Twenty years ago this condition did not even have a name, but now is well on the way to becoming a household word like osteoporosis.
Responsible for robbing both women and men of their strength, health, mobility and independence in their senior years, sarcopenia is a significant global health problem and is one of the most serious long term threats to being able to remain healthy as adult’s age.
Usually seen in physically inactive people, sarcopenia exerts its debilitating effects in a slow, sneaky fashion over a period of decades. This loss of muscle begins at around the age of 30 at the rate of 10% per decade increasing to 15 % per decade in the 60’s and 70’s then about 30% per decade thereafter.
This insidious and crippling process not only robs people of their functional health and mobility but further pushes them into unhealthy and inactive lifestyles. This vicious cycle continues with increased risk of other diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Research in the anti aging field is finding ways to prevent and treat muscle loss in aging adults and concludes that strength training exercise has a remarkable effect on recovering lost strength.
The negative attitude towards strength training by older adults has changed over time as they are learning how they can benefit from this old but proven form of exercise.
Strength training is exercise that uses resistance – to strengthen and condition the muscular system. This can be achieved with resistance training machines or free weights found in your local gym. The amount of resistance a muscle has to work against determines how strong it will get.
Strength training is not running on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike, or using an elliptical machine. Although those types of aerobic machines use “resistance” to increase your workout intensity, it’s not the same as strength training and will not strengthen muscles.
Any exercise that involves contracting your muscles many times with little or no resistance such as walking or cycling doesn’t prevent loss of muscle mass. Runners still lose muscle mass even if they’re highly active. When challenged by strength training exercise your muscles and bones are continually forced to renew themselves, sweeping out old, degenerated cells and rebuilding new tissue that is younger, stronger, and healthier.
To get started a properly prescribed exercise program should be set up and the initial sessions monitored by an Exercise Professional at your local gym or health club. This program should include both strength training and cardiovascular exercise at about a 60/40 ratio.
If you risk losing your functional health and mobility as you get older, you risk losing your precious independence – and your dignity along with it. The good news is, as a health-conscious adult you can take immediate steps to get started on a strength training program to ensure this will never happen to you.
Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body and regaining lost vitality and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook “I’ve Found the Fountain of Youth- Let Me Show You Too!” here: ways to look younger Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger.
Strength Training – Why We Need It – How To Get It
Strength training is not just about physical exercise or building large, visible muscles. Working out against resistance benefits our everyday living in areas of physical strength and vitality, internal health, and emotional wellbeing. There are several options to achieve this. First, the benefits:
Physical Strength and Vitality: Increased lean muscle mass and strength allows us to work harder and longer without fatigue, and improves balance, flexibility, mobility, and stability. It helps reduce the risk of injury, both in our normal day to day activities and when we are performing aerobic and sports activities. Strong seniors fall down less. If they do fall down, their stronger bodies are less likely to be injured and tend to heal more quickly after an injury.
Internal health: Increased metabolic rate results in higher calorie burn which helps control our body weight. Bone density is increased/restored helping to prevent brittleness and resulting injury. Consistent strength training has a wide variety of affiliated health benefits including decreasing cholesterol and lowering blood pressure, which can be essential in avoiding heart disease.
Emotional wellbeing: A good solid work-out can provide an emotional uplift. Stronger muscles and joints improve posture and leaner toned muscles tend to make everyone feel better about their appearance. Hence, improved self-esteem and increased self-confidence. Physical activity, including strength training, makes us feel alive and strong. This is what keeps me working out on a regular basis.
What are your options? Once you decide to work out physically in a way that pits your muscles against resistance, there are several options. Lowest cost is the use of stretch bands and inexpensive dumbbells. Advantage, besides cost, is very little space requirement. Disadvantage is some lack of versatility, i.e. it is hard to workout a wide range of muscles with just bands and small weights.
Next is the purchase of gym equipment. Now you have more versatility and range of exercise. Plus you can work out in the comfort of your home. This entails a one-time cost and commits you to that piece of equipment.
Finally, there is paid gym membership. This can have the advantage of professional guidance, sometimes with the aid of health professionals and physical therapists. Variety of equipment types is typical. The downside is usually a recurring cost and the need to travel to get to your workout. Lack of privacy may also be an issue.
Choose your option wisely. The advantages of regular physical strength training will become an important and positive part of your life.
