If indoor winter workouts are beginning to feel like drudgery,
or if you've given up on exercise altogether, here are some interesting
ways to get back onto to the road to fitness.
Try tai chi. A growing number of North Americans are discovering
that the 1,200-year-old, super-slow-motion version of kung fu has
a lot to offer. At first glance, it looks like your grandmother
could do it. She can, but tai chi can be as demanding as any of
the martial arts.
It consists of a series of martial-arts poses that flow from one to
the next like a dance. As you physically adapt to the forms, you will
challenge yourself by crouching lower, reaching farther, and kicking
higher. As you do, your balance, flexibility, coordination, and posture
steadily improve.
It's great conditioning and enhances performance in sports like golf,
tennis, and baseball. Beginning classes are easy to find at the
YMCA, university continuing education programs, or martial arts
studios.
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How about the trampoline? It debuted as an Olympic sport last summer
in Sydney and is a favorite among those who like gymnastics. Most instructors
pay close attention to safety, but be sure you have found a safety-oriented
class. Check to see if landing areas are piled high with cushioning,
that the instructor has a background in gymnastics, and that the instructor
will "spot" students doing high exercises.
Stretching increases
flexibility for all ages
If you can hardly reach your shoes or reach something on the top shelf,
it's time to limber up.
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say people have to regularly flex muscles
and move joints through their full range of motion to prevent muscles
from shortening and tightening. People in their 40s, 50s, and beyond
can be as flexible as younger people if they put a little effort into
it.
Basic stretches should focus on the body's major muscle groups. Before
stretching, warm up by walking while gently pumping your arms or do a
favorite exercise at low intensity for five minutes.
Don't bounce or lock your joints, but stretch slowly into position.
Seek mild discomfort, not pain, and hold for 30 seconds. Try these stretches:
Chest: With arms bent, pull elbows gently back. Inhaling deeply, hold
for 30 seconds.
Hamstring: Sit on a bed or bench, one leg over the side, one leg straight
out in front. With hands below the knee on the straight leg, gently reach
forward until you feel the stretch in the back of your thigh.
Inner thigh: Lie with knees bent halfway and feet together. Let knees
fall apart to feel the stretch.
Quadriceps: Stand a foot away from a wall, facing it. Steady yourself
against the wall with one elbow and hand. Use the other to pick up the
foot below it. Hold until you feel the stretch in the front of the thigh.
Upper thigh: Lie on a bed or bench as for the hamstring stretch. Gently
pull knee to chest.
Lower back: Lie on a firm surface with knees bent. Pull one knee toward
your shoulder, then the other.
Calf: Stand a little away from a wall facing it. With both hands on
the wall, extend one leg back keeping the heel on the floor. The other
leg will be bent. Feel the calf stretch.
Shoulder: Gently pull one arm across to hold the back of the opposite
shoulder. Feel the back of the shoulder stretch. Do the other side.
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