How to Stay Fit and Healthy at Any Age 18 - 99 and Have Fun Doing it! by Terry Clark - HTML preview

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What if there is no swimming pool in your house or residential complex? You could go to the swimming pool of the nearest health club. You could walk all the way to the health club to double the fat burning effect. There are pools set up for the public. You can gain access to them at an affordable rate in the present day. These swimming pool complexes could be ideal for the family as a whole. Still, they could be used just to chill out. You may not be able to exercise in that case. One aerobic exercise that improves your heart's functioning as well as replenishes the body energy is a good swim in the ocean. 

 

When you swim against the constant motion of the waves, your muscles work hard and a sufficient amount of fat is burnt. In fact, swimming helps one build muscle mass in both the upper and the lower part of the body. During swimming almost all the parts of the body are active and are exercised to a great extent. Hence, you will get a great sleep when you finally hit the bed at night. Deep sleep is achieved after you have swum for hours during the day. Healthy sleep is a great way for staying fit as well. Children should be taught to swim from a young age so that they can stay hale and healthy all the while by enjoying the exercise on a regular basis.

 

Even though there are many ways to stay fit, the natural means of achieving it are the best for an individual. Relying on pills and capsules for this purpose is not a great idea as they tend to pose a lot of threats to the health. Swimming protects you from a lot of ailments.

 

 

#27. The Role of Yoga in Staying Fit and Healthy

 

Yoga is a great way to stay fit all the time. There are plenty of people all over the world that have admitted that the practice of yoga has brought a huge change in their lives. This change is described as absolutely positive. These are principles and procedures that have been formulated after a great deal of research and experienced over a long period of time.

 

The reason behind the great success of yoga is its simplicity. The methods and procedures are very simple to practice. At the same time, the results are quite amazing. In fact one would even wonder during the initial days whether there these simple steps and procedures could bring in such remarkable change in their lifestyle. The young people in particular have such doubts initially as they are in the flexible stages of their life.

 

They would find it extremely easy to practice these methods except for the meditation part. This is because the meditation part is where they will have to sit idle and focus upon themselves to get understanding from within. It could be really hard during the first few days for some people to sit and focus for minutes. Anyhow when you get trained to do all these procedures in a perfect fashion, you are sure to reach heights altogether as a result of the enormous amount of mental strength that you gain.

 

You will have to abstain from all bad habits. You are not supposed to drink alcohol, smoke or use tobacco in any form when you are practicing such yogic exercises. It could disrupt your mind and hinder you from stepping up to your enlightened state which will give you greater physical and mental strength. One of the key reasons why people give up yoga quite easily in a short span of time is the confidence that they gain immediately after adhering to the principles of yoga. As soon as they see the remarkable change and get adequate confidence out of these practices, they think it is easier to miss practice hours for the time being and catch up later on. These kinds of breaks that you take prevent you from stepping up and reaching the highest standards of focus and concentration.

 

One should not discontinue the practice of yoga or take breaks. There are simple yoga techniques which are easy to follow on a regular basis throughout your life. When these are used for prolonged periods of time without breaks you are certain to reap great benefits. 

 

 

#28. Staying Fit Mentally and Physically

 

The natural ways to get healthier and stay healthy all the time require commitment. Discipline is essential as well. If you have noticed, some of the great leaders of the international community and people who have achieved great honor and respect in their lifetime are all quite unique when it comes to their habits. These habits include the fundamental best principles of life.

 

Getting up early in the morning and doing some kind of workout are essential things. Going to bed in time to get adequate sleep amidst your hectic work schedule, as well as a healthy diet, are all part of the natural approach. Healthy diet allows your body and mind to act in harmony - in unison.

 

Unnecessary problems are created when unhealthy food is consumed. The physical well being is essential for the mental well being. You have to think and act right as well. People who are leaders have great personalities. They have a lot of successors and followers. They will have to be alert and cautious in every move and act smart all the time. In order to progress they will have to keep the fundamental principles which are essential. When they deviate slightly from these principles, all of their other essential duties could be affected as a result of this. For this reason they do not take chances.

 

Apart from the habits mentioned above, there are more important principles as well. The art of understanding people’s emotions, gestures, and indirect communications and so on is one of them. There are plenty of things that one will have to learn to be a leader. These sharp attributes could be manifested if and only if the individuals are careful when it comes to learning and thinking. They should keep on working on improving their strengths and reducing their weaknesses. This is a continuous process.

 

You will see the great personality of certain leaders over a certain period of time. They may need several years of such practice. These people live longer. They are hale and healthy as they know the art of living well. They keep themselves busy all the time. Remaining occupied mentally and physically defies boredom which attacks you and which is among the major reasons for ageing more quickly. Mental toughness and intellect are things that could be learned with extreme keenness to learn. A healthier life style with disciplined habits paves the way to success for sure.

 

 

#29. Useful Diet Suggestions a Healthy Life

 

Some of the interesting easy ways to stay naturally fit are discussed in this ebook. Everyone wants to stay healthy and fit all the time. How feasible is this? This is the question that we will answer.