I’m always on the lookout for information that will make fitness workouts more effective and not require much time away from other activities. I may be onto something here: high intensity training with minimum time commitment. This Max Strength Training blog will get you all the info you need to decide if the maximum strength training approach is right for you. I think you’ll find it interesting.
Core Strength for Cardio Effectiveness
What do horseback riding, cycling and running all have in common? Simple! They all require a strong, lifted core to execute and maximize the exercise. That means that rely on the use of the abdominal center, erectors of the back and spine, tuck of the butt and lift of the lower back to manuver and they also require/benefit from open, lifted and proud shoulders.
It also should come as no surprise that the cross-training benefits of yoga and pilates, in building core strength, re-aligning musculature and developing mind-body connections are transferable to these exercise disciplines.
What might surprise and delight is the use of a rebound exercise tool, the Kangoo Jumps, as a recommended resource for the devotee of riding, cycling and running to maximize cardiovascular training and effectiveness.
A young woman wrote to me recently, looking for a way and recommendation as to how she could put less stress on her body (knees, joints, ankles, hips) while gaining aerobic and cardiovascular conditioning. A lover of Pilates and equestrian sports judge by profession, she wanted a way to maximize her fitness programming, increase her cardiovascular fitness training while preventing injury to her body. She didn’t want to run anymore because of the stress and strain it cause to her knees. I knew her connectedness to nature, the outdoors and the feeling of control thru movement was tantamount to finding success for her training.
While I don’t ride horses, I do understood the desire to avoid the body breakdown caused by of running. Torn, as she was, as I find it to have the closest connection one can duplicate to the experience of riding in the open, free space and having a connected feeling to the elements.
I understood the need to avoid the body breakdown as it was my personal pursuit a few month earlier. As an exceptionally active person, the older I got, the more pounding, I experienced on my knees, heels and hip joints and less and less I enjoyed running 3 miles, 2x week to keep my weight in check. As a result, last spring, I bought a pair of Kangoo Jumps and totally eliminated the pain (and recovery) in each and everyone one of my workouts. For that reason, I recommended the same option to her.
The shoes are based on rebound exercise and are a low impact rebound sport shoe designed to provide a safe platform for jogging and other exercises that are hard on the joints. The boots use a lightweight spring to absorb the shocks due to impact on the ground and create a rebound effect that reduces shock impact on ankles, knees, hips and lower back.
They are Swiss designed for joggers, however, they also provide benefits for athletic strengthening and conditioning, rehabilitation and injury prevention and group aerobics. The unique “floating above the ground” sensation created by Kangoo Jumps has to be experienced to be understood.
Core balance and control are two other variables (and benefits) of using the shoes for training.
Quality vs Quantity
Kangoo Jumps deliver the benefit of 50-minutes exercise in only 20 minutes and the injury prevention potential has already caught the attention of several elite football teams. The boots can be used indoors or outdoors on paved roads, dirt paths and grass as well as at the beach or on snow. N.A.S.A. has found rebound exercise to be the best form of exercise for astronauts because it restores bone and muscle mass lost during time spent in outer space. Consequently Kangoo Jumps are recommended for people suffering osteoporosis, with the “slow-motion” steps and exercises of Kangoo Aerobics make it suitable for middle aged and senior people.
Other Cardiovascular Options
The other option I recommended, and one I use personally during the warm weather months, to avoid joint pain, is a road bike. A mountain bike and a trail can make a world of difference in clearing your head while building cardiovascular strength. Climbing hills with a bike will give anyone keen cardiovascular training.
As a Pilates and equestrian sports devotee, my friend already understood the reliance on core strength and easily made the connection that these two disciplines were good cross-training modalities to support the prevention and overuse of muscle and back pain; typical injuries and imbalances caused by cycling.
Gina Jackson, MBA, CPT, holds Advanced PFT recognition as a member of the International Association of Fitness Professionals (IDEA); is certified as a NY Power Pilates Teacher and a proud Business Member of the Pilates Method Alliance. Gina made a conscious career and lifestyle change to fitness in 2000 and assists clients in lifestyle fitness training programs. She is the Fitness Consultant, creator and energy behind the successful stories of a myriad of clients featured at www.FitnessByGina.com, www.Pilates4Fitness.com and www.Prescription4Fitness.com, all of which provide fitness resources, tips, articles and MP3 downloads designed to assist all realizing their fitness goals.
