Anti Aging Exercise for the Rest of Your Life

Anti Aging Exercise for the Rest of Your Life

When we talk about exercising, most people have a lot of excuses. With anti aging exercise, I hope to remove all your objections.
Why don't people exercise?
    • They're too busy; they don't have the time
    • They don't have money or space for exercise equipment
    • Exercise is too hard and hurts too much
    • They'll start when they feel better, or after they lose some weight
    • They're not the athletic type or don't want big muscles
    • They're just getting older and feel that they can't turn back the clock
Oh, there's more, but perhaps it's one of these that has stood in your way. I have a plan for anti aging exercise that will start out slowly, and gradually get you doing exercises that are achievable and profitable for the rest of your life. Yes, they will take up to five hours of your week, and yes, they will require some hard work and sweat, but, as we've said— nothing of value costs you nothing. We admire the athlete who excels at his or her sport and the non-athlete who simply keeps fit and trim. They don't become like that by sitting on the couch making excuses!

Anti Aging Exercise #1

The first and most important anti aging exercise is strength. These exercises will do more to jump start your metabolism than either of the other two. These will increase your lean muscle mass, which means your body will burn more calories 24/7, not just when you're exercising. Both men and women have a problem with light-weight strength exercises. Men think the weights are not heavy enough to be of any value. Women think the weights will give them bulging biceps. Neither fear is founded. The purpose of these exercises is to keep you from losing, and to firm up, the muscles you already have. As we age we lose muscle mass every year, unless we do work to keep it.

Anti Aging Exercise #2

The second kind of anti aging exercise is aerobic. As you do this exercise your heart will beat faster, which will strengthen your entire circulatory system. Good news— you don't need to train for a marathon. You simply need to walk at a brisk pace. And you can work your way up to at least five days a week. Some people like to go to the mall and walk; there are generally a lot of delightful people to walk with there. My grandmother was a mallwalker into her 95^th year; (and she lived to be nearly 103!) Others like to be outdoors on forest trails or in city parks, no matter what the weather is like. Or perhaps you like the convenience of using a treadmill, while reading a book or watching TV, right in your own home.

Anti Aging Exercise #3

The third and easiest anti aging exercise is stretching. The purpose of these exercises are to increase your flexibility and range of motion. It is a myth that aging is the only factor that causes us to lose flexibility. Studies show that a sedentary lifestyle is a bigger factor in decreasing flexibility than aging. By stretching exercises you can maintain and increase your flexibility, enabling you to look and feel younger because of the way you move.

Take it Slow to Start

Now if you're in your 40's, 50's, 60's, or above, don't forget it! You're not 25 anymore! Start out with a little exercise, and gradually work your way up to more. Never do what you think may injure you, and seek the counsel of a medical professional, if you feel uncomfortable about any of this. You may get a little sore after your first four or five days, but if you don't push yourself too hard, the soreness should disappear by the end of the second week.
If you've tried before and failed, perhaps it was because you tried to do too much, too soon. Maybe you didn't see results fast enough. Anti aging exercise is a long-term proposition; we're talking about developing a discipline of exercise that you can do for the rest of your life. Sometimes peoples' soreness just doesn't seem to ever go away. This is because your body's cells are just not producing the "repair enzymes" like they did when you were young. Eating good foods in proper balance, consuming high quality food supplements, reducing stress, and getting adequate rest can all help. Refusing to exercise cannot be an option for you, if you want to succeed at anti aging.

What Does God Have to Say About Exercise?

Most everybody in Bible times walked everywhere they went. They worked at jobs that required physical effort. Even preparing meals was hard labor. They worked while it was light and rested when darkness came. They didn't have couches, let alone TVs. The apostle Paul used training for the games as a positive illustration for us, as we work now in preparation for the day we stand before God.
In Paul's first letter to Timothy, his young protégé, he wrote these words: "Bodily discipline is of little profit." It is of little profit because it is just for this life, whereas godliness yields profit for the life to come as well as for this present life. The word that is translated "discipline" comes from a Greek word that indicated the considerable commitment of the athlete. While physical exercise only holds value for this present life, a fit and useful body is a great vessel to use for serving God and others.

You Don't Have to Join the Athletic Club

Many people have complex exercise machines, or "miracle working" mechanisms (as seen on TV?), that are just gathering dust in the corner of their garage (under a pile of boxes?) I cannot tell you how to use them, but I will show you simple exercises that will require, at most, a sturdy bench, and a set of dumbbells. Altogether they should only cost you somewhere between $100 and $200. Now if you want to use a treadmill, that will cost you a few hundred more.
In the next few pages I will show you how you can succeed at all three of these exercises, and how you can fit them into your weekly schedule. I will try to be your "fitness mentor", even though I'm not a buff twenty-five year old, with ripped abs. I'm probably more like you— just trying enjoy the last half of my life in a body that is surely getting older, but still working very well. Now let's get into these anti aging exercises; we'll begin with strength training exercises.




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