Exercise to look 10 years younger
If clothes and skin are the aluminum siding on a house, then muscles and bones are the framework and the foundation. To look good in the skin you’re in, you have to exercise.
I know, not everybody likes to exercise…except maybe Jack Lalanne, who happens to be in his 80s and achieved that age by exercising every day.
Simply put, exercise is like the atomic bomb in the war on aging. It’s the biggest gun in your arsenal.
Exercise improves blood pressure and makes you less insulin-resistant. It boosts fitness, strength and stamina. It can also reduce depression.
Regular physical activity speeds up your metabolic rate, helping burn calories and reduces obesity. And higher metabolic rates make the body more resistant to the damage of free radicals.
Start the day with at least five minutes of physical activity within an hour of waking up. It could be a five-minute walk or five minutes on a stationary bicycle. This also boosts your metabolism.
Your exercise program doesn’t have to be difficult or strenuous. Just get out and do something you enjoy, such as aerobics, bike riding, swimming, bowling, and golfing, skiing roller skating or walking.
Aim to exercise at least 30minutes a day, four or five times per week. If you’ve been inactive for a while, start slowly and build up to your goal to prevent injury.
A dramatic study of 17,000 men showed that burning 2,000 calories per week added more than a year to their lives. If you liver to 75, that makes you in effect a year younger than someone who only makes it to 74.
If you can’t exercise regularly, at least become more active. Get off the couch and do something…. anything.
Here are ways to add exercise to your life-today:
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Park at the far end of the lot and walk to the mall entrance – as long as the area is safe.
- Walk or bike to work if you live close enough.
- Do gardening or yard work.
- Even regular housework or washing the car is exercise that can have a positive effect on health