Not every woman is an athlete. Some people are simply not interested in vigorous exercise or competing in sports. They just want to exercise for good health, and that is a great reason to exercise!
Here are six things that most of us can do (always check with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have an injury or illness). These exercises help with cardiorespiratory fitness (cardio), flexibility, balance, agility and muscular strength, all of which are components of fitness. And, most of these can be done at home or outdoors!
- Walking All you need is a pair of comfortable supportive shoes. Walking briskly can be a cardio workout as long as you get to the point where you are breathing harder and your heart rate goes up. If you are unable to measure your heart rate, you can use the perceived rate of exertion (PRE) method. On a scale of 0-10, 0 feels like you are resting comfortably and 10 feels like you are gasping for air. You should exercise at about 6-8 on that scale. At this rate, you are breathing heavily, but can still carry on a conversation. If you’re new to walking for exercise, start out for 10-15 minutes. Over time, build up to walking 30-60 minutes, and do this most days of the week. For more about walking, see 6 Great Things About Walking. Benefits: cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, balance and agility (especially if you walk or hike on uneven surfaces)
- Swimming or Water Aerobics Swimming is an excellent total body workout. Like walking, you can get a cardio workout while toning muscles. Unlike walking, there is no impact. The buoyancy of the water takes the strain off the joints, making it great for people with arthritis and other joint problems as well as obese individuals. Non-swimmers can get the same benefits from a vigorous water aerobics class in chest deep water. A person who cannot run, jump or stand on one leg on land may be able to do all of these things in water! An obvious downside to swimming at the time of this posting is the fact that gyms and public pools are closed. If you have a backyard pool, you are in luck! If not, save this one for when a pool becomes available. Benefits: cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, flexibility
- Strength Training Did you know that we start losing muscle mass as early as our 30’s? See my earlier post, Honey, I Shrunk My Muscles! Strong muscles are vital to staying healthy and being able to perform daily tasks as we age. If you are concerned about managing your weight, you should know that the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you burn. Strength training is a form of weight-bearing exercise, which helps slow down bone loss. So, there are a lot of reasons to do strength training. Building strong muscles does not require a gym membership, and you don’t need a lot of heavy weight equipment at home. By using your own body weight, a few resistance bands and some dumbbells, you can put together a good strength training program. Try searching for body weight exercises on line. In some of my previous posts, you will find some body weight and resistance band moves. Benefits: strength, endurance, weight management
- Tai Chi I recently posted a blog about the benefits of Tai Chi. This gentle form of movement is great for relaxation, coordination and balance. It is accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels, and you can start out with just a few moves using a program called Tai Chi Easy. See my blog on Tai Chi Easy Benefits: balance, coordination and stress management
- Breathing Exercises If you watch a baby breathe, you will notice that her belly rises and falls with each breath. Too many adults have forgotten how to belly breathe, and instead they take shallow breaths into the chest. By practicing belly breathing a few times a day, you can re-teach yourself the best way to breathe. The easiest way to do this is lying down, but you can also do it standing or sitting. Place a hand on your belly and breathe in slowly through your nose as your belly moves outward (moving your hand away from your center). Don’t stop when your belly has moved out. Keep going until you feel your pelvic floor muscles move downward. Exhale slowly through the nose while pushing up with the pelvic floor muscles and inward with your belly (your hand will now move back in). Proper breathing will bring more air into your lungs, more oxygen into your bloodstream, and more oxygen to every cell in your body. You may enjoy combining breathing exercises with meditation. Dr. Kim Bryant of Thrive Pelvic Health recently posted a blog about using breathing to reduce anxiety. To read it, click here. Benefits: better oxygenation of all body tissues, relaxation, stress management, pelvic floor strength
- Kegel Exercises These exercises won’t help you look better, but they do something just as important — strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder. Strong pelvic floor muscles can go a long way toward preventing incontinence. While many women are familiar with Kegels, these exercises can benefit men too. To do a Kegel exercise correctly, squeeze and release the muscles you would use to stop urination or prevent you from passing gas. Alternate quick squeezes and releases with longer contractions that you hold for 10 seconds, and the release for 10 seconds. Work up to three 3 sets of 10-15 Kegel exercises each day. You can do these just about anywhere! Benefits: pelvic floor strength, may reduce incontinence