fitbody
tough, whole-body, strength generating
workout. Repeat it 10 times to feel an
instant, healthful increase in body heat
and breathing rate.
n Choose a lighter activity. Multiple
movement
studies from Medicine and Science in
Sports and Exercise show that the many
as medicine
benefits of lighter activity include an
improved immune system. Accord-
A Universal Antidote to Aging
ing to the American College of Sports
Medicine, a correlation exists between
heavy exercise and upper respiratory
by katy Bowman
tract infection. Walking is one example
of a lighter exercise that meets your
whole-body movement needs without
compromising health.
n Find a good exercise teacher. A 2009
study published in Clinical Rehabilita-
tion that compared the effectiveness of
unsupervised versus supervised exer-
cise programs, found more desirable
improvements in balance, functional
mobility, flexibility and strength in the
H
ave you ever compared the maintain a healthy, youthful body with-
group that met regularly in a private
benefits of a walk around out causing problems like a stressed im-
session or group class format.
the park with taking an anti- mune system and degenerating joints.
inflammatory medication? How about
n Pay attention to alignment. Just as
correlating a game of hopscotch with
Anti-aging Prescription
you wouldn’t continue to drive your
high bone density? Many of us are very
compliant when following a drug, herb-
n
car around with poor wheel alignment
Save your joints and stretch. Human
and expect optimum performance, so
al or vitamin prescription, but when our
muscle tissue doesn’t change much
proper alignment of your skeleton can
health care practitioner recommends
over a lifetime; an anatomical science
have an instant impact on the health of
exercise as a treatment, we too often
journal, Muscle & Nerve, reports that
all tissues. Find an alignment specialist
accept that information with a shrug.
under a microscope, scientists can’t tell
who can point out a few of your pos-
It just doesn’t seem as critical. Yet, just
if they are looking at 18- or 80-year-old
tural anomalies, and work together to
as chemicals may affect specific body
muscle. What they can see are the ef-
improve them.
tissues, so do different machines, move-
fects of inflexibility and tension around
ments and modes of exercise.
the joints that causes them to wear
n Minimize exercises that can wear
A healthy body is a fine-tuned
down and age us. The solution is to
down joints. Artificial walking patterns
mechanism, circulating essential
find a yoga or stretching class or home
caused by treadmills and other cardio
blood, lymph and electrical impulses
video and attend to it at least a few
machines significantly increase the ten-
efficiently. While we may accept the
minutes every day.
sion in the joints of the hips and knees.
belief that our circulation invariably
degrades as we get older, it is re-
n Take a daily walk. Get those arms
ally that we move less and allow our
swinging and keep your legs extended,
muscles to tighten. Muscles are the
in order to stretch behind the knees
main force generators in the body, sup-
while walking. Although one long walk
porting the circulation of fluids and af-
is great for endurance, research from
fecting the number of calories burned;
the American College of Nutrition
constriction of muscles contributes to shows that two or more shorter walks
a decrease in both. taken throughout the day may be even
Anyone, at any age, can turn to better for weight loss, cardiovascular
exercise for movement’s natural, rich health and overall metabolism.
supply of anti-aging properties, but be
aware that not all exercise is equal. It is n Use it or lose it. Preventing the loss
vital that we select the best program for of your ability to get down to the floor
us, one that gives us what we need to and then stand back up again. This is a
38
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