2024

You’re Never Too Old to Exercise

 

 

Do you feel the aches and pains of aging? Do feel the pain in your back when you’re standing or walking for long periods of time? How about the pain in your knees? Do you feel like your bones are creaking each time you move that you feel like using some type of rust lubricant for your joints? What you most probably need is to exercise.

There are still a lot of people who don’t understand the importance of exercise. It really does keep the body strong and also because the muscles are kept in shape to support the body. Without exercise the body loses its core and balance strength, as well as strength in muscles overall every year.

Don’t think you’re too old to exercise. You can still exercise even if you’re in your 70s. Exercising can reverse the effects of non-exercising. You will see how much better you will feel when you incorporate exercise into your life. To start with, here is a simple regimen for you to do. Do this three times a week, and as you get stronger you can add on to your regimen.


CORE

The ‘core’ area involves the muscles in the middle part of your body—trunk and pelvis. These muscles are the ‘stabilizer muscles’. Keeping this area in shape helps alleviating back pain or protruding waistlines, and helps in posture.

This simple exercise requires for you to stand with your feet apart, slightly wider than your shoulder width. Hold a water bottle with both hands in front of you. Bend your knees and drop into a squat and bring the bottle down to your left knee (if you can reach your foot or shin, then do it). As you rise up, rotate and extend your arms up over your right shoulder (like you’re going to throw the bottle over your right shoulder. Repeat this ten times, and then switch sides.

If this is too much for you, you can start without the bottle and hold on to a sturdy table for support and just do the squats. Overtime, when you’re feeling stronger you can try to do it with the bottle and without the table.

 

BALANCE

To work on your balance, you can stand on one leg. If it’s too much for you, and feel you’ll be unsteady, you can start by supporting yourself against a wall or a sturdy table. Hold on lightly. With one foot firmly on the ground, lift your other foot just a few inches off the ground in front of you. When you feel stable, let go of the table or wall and time it. Try to reach a minute in this position. Then you can do the other side. It’s okay if you can’t reach a minute. You can work your way up to a minute or more as you do this exercise each time.

 

STRENGTH

Pushups are generally good for strength, but if think this is too hard, you can use a wall to aid you in this exercise. Stand facing a wall. Place your hands against the wall at chest height. Move your feet back enough that you would be leaning to reach the wall. With your stomach tight, bend your arms and slowly get closer to the wall, and then straighten your arms again to move away from the wall. Repeat this 10 to 15 times.

Do these exercises three times each week. When you feel some strength coming back, you can add more and more repetition sets, and eventually you can add new exercises to your regimen. You will see the difference to your overall health and strength in time. But before you start any exercise, please consult your doctor first.