The study, published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, found that exercise, particularly strength training, affected mood in individuals over 62. According to Arent, one reason for that is what strength training does for seniors' self-esteem. "Strength training prevents loss of muscle mass and bone density, conditions that can interfere with the independence and quality of life of an older person," he says. "Mundane tasks that were once difficult, such as grocery shopping, are no longer an issue." And when an older person can resume abandoned physical activities, like playing with grand-kids or gardening, it's amazing how quickly his or her depression lifts.
Eye Exercise
Rub your hands together to make them warm. (You can shake them or hold them in front of a heat vent if you prefer) Then close your eyes. Cover your eyes with your warm hands. Make sure your hands do not touch your eyelids and that you do not rest your cheekbones on your hands. If you want to place the weight of your head on your hands, put the weight on the forehead. Then look at the dark. If you see spots or zaps of light, wait till you see the dark. Don't hurry. Do this at least twice a day for 5 to 15 minutes.
Exercise also helps lower your blood pressure. Your lungs will also benefit from exercise as they become better conditioned so that activities such as climbing stairs will not make you out of breath. Muscles that are not used become small and inelastic, but aerobic exercise will help tone your body by increasing muscle size, strength and flexibility while burning calories. Exercise can also help alleviate stress and make you more productive, so choose something that you enjoy and stick with it.
Arm Exercise
1. bend your arms so that there is a 90 degrees angle at the elbow
2. swing the arms forward and backward so the elbow is high at the back
3. try not to swing the arms to high or across the body in the front (hands should not be above shoulder height nor should they cross the midpoint of your body
4. keep the angle at the elbows at 90 degrees throughout the swings
It seems that almost everyone from time to time will use family life as an excuse for not having any time to exercise, missing out on even a single exercise benefit. |
