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Exercises for Women over 60

Women over 60 who exercise for at least 30 minutes three times per week have the heart, lungs, and muscles of a woman ten years younger. The kind of exercise that you do depends on what effect you want to see. Stretching promotes flexibility, makes movement easier, and decreases the risk of muscle injury; strength training promotes muscle strength and builds up bones; endurance exercises strengthen the heart and improve overall fitness. The best workouts will combine all three types of exercise.

Each time your foot hits the ground you apply a stress to your bones, which respond by maintaining or sometimes increasing their strength, which can be measured in terms of increased bone mineral density (BMD). The higher the impact of the activity contact, the greater the benefit to your bones. This is why weight-bearing exercises that include running or jumping are of greater benefit to your bone health than gentler weight-bearing exercises such as walking.


These exercises encourage mobility and preserve muscle strength and tone.  Try to do each set at least 10 times a day.

UPPER BODY EXERCISES :

These promote :

  • flexibility of the shoulders, neck and back, and

  • Alleviate problems such as headaches and painfully knotted muscles in the neck and back

  • They also improve your posture.

Head rolls
Starting with your chin on your chest, slowly roll your head around to your right shoulder.  Hold this position and then slowly roll your head back, and around to your left shoulder. Repeat 10 times and change sides.

IMPROVING FEET AND LEG MOBILITY:

Maintaining mobility and flexibility in your feet and weight-bearing joints is important as you get older, since it will help to prevent debilitating physical conditions such as arthritis.

Kicking your boots off
Kicks not only increase articulation in the knees and hips, they also relieve anger and tension. Support yourself by holding on to a door frame and kick forwards, as if you were kicking off shoes.  Do this several times with each leg.


Stepping up and down
Stand on a soft mat with your feet slightly apart and kneel down on your right knee, followed by the other knee.  Now, leading with your right foot, and keeping your spine vertical, go back to a standing position.  Repeat until your thigh muscle gets tired and then repeat with your left leg.  This is the way that you should stand up after you have been sitting or working on the floor.

WAIST & LOWER BODY  EXERCISES:

After the menopause, fat distribution changes so that more fat is laid down on the waist and abdomen.  These movements will help to keep your abdominal muscles toned and your hip joints loose and flexible.

Spinning top
Following the four steps indicated below, kneel on the floor and shift your weight on to your bottom on the right-hand side of you.  Bring your knees up and over on to the left side.  Return to a keeling position, then lift up your bottom and sit on your right-hand side again.  If you repeat this movement, lifting your bottom over your feet, you should move around in a complete circle.  You may need to use your hands to help you at first.

Bottom racing
Practicing this simple exercise regularly will keep your buttocks toned.  Sit with your legs straight out in front of you and move forwards on your buttocks as fast as you can.  Keep your arms stretched out straight in front of you.

 

Standing spiral twists
This straightforward exercise will help keep your spine supple.  Stand with your feet apart, your arms loosely by your sides, and twist at the waist as far as you can.  Now twist in the other direction and increase your momentum.  Let your arms swing under their own gravity.

Before you begin any type of exercise program, make sure you consult your doctor, especially if you are over the age of 60.

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Article contributed by  WF Team on 7th August, 2004

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Stretching: 20th Anniversary (Stretching, 20th Ed)
by Bob Anderson, Jean Anderson (Illustrator), Christy Turlington

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