GOLDEN RULES OF EXERCISE
Get the most out of working out
Top tips to help you get the most from exercise and stay safe and well.
Exercise Should Always Be Fun
If you easily get bored exercising alone, convince some friends to join you or identify someone of a similar ability level.
This can help with motivation too (if one of you doesn’t feel much like exercising, the other can help spur them on!).
One of the great benefits of regular exercise is the social aspect - be sure you don't miss out in that area.
Feeling faint?
Cross your ankles, squeeze
your knees or grip a ball.
These three simple exercises
can forgo the fall, say
researchers who carried
out a scientific study
of the problem |
Start gently and build up gradually
It may have taken you years to get out of shape. Taking things gradually you will begin to get fitter after just a week or two. Try too hard or too quickly and you will risk pushing one of those out-of-shape muscles or joints just too far.
Keep in mind that it will be well worth it. Growing evidence shows that physical activity can off-set age-related disease and decline, so if you find yourself flagging at forty or think you’ve done enough, look ahead!
Always warm up and stretch first
You are going to extend yourself in a way that you haven't done all day and you need to prepare your muscles, joints and tendons for the different loads you are about to place on them. You wouldn't drive your car off at full speed without getting it warm first!
And when you have finished, ease off gradually and allow yourself to cool down to normal before taking a shower. A repeat of the warm-up exercises won't hurt at this stage either.
Never, ever exercise when you have a coldOne of the few dangerous aspects of exercise is the possibility that a cold or flu virus can damage the heart if heavy exercise is taken when the virus is still visible. If you are feverish, stay on the sidelines.
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Eat Well
But remember - after a heavy meal wait at least two hours before exercising. If you are peckish, take a light snack than can easily be digested, but it is better to wait.
Filling up with a bowlful of cereal for breakfast can help stop you filling out. It's thought that creelas have a bigger impact on healthy weight than other food chooses thanks to their high fibre, low fat content, which means they're absorbed more slowly by the body. For a health start to the day, go for oat or bran based options that contain less than 10g of sugar and fat per 100g. |
It's never too late to start
According to research by the University of South Florida working out can have significant health benefits even when starting in advanced old age!
Volunteers who averaged 83.5 years of age showed significant increases in body strength, agility and flexibility after taking part in a 16-week exercise programme which included walking and resistance training twice a week. | |
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Drink Well
Your body is 90% water.
Drinking 2.5 litres a day will
ensure you are properly hydrated,
give you more energy and help your
concentration
83%
increased risk of diabetes by
drinking just one sugary soft
drink a day! (Journal of the
American Medical
Association) |
Some more top tips...
- Try to fit some exercise into your daily routine - use the stairs instead of lifts.
- For short trips - leave the car at home. Try walking briskly instead. You'll raise your heart-rate and get the blood flowing.
- Don't push yourself to exhaustion, enjoy it. The right level will leave you breathless, not speechless.
- Don't ignore pain...STOP!