Friday, February 27, 2009

The Anti Aging Exercise Plan

By Marianna Pells

There's no such thing as an anti aging exercise because there is not just one particular training activity that can fight aging. Rather, getting yourself into any regular exercise plan can help you develop good health, maintain a youthful lifestyle and age gracefully.

You won't be able to achieve anything if you're not going to get off the couch. Aging means not being able to do the things you like, whenever you want to. Incorporating strength, aerobic and flexibility training in your exercise program could just be your answer.

Strength Training

When you do strength activities aging simply slows down. Strength training helps your bones and muscles grow stronger. Without exercise, you lose a great deal of your muscle tone. This means that your muscles won't be able to hold up your skeleton effectively. You will have recurring back pain and a deteriorating posture.

The benefits of strength training include toned muscles, tighter skin, prevention of arthritis and a higher metabolic rate. A raised metabolic rate enables our bodies to burn energy effectively even at rest. Strength training could be done by lifting weights (as in weight training), through resistance training (resisting opposing forces), and isometric training (training requiring no net movement). It is advised to do strength training 2-3 times a week.

Isometric training is good for those who are just starting an exercise program because it is low impact. All you have to do is tighten and loosen your muscles in a repetitive manner.

Aerobic Training

Slowing down the progression of aging is easy with aerobic training. Because it has more to do with endurance than bursts of power, individuals from any age bracket can do this type of training. Anyone can run, brisk-walk, and do most other types of endurance training.

Getting yourself to do an aerobic workout means helping your blood circulate through your body. When blood circulation is healthy, oxygen is carried through efficiently. This enables you to think more clearly, better coordinate your movements and quickly respond. Unhealthy blood circulation may result in faintness, headaches, heart disease and dementia.

The advantages of doing an aerobic workout are better endurance, minimized mental and physical stress, and reduced blood pressure. It is recommended that at least 20 minutes of aerobic training be incorporated into your exercise program.

Flexibility Training

Anyone who is getting into any type of exercise, be it cardiovascular or strength, needs to do some flexibility workout. This is why you are always told to warm up before exercising and cool down afterwards. Doing a flexibility workout enhances joint, skeletal and muscular health so that you can maximize your physical and mental capabilities.

There's a good reason why stretching and flexing is called flexibility training. Those types of activities can greatly recover joint troubles so that you're able to have a wider range of movement. 30 seconds a day is all you need for flexibility training.

Merging strength, aerobic and flexibility workouts in one exercise program can give you the anti aging effects of strength, speed, balance and alertness. - 16755

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