There are lots of different ways to keep
fit
Most of us are real slouches when it comes to fitness. For us, it's great
to watch a championship on television, but quite another thing to build fitness
into our weekly schedule. Yet it's not hard to do – and you're never too old to
begin.
Exercise is a mainstay of your overall health and fitness, yet you only need
to do it for 2½ hours a week to stay in good condition. Different forms of
exercise can help improve cardiovascular fitness, bone and muscle strength,
stamina, balance and flexibility, but you'll need to pick a couple of types to
gain all these benefits. Exercise that you enjoy will also help reduce stress
and anxiety, and it can be as social as you want.
If you're not the sort who's already signed-up to a gym or who's continued to
play sports even after leaving school, you could start by thinking of everyday
activities as an aid to getting fit. Take walking up and down stairs, for
example. This not only keeps your legs in good shape, but five minutes of
climbing stairs each day will help to maintain bone density and reduce your risk
of heart disease. And 10 minutes going up and down will burn off 100 calories.
Use stairs instead of lifts and escalators whenever possible, and you're on your
way to a stronger you.
In fact, any sort of domestic chore can be turned into a form of exercise. It
helps keep you flexible. You could try holding a couple of tins of soup when
doing arm lifts and stretches, increasing the weight as you get stronger, then
graduating, say, to two-litre bottles of water. Gardening is also particularly
good – but do some stretches and take a warm bath (not a shower) after your
first go of the season, to get rid of any stiffness you may feel. And remember
to bend your knees slightly when lifting things, to avoid injuring your back,
especially when loading the supermarket shopping into the boot of the car.
Walking, rambling and running are other ways of strengthening your heart and
your leg muscles. They increase stamina and maintain bone strength as well. But
the walking or rambling have to be done at a brisk pace if you’re to gain these
benefits – you need to be mildly out of breath if you talk at the same time.
Swimming is another activity that needs to be done briskly to improve muscle
strength, cardiovascular fitness and flexibility, while cycling is good for the
heart, strength of the lower body, balance and flexibility of the feet and
ankles. Dancing energetically is also great for flexibility, as well as for
improved balance, co-ordination and cardiovascular health (if you went to ballet
classes as a child, you've no doubt got excellent posture as a grown-up).
Speaking of classes, you'll find plenty of keep-fit and aerobics classes, not
to mention gyms, close to home, wherever you live. Just make sure the instructor
is qualified. A good instructor will always ask if you have any condition, such
as a vulnerable back, that might put particular exercises off-limits for you.
If you're the outdoor type or don’t want to lash out on the cost of
conventional gym sessions – or maybe your GP's practice has suggested it to you
– then the Green Gym might be just what you're looking for. With some 60 centres
around the UK and Northern Ireland, groups meet in their local area at least
once a week for a session of up to three hours. The scheme, which is free of
charge, has evolved from conservationist ideals, and offers environmental
conservation or gardening activities with a trained leader.
Sessions open and close with basic warm-up exercises and cool-down
activities. Equipment, and instruction on how to use it, is supplied. Children
under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, although they may not be able to join
in everything because of insurance restrictions. Now, the charity BTCV, which
organises the scheme, is hoping to set up Green Gyms specially for children and
young people.
For further information on how you can help beautify your local community
while engaged in a workout at a pace that suits you, contact the BTCV national
office on 01302 388 820, for the number of the centre closest to you, or visit
www.btcv.org/greengym. |
