Anti-aging exercise: heart healthy

Anti-aging exercise programs need to include exercises for your heat (cardio exercises) as well as exercises to strengthen your muscles  and those improve your balance and co-ordination.

Medical advice is that we should  to exercise in ways that will increase our heart rate for 20 minutes each day. Such activities have many beneficial effects. They can:

• Protect your heart
• Keep your blood pressure at more normal levels
• Help regulate your insulin levels so they remain in balance
• Reduce stress and protect your memory
• Improve mood - even in cases of clinical depression
• Assist with weight loss - especially losing abdominal or 'belly' fat

With so many health benefits you will want to include some Anti-aging exercise in your daily activities.

How much cardio exercise do you do each day? Researchers tell us that 20 -45 minutes a day is more than enough. In fact they advise us not do over do exercise.  Long periods, a few hours a day for example, are NOT a good health habit. Such extended periods or cardio vascular exercise can: over tax your body and lead to bone loss (Osteoporosis). Athletes,who often exercise for extended periods, usually have an experienced trainer and/or doctor monitoring their training. Still, it has been shown that professional cyclists, swimmers and even runners can suffer excessive bone loss from extensive their training.

If you are doing regular cardio workouts as part of your Anti-aging exercise program, you want to keep your workout within the 20 - 45 minute range.

You have many activities from which to choose:

• Walking is an excellent exercise as we age. And it has the advantage of helping your balance and co-ordination as well as having benefits for strengthening your muscles. To read more about how to use walking as your exercise, check out: Walking as an anti-aging exercise
• Stair climbing is another good choice. What is interesting about stair climbing is that  going UP the stairs has been shown to be good cardio conditioner and going down the stairs helps create stronger bones.
  
• Cycling also offers a good cardio workout. But if this is your choice, be sure to include something that will strengthen your bones. Cycling is not good for bone building. In face professional cyclists sometimes suffer from Osteopenia or Osteoporosis if they do not include weight bearing activities in their exercise routine. See: Weight bearing activities
• Nordic walking. In recent years something called Nordic Walking has become popular - especially with those who want to exercise outdoors on dirt roads or walking tracts.Here is a youtube video explaining how to do  Nordic walking.
  
• Swimming has also become popular too - especially among those who have joined a health club. Swimming gives a good cardio workout but it does nothing to help your bone density. (This is why most professional swimmers also lift weights. They do the weight lifting so they do not develop bone loss: Osteopenia or Osteoporosis.)
  

Here are are other activities that meet the criteria for good anti-aging exercises.

• Dancing - all sorts of dancing. Anything that gets your heart rate up. Yes, you can dance your way to good health. It is fun and anyone can do it. You do not have to go to a dance club, you can dance in your own living room, kitchen or any room without a rug or carpet. (I used to dance in the kitchen with my German shepherd until he got too old.)
• Jumping rope is another choice. Jumping, even jumping in place, has also been shown to stimulate bone growth. Of course if you have Osteoporosis or Osteopenia, do check with your health care provider before jumping for exercise.
  
• Some of the prefatory workouts for karate and other sports can also make for cardio vascular improvement.
  

Please, it does not matter what you do. What matters is that you get your heart pumping and that you are breathing deeply for about 20 minutes at least 3 or 4 times a week. If you do these activities, you will be adding years to your lifespan AND putting off the day that the markers of 'old age' begin to show in your life. Oh, yes, such activities will also help your memory and cognition.

Cardiovascular activities are an important part of any Anti-aging exercise plan.

If you want to learn more about the kinds of exercise that can ward off some of the loses people experience in old age, go to

• What you can do prevent falls after age 60 and to keep from developing the 'old person' shuffle as you age
• Weight bearing activities to age proof your body

If you have been doing cardio exercises, will you share your experience with others? There is nothing like hearing from some one who  has 'been there, done that' to motivate us to try something new.

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