Exercise

O !sicaI exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical

fitness and overall health and wellness. t is performed for various reasons
including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic
skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of enjoyment.
Frequent and regular physical exercise boosts the immune system, and helps
prevent the "diseases of affluence" such as heart disease, cardiovascular
disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity. t also improves mental health, helps
prevent depression, helps to promote or maintain positive self esteem, and can
even augment an individual's sex appeal or body image, which is also found to
be linked with higher levels of self esteem.

Te Benefits of !sicaI Activit
Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health.
t can help:
O Control your weight
O Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease
O Reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
O Reduce your risk of some cancers
O Strengthen your bones and muscles
O mprove your mental health and mood
O mprove your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls, if you're an older adult
O ncrease your chances of living longer


Stretcing
Older joints may become stiff and inflexible. n order to avoid injury during strength
training and aerobic exercises, you need to warm up and cool down with stretching
exercises for 5-15 minutes. There are stretching exercises for the calves, thighs,
stomach, chest, back, shoulders, and arms. Here are just a few of the many you may
want to try:
O Shoulder Rotation: Lie flat on the floor with a pillow supporting your head. Stretch
your arms out to the side and then bend your elbows so that your lower arms
point downward (towards your feet) at a right angle. Hold this position for 10-30
seconds. Now bend your elbows so that your lower arms point upward (towards
your head) at a right angle. Hold this position for 10-30 seconds. Repeat 3-5
times. Make sure to keep your shoulders flat on the floor throughout this
exercise.
O Calves: Stand far enough away from a wall so that when you place your hands
on the wall your arms are straight. Move one leg back 1-2 feet and make sure the
heel and foot of that leg are flat on the floor. Hold this position for 10-30 seconds.
Bend the knee of the leg that is moved back; make sure to keep the heel and foot
flat on the floor. Hold this position for 10-30 seconds. Now repeat with the
opposite leg. Repeat 3-5 times with each leg.
Strengt Training
Muscles in the upper and lower body can be strengthened through the use of
machines, free weights, or even by using household items such as soup cans as
weights. When lifting weights, you should start with a weight you can lift without very
much effort 5 times. When this becomes too easy, increase to doing 2 sets of 5, and
then 3 sets of 5. When this is too easy, move up to 10 repetitions in each set, then
increase to 15 times in each set. Once this becomes too easy, increase the amount of
weight you are lifting. Strength training should be done for 30-40 minutes 2-3 times a
week.

There are also a variety of strength training exercises that can be done simply around
the home. Here are a few examples:
O Plantar Flexion: this exercise strengthens the ankle and calf muscles. Hold a
table or chair for balance and stand up straight. Slowly raise your body up so that
you are standing on tiptoe (as high as possible). Hold this position for about 1
second. Then slowly lower your heels so that they are back on the ground.
Repeat 8-15 times, rest a minute, then do another set of 8-15. As your strength
increases, do this exercise standing on only one leg and alternate legs.
O Arm Raise: this exercise strengthens your shoulder muscles. Sit in a chair with
your feet flat on the floor even with your shoulders. Put your arms straight down
at your sides with your palms facing inward (toward your body). Now raise both
arms to the side until they are at shoulder height. Hold this position for 1 second
and then slowly lower your arms back to your sides. Repeat this 8-15 times, rest,
then do another 8-15 repetitions.
Bicep Curls: strengthen upper-arm muscles
O Sit in armless chair. Keep feet flat and even with shoulders.
O Hold hand weights at sides, arms straight, palms facing toward your body.
O Slowly bend one elbow, lifting weight toward chest. Be sure to rotate palm to face
shoulder while lifting weight.
O Hold position for 1 second. Slowly lower arm to starting position.
O Repeat with other arm. Alternate until you have repeated the exercise 8 to 15
times on each side.
O Rest. Then do another set of 8 to 15 alternating repetitions.