Strength Training for Seniors: An Instructor Guide for Developing Safe and Effective Programs
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Wayne Westcott and Tom Baechle, two internationally renowned experts in weight training, have written this guide based on research of trainers in health clubs, YMCAs, community centers, nursing homes Communit retirement. . . More>>
Strength Training for Seniors: An Instructor Guide for Developing Safe and Effective Programs
Senior’s Tai Chi Workout: Improve Balance, Strength and Flexibility
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Senior’s Tai Chi Workout is the first comprehensive guide for mature adults to help them achieve their goals of greater mobility with Tai Chi year. This easy to follow format begins with a per. . . More>>
Senior’s Tai Chi Workout: Improve Balance, Strength and Flexibility
Strength Training Protects Muscle Mass as You Age
Throughout the ages people have recognized that as someone grows old their muscles waste away, they become frail and weak and their bones become brittle. This condition although a very old phenomenon has a relatively new name. Dr Irwin Rosenberg came up with the name saropenia in 1988 for the loss of skeletal muscle mass in hopes of raising public awareness.
In the coming years, sarcopenia is predicted to be one of the biggest health problems the world faces. It is suddenly a very hot topic in aging research as it has a devastating effect on the quality of the last 10 -15 years of a person’s life.
Most seniors are aware of the dangers of the bone thief osteoporosis, a disabling disease that robs people of their bone strength. Sarcopenia may not be as well known but is an equally crippling condition which leads to loss of muscle mass, strength, function and mobility. These two conditions usually go together tending to track each other through the years. If muscle is being lost, bone density is being lost as well. Strong muscles that are active muscles create tension on bones helping to prevent bone loss. The old use it or lose it scenario.
Often osteoporosis is labeled the villain when deadly falls and bone fractures in older people take place. But the real villain is sarcopenia causing muscle weakness – in particular leg muscle weakness which can cause these falls.
If you are between 30 and 50 and even if your weight has remained stable through these years, you have probably lost a significant amount of lean muscle tissue. Even if you participate in regular aerobic exercise (like jogging or swimming) and consider yourself a healthy individual, slow, sneaky muscle wasting can go unnoticed for years or even decades. The body hides this loss by padding the affected areas with extra body fat. So maintaining your weight on the bathroom scales does not mean muscle isn’t vanishing.
The average rate of muscle loss is 300 grams per year after age 30. After age 50 this loss continues to increase with a mostly silent velocity subsequently bleeding it’s victim of up to 500 grams of muscle a year. This can render a person eventually unable to perform simple everyday tasks and robs them of the ability to take care of themselves.
People worry about getting a life threatening disease such as cancer or having a heart attack when they get older. But a much bigger threat to health is not about falling victim to some dreaded disease, but creeping frailty. This is what stops many older people from remaining as strong, active and energetic as they would like – or from living independently.
The simple reality and the simple solution to this is a proper balanced exercise program that includes 60% strength training exercise and the rest cardiovascular interval training prescribed by a Fitness Professional. Strength training is critical to preserving muscle. Aerobic exercise, (jogging, swimming, cycling) while it strengthens the heart and lungs, isn’t sufficient by itself to hold back Sarcopenia.
Once you begin rebuilding your strength you will also experience positive benefits in other areas of your life. The stronger and fitter you become the more active you will continue to be. You can then enjoy activities that you thought were gone forever. This will increase your quality and enjoyment of life.
Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body and regaining lost vitality and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook “I’ve Found the Fountain of Youth- Let Me Show You Too!” here: physical wellness Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger.
Strength Training – Sure Way To Slow The Aging Process
The strength of your muscles is the most important health related element of physical fitness as you get older. As the body ages and once we get past 30 years we lose precious lean muscle tissue at an alarming rate of 300-500 grams per year. This loss mainly goes unnoticed as the body increases body fat levels which mask muscle tissue loss. This situation can lead to premature and accelerated aging.
The main cause of this is an inactive or sedentary lifestyle. We have been told all of our lives and we believe that we should slow down as we get older and “grow old gracefully”. This leads to our thoughts becoming old thoughts, and we become old people. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
The symptoms of accelerated aging, an growing waistline, decreasing strength and fitness, lack of energy, weakness and decreased brain power will leave you feeling old and exhausted long before your time. Restoring strength is paramount to reversing these devastating consequences of a lack of activity in our lives.