 

Let us start with green tea first. Strong bones are typical for those individuals that are used to the habit of drinking green tea. Aging tends to cause reduction in the density of the bones and it affects the joints as well. It is similar to what happens with machines - as they get older they need more repairs as their parts are already worn out due to heavy usage. Green tea helps to protect the bones and joints and effectively combats the aging of these areas. In general, apart from just green tea, you should spend at least a little time choosing the types of food that you consume in the long run. Take your time.

 

Do a bit of research and get information from various authentic resources. You will have to confirm the findings and their validity by talking to doctors, dieticians and other experts in the trade. They will suggest the best foods for you out of the entire list that you have prepared. You could mix them up well. A range of foods that you really love and enjoy the most should be in the list. The portions, the ways of eating, the food choices and the food schedule should be presented in a chart form.

 

Do it even if it takes a couple of days or even a month despite your busy routine. It is really worth doing it. Finally after having prepared the detailed list and charted the plan, you should put in your kitchen. You need to ensure that it is strictly being implemented at all costs. This is where most people fail, though. Most of us are keen on preparing the schedule, choices, and charts and so on. When it comes to implementation part, we tend to slip every now and then as there are not any hard and fast rules for us to keep.

 

Still, you should be determined. The food you eat can be the medicine for your body or it can be detrimental to your health if not taken in right amounts and in the right ways. Ensure that you take care of your diet and you will see a remarkable positive change in your fitness in a short span of time.

 

 

#30. Why Walking?

 

There are many methods that people look into when they want to get fit. Not all of them work for everyone. But the most effective way of getting fit is to do it naturally. This ensures that you are fit and there are no side effects involved. Walking is one of the natural ways to get in shape. 

 

It is affordable as no costly equipment is required and it has numerous health benefits. Walking is an exercise that everyone can do since people do it daily and all that one has to get is a good pair of shoes – though it can be done bare-foot. Most people do not believe that walking is good, but this is not true. It is free. It does not require paying for gym membership.

 

Most people opt for this activity because it is a low-impact exercise which does not cause much damage to the knees compared to running and jogging.  It is suitable for everyone including the elderly. Moreover, you can meditate as well as observe the beauties in your surrounding.  Other health benefits of walking are: losing weight and reducing the chances of heart attack. It reduces stress and controls high cholesterol. It works for facilitating leg strength as well as for endurance among many others.

 

Even though walking is taken as simple exercise, it is advisable to set up a particular objective and specific preparations. This will enable you to assess the effectiveness of your workout. For instance, if you intend to lose weight, it is advisable that you record your body weight on a weekly basis to determine if walking is effective.

 

The following illustrations will help you have a safe and meaningful walking exercise:

 

- It is important to go for the right outfit. The clothes should be loose and the shoes comfortable and strong - well fitting walking shoes. Weather conditions should determine the kind of attire for walking.

 

- Before taking a long walk, ensure that you warm up by stretching the lower and the upper body for proper blood flow. It is a good idea to start off slowly and then increase the pace bit by bit. When the exercise is almost through, slow down so that you cool off properly.

 

- One should stick to a normal walking style so that in every step the foot is rolled from heel to toe. The arms should swing briskly backwards and forward. The head should always be up and attention paid to the surroundings to keep you safe.

 

 

#31. Warm Weather Activities as Alternatives to Traditional Fitness Programs

 

Some of the outdoor activities that we may participate in can provide us with great exercise. They are good for your stamina, for overall strength building, body coordination, and flexibility. One example of such an activity would be horseback riding.

 

On the surface, horseback riding seems to be the horse doing all the work but there are a lot of movements that the rider is performing. The first two elements of horseback riding would be the most obvious - body coordination and flexibility. Remember that you are working with the horse and following its natural movement. You are not a dead weight on the animal. You have to focus on moving with the horse or shifting and controlling your weight as well as directing your horse.

 

Fishing, on the surface appears to be a very sedentary sport although you are outside in the fresh air. There are periods of inactivity but there are also quite a lot of physical benefits that make this activity good for those who are less athletic. Assuming you are fishing from a bank, the act of standing alone increases your circulation as opposed to sitting for long periods of time. This also includes changing your location as well as moving your line and lures around in the water to attract the fish. It’s the more time spent fishing than making those movements that can provide some of the strength and cardiovascular fitness. And with the warm weather coming in, this makes the perfect excuse to get away from it all.

 

Another way of getting away is to take a boat ride. You can get a great workout if you are manipulating the movement of a sail boat. Being able to balance on the boat as well as manipulating the rigging can help you exercise all the major muscle groups while building the strength and stamina within a short period of time. Rowing can also give you a good cardiovascular workout while building you muscle strength.

 

Those with a green thumb often get their workouts also during the summer season as they work in their gardens. It does take a lot of work preparing, planting, maintaining, and harvesting crops. It doesn’t matter what is grown. There are a lot of push and pull movements. Pulling and lifting can increase your circulation and build stamina to work for good periods of time. You improve the coordination of the different muscle groups as you often need to balance on uneven surfaces.

