That got your attention didn’t it? The truth is we’d all like to lose weight by eating more, exercising less and adding chocolate and pastries to our diets!
Guess what? A diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables might actually let you eat more, and a well-planned work-out schedule that combines aerobic exercise and strength training may let you exercise less but sorry, I can’t help you out with the chocolate and pastry diet.
Aerobic exercise is a wonderful way to improve the capacity of your cardiovascular system, especially when working within your target heart range.
You can determine your target heart range by subtracting your age from 220 (for women) and 226 (for men) and then multiplying that figure by both 60 percent and 80 percent. The lower number indicates a safe heart rate for beginners and the higher number suggests a goal as your fitness level improves.
Aerobic exercise encourages weight loss by forcing the body to use carbohydrates and fatty acids as energy sources. But, aerobic work-outs alone won’t change or ‘sculpt’ the body and don’t offer the same advantages that a simple regimen of strength training will.
Unless you’re planning to go for the gold, using light hand or free weights two or three times each week should be sufficient . Most trainers suggest working arm and leg muscles on different days and resting each muscle group between sessions.
A regular weight training schedule offers benefits such as increased metabolic rates, improved bone density, an increase in lean muscle mass and a decreased risk of coronary disease. .
Aside from these important health boosts, strength training can also reduce or eliminate those ‘bat wings’ .and give a subtle but defined shape to the upper arms, calves and thighs.
If you don’t have any hand weights, use canned items that you have on your shelf or even plastic bottles filled with water.
Certain exercises like upper arm dips are wonderful for toning the arms and they utilize only your own body weight and a sturdy chair or table.
With your back to the table, lower yourself until your palms are resting shoulder-width apart on the table, stretch your legs out in front of you and raise and lower your body. Three sets of 15 dips should do it.
Rafe Hewitt, health educator vonsultant and public information officer for the St. Johns County Health Department, leads strength training classes for seniors at The Players Community Senior Center in Ponte Vedra Beach. Instructor Steve Martini leads a stretch and tone class at The Players that can do exactly what its name suggests.
Taking advantage of any these regular sessions or instituting your own home regimen can improve your balance, ward off or slow the effects of osteoporosis and offer a host of other health benefits.
Call me at 209-3662 or call The Players Community Senior Center at 280-3233 for more information.
Now go on — add some weight!
