Smart exercise can put seniors on the right path

It Starts With A Plan…And A Checkup - Senior health and fitness don’t happen by magic. To ‘score’ a lifetime of health, older fitness enthusiasts need a game plan. The kick-off is a visit with your doctor. Together you can set ACHIEVABLE ‘goals’ for both the short and long term…something more than just raising a heart rate, for example. It’s also important for seniors to give themselves INTERIM REWARDS for the progress they make towards older fitness and health. Taking the time to create a written plan and timetable will go a long way towards establishing a senior health and fitness program that can be adhered to not just for a few weeks…but for a lifetime.

The Right Tools for the Job…And Your Workout - Seniors who are ‘serious’ about achieving better health through exercise don’t leave their fitness to chance the way their grandparents did. They create a workout regimen that’s challenging enough to promote senior health, but enjoyable enough that they’ll stick to it. They start a journal so that they can chart their progress in areas including weight loss and heart rate. Senior health enthusiasts, especially experienced older fitness fans, may want to invest in fitness devices from digital blood pressure monitors for the wrist to wireless muscle toners, as well as gadgets designed to make workouts easier, such as step- and distance-counters.

Where Seniors Do It - Seniors are as divided in their opinion of the best place to exercise as they are on what to do. Many seniors use their workout to get out and get some fresh air. The last thing they want to do to raise their heart rate is to exercise in a climate-controlled health club. They prefer outdoor activities like walking tours suitable for seniors. Other fitness-minded seniors, especially older fitness enthusiasts, say there’s nothing like a professional gym. And for seniors with a desire to keep their workout close to home, an in-house gym or workout 'station' is the ideal choice.

Why Suffer When You Don’t Have To? - Seniors, unlike their younger counterparts on the workout floor, may not be there to “feel the burn,” but to avoid it! Studies show that seniors who exercise can avoid a wide range of painful health conditions including HEARTBURN and LEG NUMBNESS. Seniors who lower their heart rate through exercise and maintain a general level of fitness also lower their risk for a wide range of life-threatening diseases. including heart attack and stroke. Older fitness enthusiasts who choose low impact workouts improve their cardio-vascular fitness, slow bone loss, and reduce the risk of breaks, fractures and other challenges to senior health.

The Secret of Success - There’s no ‘magic bullet’ that guarantees senior health and fitness. There’s not even a ‘magic’ workout or exercise. If there’s any ‘magic’ in senior fitness, it’s a magic word. That word is COMMITMENT. For any exercise program or fitness regimen to work, you need to follow it regularly…for life. A great way to stay motivated is to KEEP A DAILY EXERCISE JOURNAL. Record the kind of exercise you did that day, your heart rate, and anything else that’s meaningful to you. You’ll feel great when you review the progress you’ve made in creating a lifetime of good health for yourself.

Learn the fun way for seniors to be fit and healthy at: http://www.smart-shape.com