 

 

#32. Why Fat Cannot be Burned Up Immediately

 

Cycling and sprinting are great exercises that help you lose body fat at a fast rate. For all those individuals that are obese, it is a great idea to start with walking initially and only then to introduce jogging over a period of time. Initially obese people might not be able to run due to their excessive weight. They might not even be able to jog continuously for a couple of minutes. Moreover, due to their excessive weight, they might be injured. Hence, the best way when you have not gone for a jog in a year or so is to start with basic exercises and progress slowly to more demanding ones.

 

There are people who really want to be able to exercise intensively and get results instantly in one way or the other. But remember that it takes a lot of time to put on fat and become obese, so it also takes a lot of time to get rid of it. You can do this over a period of time. It is nothing but the accumulation of fat which is responsible for obesity. The structure of the body looks awkward due to fat in the abdominal, leg and buttock areas. The thighs become larger and it could be hard to move from one place to the other. You will certainly feel more comfortable when you lose some of the weight that you have accumulated over time.

 

When you have reached the obesity stage, it is high time that you got your act together before the worst things start to happen. As said earlier, accumulating a lot of fat takes time and so does the reverse process. If you look at it the other way round, accumulated fat has to be burnt little by little and converted into useful energy. You cannot get it all done in just one day. Imagine the case should you be able to burn all your bodily fat in just one day. The quantum of resultant energy would be super normal and the bodily organs would not be able to withstand this and function normally.

 

That is why those who resort to the help of physicians to get fat burnt at a faster rate are advised to undergo surgery to remove the fat instantly instead of it being burnt. Liposuction has gained a lot of popularity in the recent past. This procedure is nothing else but the removal of fat from the human body. It is performed with the aid of sophisticated machines and equipments. It is not a great idea to remove a great deal of fat all at once, though -- in my own opinion this is a sign of desperation when people do this; It's much easier to change the way we eat and excercise.

 

 

#34. Wrist and Ankle Exercises for Those with Limited Mobility

 

Exercising or overall body movement should be fun, not a chore. If it is fun and almost effortless to begin with, you are more likely to stick with it. Some folks can be athletic warriors and make regular visits to the gyms, pound the pavement in walking or running strides or enjoy group movement classes. But for some people, a more sedentary form of exercising may be the ticket. This is especially true for those who have some mobility issues.

 

One way to work on our flexibility is when we aren’t necessarily thinking about movement. When we are watching television, we could do some wrist or ankle turns and flexing. We can do this by starting really slowly at first then increasing the motion and time as it becomes more comfortable to do so. Another form of exercise that can be done is to have a pillow on the floor at your feet. Lift your foot from the floor to the pillow then return it. As this becomes more comfortable, add a second pillow, basically raising the height of the foot being raised. Eventually you want to get to the point of being able to raise and lower your foot without having to support it on anything.

 

While you are watching television, you can take a small pillow and squeeze it between your fingers as many times as it is comfortable. You can also squeeze the pillow between your hands to strengthen your wrists.

 

If you have some stairs in your home, another way to exercise is to use them the way toddler does when they are first learning to climb them. While sitting on the lowest, most comfortable step, bring your arms back to rest on a step behind you. Slowly pull yourself up to a point that is comfortable for you. If you can, rise up to that level step and sit there, if not, return back to your starting step. Just do this a couple of times until you can do it with ease or can raise yourself to the step where your hands originally rested. If you can get to that step, try to climb one more step up. This is a good way to strengthen your arm muscles, which provide a good amount of support as you walk or move about.

 

Doing little movements at the time with your arms and legs may be all that you can do to start with which is fine. Gaining strength and flexibility in our arms and legs is the beginning of becoming a fit person all around.   

 

 

#35. Fitness Tips For Senior Citizens

 

As senior citizens get older it is very important to stay active in order to maintain overall health. Some of you cannot exercise like you use to, but you can still workout and keep safe at the same time. Here are some tips to help you.

 

I recommend checking with your doctor if you have not worked out in over a year. It is wise to get a check up once a year any way, so while your there ask about an exercise program.

 

It is important to do something that you enjoy when thinking about a fitness plan. It could be lifting weights or walking on a treadmill. Any exercise is better than nothing at all. I find that seniors love to workout provided that the exercise routines are fun.

 

Most seniors like to workout with a trainer or a partner. I feel the reason for this is that they feel comfortable with someone helping them with their exercises. If it makes them train harder and safer then it's great for them.

 

Some seniors nowadays are in such good shape they can help me workout. I'm always amazed at what some senior citizens can do in a gym. Quite a few of them are still very strong and muscular. I can only hope that I will be in that good of shape.

 

If you never worked out or starting to get back into the swing of things. I would start off very slow at first. The individual does not want to hurt themselves right off the starting block. Take your time and the strength and endurance will come back gradually. You will have some muscle soreness when starting off. Just don't overdo it at first. The body has ways to overcome muscle soreness with rest and proper nutrition.

 

Starting out a fitness plan for senior citizens, I would recommend setting some short- term goals to get going. It could be something like walking a block. Walking on the treadmill, or even lifting some light weights. The more goals you set the more likely the person will keep exercising and making progress.