With more than 600 muscles in the human body responsible for movement keeping them strong and healthy will have amazing impact on your life. Stronger muscles contract more quickly leading to faster movement. This will enable you to walk faster, climb stairs easier, and accomplish everyday tasks quicker and with less effort.
Stronger muscles mean stronger bones, when muscles are used and strengthened they impose physical force on the bones stimulating the body to make more bone to support the stronger muscles. An increase in strength can benefit balance, as when muscle is lost balance becomes impaired increasing the risk of falling. Weakened leg muscles can cause unsteadiness leading to a bone breaking fall that can easily fracture weakened bones.
Falls can be serious as senior men are likely to die and senior women are likely to end up in a nursing home from fall-related accidents.
Strength training is the antidote to slow down premature and accelerated aging; the problems connected with muscle loss can be avoided, controlled or even eliminated by the proper exercise program that includes at least 60% strength training exercise. Decades of muscle loss can be regained in just a few months on the right program. It is important to see a Fitness Professional to set up the program and instruct you properly on how to do the exercises correctly and at the intensity level needed for muscles to be stimulated enough to grow stronger. No other form of exercise can be substituted for strength training. Running or other aerobic exercise is great for the heart/lung system but does not stimulate the strengthening of muscles in a complete and balanced manner.
We all would like to keep on feeling young and functioning youthfully for as long as possible regardless of our actual age. Restoring, building and maintaining strong muscles are a very simple and accessible way to do so. Most of what we blame on getting older has nothing with aging but simply a lack of vigorous exercise in our sedentary lives.
It is up to you to take the necessary steps to improve the quality of your life through a simple process like strength training. It is a small price to pay for the vibrant health, youthful energy and precious strength that you will receive in return. This will allow you to live your life anyway and however you please instead of being limited by the ills of aging.
Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body and regaining lost vitality and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook “I’ve Found the Fountain of Youth- Let Me Show You Too!” here: how to look younger Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger.
How To Age Proof Your Body With Strength Training
Most people think that our bodies simply get old and look old and then we die but this simply doesn’t have to be the case. You can continue to look healthy and feel healthy for your entire life if you just follow a few simple lifestyle options that I’m going to discuss today.
Today in this article I want to talk to you about how to use strength training in order to keep your body looking young and healthy long into your senior years.
Back in the day we used to think that aerobic exercise was the best anti-aging thing. Then around the beginning of the 1990s we started to get new research that suggested that strength training may be even better for anti aging. The reason why is because strength training generally builds more muscle mass. Aerobic exercise is not really set up to build muscle mass; it’s more set up to help circulation and things like that.
The fact is, a loss of muscle mass leads to a loss of strength that is really the key to most signs of aging. Muscle mass is also important when you’re trying to lose fat because big muscles burn calories 24 hours a day even when you’re not exercising which is great when you’re trying to lose weight.
To take advantage of this muscle mass anti-aging stuff I suggest you set up a strength training schedule for three times a week. On the days when you’re not strength training I suggest you do aerobic exercise because even though strength training is better, aerobic exercise is still incredibly helpful in your fight against anti aging.
Normally I would suggest that you work out in your home but as we get older it’s important for us to get out and meet new people and just generally be outside so I suggest that you join a health club that has weight machines and instructors who can help you and show you the proper way to use each machine.
As far as which exercises you should do for strength training I suggest you focus on several muscle groups including biceps, packs, abdomens, triceps, quadriceps, lower back, upper back, shoulders, and hamstrings.
You don’t have to go crazy on these exercises, in fact I suggest you find out how much you can lift for each one and then reduce the weight by 30 or 40% so that during any given exercise you are only lifting between 60 and 70% of the max that you can physically do. You don’t have to start out doing many reps; just do as many as you can and over time you should increase the repetitions. Once you can lift a weight at least 10 times then it’s time to increase the weight.
So there you have several tips on how to engage in strength training to age proof your body.
J.P. Morton runs a commercial glass doors web site where he also reviews the best louvered closet doors for your home. He has been an article writer online for well over 10 years and also enjoys rock climbing and white water rafting.