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Good To The Bone

Everyone knows that when you work out your muscles, those muscles get stronger. But did you realize that certain exercises can actually help your bones get stronger as well? It’s true, and by incorporating some of these bone-strengthening exercises into your regular workout regimen, you can improve the health of your bones, and head off some potential health issues later in life.

First things first: Before you start any physical fitness activities for the first time, you really should speak to a physician and get a check up. The doctor can tell you what exercises your body can handle and, more importantly, which ones you should avoid. Many exercises are high impact, meaning they apply the most torque and strain to your joints. Low-impact exercises, like exercises done in the water, tend to be easier on the joints, as the water will help buoy some of your body weight, putting less pressure on those joints and bones.

A few good exercises you can use to help build your bone strength are:

Yoga: Many women with joint disorders like arthritis enjoy yoga, as it removes tightness in the joints and helps you mentally relax. Many of the postures involved with yoga can have a very beneficial effect on your bone strength though. Medical research projects have shown that women over the age of 50 who regularly practiced yoga multiple times each week experienced less bone loss as they aged.

Walking: Pretty basic stuff here, but many people don’t realize that weight-beqaring exercises like walking and running can help strengthen the bones in your legs and hips quite a bit. Be sure to wear a pair of comfortable walking shoes and clothing that doesn’t bind or restrict your movement.

Strength Training: Resistance training works as well, and can be a better option for those people who suffer from joint disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. By doing some very basic strength training exercises on a regular basis, women can prevent or slow osteoporosis from taking hold. Try joining a gym to get started, but if one isn’t convenient for you, simply purchase some small dumbbells and hand weights from your local sporting goods store and get your workout in while in the comfort of your own home.

In short, remember your muscles, but don’t forget your bones. Without strong bones, you are far more likely to suffer a serious injury, and in many cases, experience a lesser quality of life.

Shoes

Stretch it out – Flexibility Training

Flexibility is an often-overlooked aspect of overall fitness. We remember to work on our cardiovascular fitness, and we remember to work on our strength training…but flexibility training? Most people stop at “a light stretch before the workout” and never give it another thought. A little bit of forethought, however, will point to flexibility being as important as either of the other areas of fitness. When you improve your flexibility, you benefit in a number of ways. You improve your range of motion in your joints, which allows you to do more of whatever it is you do, from working out to shopping, without tiring as easily. It has also been proven that increased flexibility is an excellent way to avoid injury as your body ages.

Below are just a few ways you can incorporate a little flexibility training into your regular workout routine…

Stretch with a purpose: Also known as functional flexibility, what this means is that you focus on improving your flexibility in areas where you actually need it. If you like to play golf, then improving your core muscle flexibility (stomach, back, chest, shoulders) will help you hit the ball harder and with more accuracy, plus keep the post-golf soreness to a minimum.

Get Warm before you fire up the stretching: If you are working on your flexibility by yourself, rather than in a class environment, take some time to warm up before you start stretching. A short 10-15 minute walk is a good way to warm up the body and get it ready for the serious stretching.

Keep at it!: Consistency is the key to any workout regimen, and that goes doubly so for flexibility. Make flexibility training a regular part of your workout routine, and maintain the discipline to work on that flexibility every time you work out.

Commit to the Flex: In other words, take your stretching seriously. Too many people think that a casual stretch for 5 minutes or so is all they really need to improve their flexibility. Wrong answer, folks… Commit to an extended stretching routine, and speak with a personal trainer or physician to help you establish a thorough program that will maximize your results.

Strength in Numbers: Most gyms and workout centers offer classes in flexibility training. By finding one of those nearby, you will be able to get in some serious stretching, with friends (or soon-to-be new friends) and a professional teacher to guide you through the process.

In closing, always remember to stretch it out good, and keep stretching. If you want to get the most out of this world, you really need to be limber enough to reach out and grab it! Never forget that you need to wear comfortable clothing that allows you to stretch without binding, and remember to wear your most comfortable walking shoes or workout shoes, depending on your specific needs.

Shoes

Motivated to Keep Walking, Part 2

(If you missed part 1, you can click here to start reading at the beginning.)

Walking is a great way to maintain your cardiovascular health, keep your legs, hips and buttocks toned and improve your respiratory conditioning. In part 1, we discussed some of the excuses that people make to get out of walking, as well as a few key areas to consider to help your motivation survive and prosper, as your feet carry you down the road to good health.

Motivation is good…rewarding yourself is better.
By creating a situation where you reward yourself for walking, you will become more likely to get up, put those walking shoes on, and get out there every night (or every other night, depending on how you’ve arranged your workouts). A good way to establish the “reward profram” is, for every milestone you reach in your walking regimen, you get to buy yourself a walking-related present. Maybe it’s a pedometer or other walking tech toy. Maybe its some new walking gear. Maybe it’s new clothes that help you show off that new leaner and more toned body.

Track your Progress
One of the main reasons why women stop walking is that they are unsure whether they are making any progress toward the goals they established for that walking program. Some women want to lose a certain amount of weight, some want to just feel healthier and have more energy to do all the other fun things in their life. Whichever camp you’re camped out in, keeping track of your walking progress can help you meet those goals, and help keep you motivated until you reach those goals. A journal is a great way to track things. When you come back in from your walk, note how far you walked, where you walked, as well as any personal notes that can help you keep a grip on all of the details. If you went for an evening walk by the ocean, and you love the way the ocean breeze smells at night, put it in your journal. If you are walking in the city and pass by a restaurant or shop that you want to visit in the future…note it in the journal.

Picture your progress, and it shall be yours!
From a personal perspective, this is a tool that really helped me keep my motivation level high. If you walk three times a week, take a weekly photo of yourself. Keep all your weekly pictures together, and when you feel your motivation flagging, you take out the pictures and look at them in chronological order. You’d be amazed how well this works to show you your progress and let you know that all the hard work is really paying dividends. Once you see how good you’re looking, then you can go back to the whole “reward” thing again and go treat yourself to something special. After all, you deserve it for being such a self-motivated walking machine!

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