Exercise and your wellness journey.

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Hi friends, I am so glad you are here for another Wellness Wednesday. This week we are looking into finding the right exercise program for your wellness journey.

It is no secret that exercise is a huge part of any wellness journey so we are going to look at this based on age groups.

Doing this by age groups is important because in every group there are specific exercise categories that are important for that particular age.

According to Women’s Health, “exercise is good at reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and maintaining a healthy cholesterol level.”

Exercise at any age stimulates brain chemicals that make you feel happier, more relaxed and less anxious according to the Mayo Clinic.

It is also good at boosting your self esteem and making you feel better about yourself and your appearance.

Benefits of exercise

• strengthens heart
• keeps arteries and veins clear
• strengthens lungs
• helps to reduce blood sugar levels
• control weight
• strengthens bones
• aides in cancer prevention
• regulates blood pressure
• improves energy
• enhances emotional wellness

20’s

In your twenty’s it is important to build muscle mass and bone density, because when women start to age we begin to lose both.

There are many different ways to achieve muscle mass. Here are a few examples :

• lunges
• squats
• push-ups
• deadlifts
• planks
• superman

Exercises to increase bone density:

• weight bearing
• brisk walking
• climbing stairs
• dancing
• hiking
• jogging
• jump rope
• step aerobics
• tennis
• yard work (pushing a mower)

Low to moderate activity for thirty minutes a day including any variation of the above exercises will help build muscle mass and bone density in your twenties.

As you age your exercise routine should be adjusted to include the activities that are important in your thirties.

30’s

When you reach thirty years old, you should add in interval training and pelvic floor conditioning.

Interval training is great at maximizing heart benefits , decreasing your risk of both heart disease and high blood pressure.

It is not necessary to purchase a gym membership in order to do your interval training.

Look on Youtube and you have access to what ever work out you desire. When I pulled it up I came across a few that can be done at home.

Tracy Campoli, Best HIIT workout for Women and HASFit

Work on conditioning your pelvic floor during child bearing years to keep those muscles strong, keeping your pelvic organs in place and pelvic bone stable.

Here are a few exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor.

• Kegel exercises
• squeeze and relax – your pelvic floor
• bridge – lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor hip width apart, arms relaxed at your side. Lift your bottom up into the air while squeezing your glutes.
• squats – while doing these do your kegel exercises

There are also some everyday activities that help to condition the pelvic floor such as; sitting properly, walking, and standing straight.

Moving into our forties brings about another set of exercise changes.

40’s

Cross training and variety becomes important in our forties.

When you reach this wonderful age you may begin to see changes in your physical appearance.

Our bodies may begin to carry more fat, while muscle mass, lean tissue and bone density decrease, making it even more important to continue or begin your exercise regimen.

The variety of cross training is what promotes exercise adherence, it keeps us from getting bored with a workout and giving up.

With cross training you can do various types of exercise to switch it up daily.

Day one you could run, day 2 cycle and day 3 stair climb.

Youtube is a great resource as is looking for apps on your phone. Now don’t think that you have to have equipment for this type of workout either.

For stair climbing I use my stairs at home, or you could use the stadium stairs at your local high school.

Be creative in how you add your cross training workouts.

Often times you can find free workout videos for the specific program you are looking for.

Getting yourself strong before you are in your fifties sets you up for a much healthier body to battle the effects of menopause.

50’s

In our fifties it is important for recovery type exercises that can be added to your current regimin.

This period of a womens life it is important to allow your body to recover with stretching, sleeping and rest days in between intense workouts.

Some great programs for this would be Yoga, Pilates and balance training.

Yoga has some great benefits for those in their fifties; flexibility, balance, reduced anxiety, bone health, joint health and helps to reduce blood pressure.

It is important to realize that if you have reached your fifties and you have yet to begin an exercise program, it is not too late to start.

Adding daily activity of any kind can have such a profound affect on your physical and mental wellness, regardless if it is a home workout or within a gym.

For the past few years I have been streaming my workouts through BeachBody on demand and I love having over 600 workouts of all types at the push of a button.

Working out at home has been the best thing for me to maintain my activity and not let my busy life get in the way.

In order to maintain a level of overall wellness, it is important to have some type of physical activity daily.

Finding what fits into your schedule and your exercise style so that you will be successful on your fitness journey is important.

If you struggle to maintain a program get an accountability partner to do it with you or at least someone to answer to daily.

Remember this is not about achieving the perfect body, but taking care of the body we have so that we may live a healthy life.

However you choose to add in activity, make sure that you consult with your physician to be sure your in the right place, especially if you have any health issues.

Enjoy the journey.

Till next week

xoxo

Sonya

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