People 50 and older, especially those who have not really been dedicated to working out, will benefit from reading this article. Anyone can benefit from reading this, but people who have been active and working out for years, may still choose to use weights and machines. It is so important to keep moving our bodies, especially as we age. So, why don’t we? One reason is everything is readily available at our fingertips. We no longer have to drive, walk, or move, to do anything. Another reason people aren’t moving is that they feel they are too old. That couldn’t be further from the truth. If your legs and arms are still mobile, you need to use them. We need to keep the blood flowing and the one muscle that requires cardio movement to stay healthy is the heart muscle! The good news is that you do not need equipment.
You can exercise and get a great workout using your own body resistance. When I teach a stretch class, I do a stretch in which I tell people to take a wide stance. Face your palms forward and put them in front of your toes. Using your own resistance, imagine that you are lifting the entire world in your hands, slowly bringing it over your head. As you are lifting it, think about how heavy it is. Your forearms should hurt, your shoulders should hurt, etc. When you have the world overhead, hold that position for a minute or two, then release it letting everything feel loose. It is amazing how you feel so light after letting it all go. When doing this stretch, you are engaging so many muscle groups, including your core. The same resistance can be applied to a cardio or strength workout.
An example of a great upper body toning workout using body resistance is standing tall with a slight bend in the knee to support your back. Stretch your arms out to your side and flex your hands. Flex so much that the tips of your fingers are pointing back at your face and the bottom of your hand is out before your fingertips. Now, pulse for at least 30 seconds. Do small circles forward and backwards for at least 30 seconds each, then repeat all three. You can change the size of the circles. Next, slowly bring the hands flexed above your head and let the fingertips meet. Use resistance so it is not an easy movement. You need to imagine something is preventing you from bringing your fingertips together. Now, slowly bring them down to shoulder height again, then double time that movement. If you do these types of exercises for two to three minutes, you will feel it, and will be giving your upper body a workout. Pushups are another way to use your body resistance, and a great upper body and core workout. Start in a plank position. Start in a plank, so if and when you have to drop to your knees, your knees are far enough back. If your knees are too close to your chest, it defeats the purpose. The important thing when doing a push up is to bring your torso down, not your head. Bend the elbow and lower your torso. If your hands are aligned right under your shoulders, it is much more challenging. If this is too much, widen your hands. It is much easier to bring your torso down with wide hands. Try to do 12 to 15, three times.
You can also do a standing pushup. Stand facing a wall. Have your palms on the wall slightly above your shoulders. The further back your feet are, the more challenging it is. You can also do mountain climbers against the wall. Start in the same position as the standing push up. Keep your hands pressed against the wall, and alternate bringing your knees up to your chest. You can go as slow or as fast as you want. The faster you go, the more cardio you are doing. A great core exercise is to lie down facing the wall with the bottom of your souls pressed up against the wall. Have a slight bend in the knee. Hands over head or supporting your neck. Crunch up at least 15 times. Inhale back and exhale as you come up. When you elevate your feet, the crunch is more challenging. Another core exercise is sitting up, slightly leaning back, feet raised. Interlock your fingers and twist bringing your elbow behind you. Twist to the right and twist to the left. You can drop your feet, but lean back further with your torso. These are all great exercises that can be done at home and without equipment. The important thing is, keep moving!
“We do not stop exercising because we grow old. We grow old because we stop exercising.”
Keep Moving!!!!!
