Training your body each day is so important for your overall health and wellness. What you do should vary in the type of daily activity as well as the intensity in which you do the exercise.
Strength Training is a type of physical exercise specializing in the use of weight and resistance to induce muscular contraction which builds the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. This type of exercise should be done every other day to give the muscles time to repair and build. Examples of equipment which can be used are bodyweight, dumbbells, resistance bands, and air balls.
Balance Training is exercise which challenges the body to maintain proper postural control throughout a series of exercises with demands placed on it. Balance work is typically done while standing still or doing transitional movements. It can also be modified to be seated with the core stabilizing the body in a chair, allowing for strength to be built over time. This type of exercise can be done daily to help with posture and overall balance control.
Flexibility Training is exercise which includes stretching to maintain and increase range of motion in a joint or group of joints. Also, the ability to move joints effectively through a complete range of motion and to lengthen the muscles is induced. Activities include stretching routines, yoga, and tai chi. This type of exercise can also be done daily.
Cardiovascular Training is physical exercise of varying levels from low to high intensity. It gets the heart rate up along with respiration, and uses large muscle groups repeatedly. High intensity includes HIIT(High Intensity Interval Training) workouts which get the heart rate up then allows it to lower slightly before bringing it back up. These workouts can be very beneficial for overall cardio endurance, and can be done in shorter duration workouts. HIIT can be taxing on the body so doing them two to three times a week at most is recommended. Other high intensity activities include jogging, fast paced biking, boxing, and lap swimming. Low intensity workouts include walking, recumbent biking, slower pool aerobics. Low intensity is okay to do daily.
Ideally, you should be able to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate endurance activity per week as recommended by the Center for Disease Control(CDC). This is prescribed for “generally fit” adults aged 65 and older. It sounds like a lot but remember it can be done in smaller workouts throughout the day. You can break it down to ten to fifteen minute mini workouts and see how quickly the time accumulates! Find what you enjoy and try to include exercises each day to improve strength, balance, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. Reap the benefits of being All Over Strong!
Stay happy, healthy, & positive always!
Meredith