Exercise and Aging

I enjoyed my daily workout this afternoon. Since my daughter was with me, I just stayed for an hour and a half. I like to take my time in the gym if I am on my own. (methinks I have too much time on my hands. ) Later at home, hubby showed me the February 20 Newsweek edition on, “Exercise and Aging- How to Stay Fit Longer” . After reading the article , it truly affirmed the Fitness First expenses and the stationary bicycle recently purchased last month.

“A century ago the world’s major scourges were infectious and childhood diseases. Today it’s coronary-artery illness, diabetes and cancer. These are lifestyle disorders that have everything to do with poor diets and sedentarism,” says Holden MacRae, a sports medicine professor at California’s Pepperdine University. “With our cars, computers, electronic games and cell phones, we’ve engineered movement out of our lives.”

Ouch. They are talking about me before I went into my “healthy mode”. I have diabetes, ischemia and a sedentary work dealing with computers! (Okay though it sounds crazy, the above diseases are now controlled with medication and exercise.)

What caught my eye was that aside from the cardio exercises and working out with weights (which is my daily workout) , one needs core strength.

I didn’t know that.

And these are the ways to tighten the midsection.

1. Pilates
2. Yoga
3. Tai Chi

Fitness First offers both Yoga and Pilates. I wonder if my body can stand the stretching and bending. My fractured leg is still quite unstable. If there is a step that requires me to lift one leg, I will teeter. Anyway, I’ll see if I can take it.

Talking about weight loss, my endocrinologist says I need to lose 10 more pounds. Losing that blasted 10 pounds is the hardest thing ever. My fat cells are stubborn and just loves to hold on to that water. On the other hand, I am afraid to lose more weight for fear I will look older. A little body fat on the face is good.