Getting Active
One of the most important aspects of living a happier and healthier lifestyle is getting more active. Going out for a walk or using light weights to build strength is so important. The rush you feel after exercising and the endorphins that you create give your body positive energy and feeling of euphoria that can change the whole aspect of your day. Exercise is a great stress release. It calms your mind, relaxing you, giving you a better nights sleep and increasing your self confidence.
We recommend you start by understanding the correct breathing techniques.
Are you breathing correctly?
Breathing correctly and filling the belly (deep abdominal breathing) is something that babies do instinctively. However many of us (without ever noticing that we do it) breathe “shallow” which doesn’t use the maximum capacity of our lungs. This leaves us tired, stressed and fatigued, making the idea of exercises impossible.
Click here for more on Holistic’s breathing techniques
You will learn how deep abdominal breathing circulates more oxygen and what oxygen does for the body. Correct breathing is an important part of life and movement. You will, without question, be breathing for the rest of your life. So it’s important that you learn the correct techniques.
Just a few minutes a day training and focusing on breathing deeply into the belly will make you feel more energised and refreshed. As abdominal breathing becomes effortless and natural you will find your energy levels will stay higher. Have you ever heard someone tell you, when you are tired, to breathe deeply? Try it next time to see the difference!
Exercises and Your Body
Regardless of your age and current physical condition, if you suffer with incontinence you will most certainly benefit from exercise. We recommend starting out with a small, regular routine.
We understand that an exercise program can be a challenge as you get older. You may feel discouraged by illness, ongoing health problems or concerns about injuries. Further, for some of you, exercise may be something you never really go into or enjoyed. So you may not know where to begin and simply think that it is boring or not worth your time. You may think these are good reasons to slow down and take it easy as you grow older. However there are actually many more reasons to get moving, which is why we are here to help you release these concerns and create a positive movement through exercise.
Exercise and an active lifestyle are now more important then ever. Imagine maintaining your independence, feeling energised, controlling your mood, relieving stress and ultimately managing symptoms of illness and pain while improving your overall sense of wellbeing just through getting more oxygen rich blood pumping through your system. In fact, exercise is the key to staying strong, energetic and healthy as you get older. More and more research shows muscles are the “engines of youth”. So you have nothing to loose and everything to gain from putting aside only 15 to 30 minutes a day. Reaping the rewards of exercise doesn’t require strenuous workouts or trips to the gym. It’s really all about adding more movement and activity to your life. Starting small is definitely better than not starting at all.
Whatever you can do without feeling discomfort and pain will ultimately be your biggest gain. Whether you are generally healthy or managing other illness, and even if you’re housebound, there are many easy ways to get your body moving and improve your health and level of incontinence.
Working In
A great way to work out is to work in!
Working in is a great way to approach exercise as we age because there is less risk of injury, many health benefits and no stress on your body. You also won’t be burning up all of your energy or leaving yourself tired for the rest of the day. It involves slow and controlled movements without elevating the heart rate like a typical cardio workout would do.
Chi Gong is a great example of a working in exercise because of its slow gentle movements combined with awareness of breathe that circulates energy and oxygen rich blood around the body. It actually cultivates energy in the body and after 20 minutes you will feel more alive and ready for more activity.
Working Out
Working out has many health benefits to keeping you active!
Walking is a great way to keep fit and is recommended daily. If you normally take a 30 minute to 1 hour walk change it up by increasing your heart rate with different paces. Once you have warmed up for at least 5 minutes try walking for 1.5 minutes then walking faster or running for 30 seconds. If you able to do this for 20 minutes then cool down with a walk for at least 5 minutes at the end. Make sure you change it after 3 sessions to increase your heart rate and change the pace by walking for 1.5 minutes and fast walking to running for 1 minute. You can time this on your phone or there are free apps available for your iPhone which time the walks for you.
Changing your routine is also important as you will be using different muscle groups and also keeping it interesting. If you stick to the same routine everyday unfortunately you will not be reaping the benefits. Instead try something new and exciting to keep it motivating.
Did you know that exercising the same without increasing your heart rate isn’t benefiting the body? It’s the last 5% that we push ourselves that are actually creating the results.
Weight Training
Weight training has been found to increase your lifespan by seven years. With this amazing new study available doesn’t it make you want to get started!?
As we get older muscle degeneration occurs. However with correct weight training we gain muscle mass which counteracts this and keeps you looking younger. Weights are important for creating overall strength in your body, improves the stability of your joints, keeps the core strong and helps to build a stronger connective tissue. It’s recommended that you lift weights that get harder for you to lift by your tenth repetition. However always start small and ensure you engage your core muscles first by standing up straight technique is very important. If you don’t have weights available why not use things around the house like cans of food depending on the weight that is comfortable to lift.
Correct body movement and core activation
Improving overall core strength and posture will assist the pelvic floor muscle group and aid in the control of Incontinence.
For more gentle exercise plans try youtube.com and search Go4Life Exercises for over 50’s.
Stay tuned for more uploads and progressions to getting active for all levels of strength.
Please consult your doctor before adopting any new exercise plan. It is important to listen to your individual body to know your limits. If you feel like you are pushing yourself too hard, don’t strain your muscles relax them and continue the next day.