| |
By Taralyn Jensen-Jones, Owner, TJ Life
Fitness
Boomers are not people who like to set
off
fireworks in July. Technically, the term
refers to
anyone born between 1946 and 1964; the post WWII
generation who were an integral part of the
burgeoning population "boom."
In this column, we will focus on this very
large group of
people. After all, Boomers are the
fastest
growing segment of the population, and
physical activity
is very important for all of us as we get older.
When it comes to health and wellness, a common
goal for Boomers is functional fitness
or a level
of strength, endurance, flexibility, and
balance that
enables individuals to effectively carry out
activities of
daily living. Functional fitness also helps
to preserve
independence and capacity to pursue hobbies and
sports such as golfing, tennis, cycling, hiking,
gardening, and playing with grandchildren.
Along with improved functional fitness,
Boomers
who exercise regularly may experience such
benefits as decreased body fat; increased muscle
mass; increased bone density and strength;
improved heart and lung function; lower rates of
cardiovascular disease and cancer, and an
enhanced quality of life. Boomers may
also
notice increased energy, improved balance,
improved mood, and reduced risk of depression
as a
result of regular activity.
There are lots of options for Boomers
to be
active: going for a walk, riding a bike,
dancing,
working around the house, gardening, climbing
stairs, swimming, raking leaves or getting on
the ball!
Using the FitBALL allows someone to work out at
their own pace in their own time with little
cost. For a
comprehensive program, it's important to include
balance, aerobic, strength, and stretching
exercises.
And as always, check with your physician before
starting any type of physical activity program.
On the Ball
When working with my clients, I always start
with a
few simple balance exercises. Since we have a
tendency to lose a bit of balance as we get
older,
these exercises are key. One exercise I use
with my
clients is a single leg lift. Begin by
sitting on the ball
with both feet flat on the floor, shoulder
width apart,
and hands resting on your legs or the ball.
Lift one
leg off the floor, even if it's just a couple
of inches,
and hold for 5-10 seconds. Repeat on the
other side.
Once you feel comfortable sitting on the
ball, you can
integrate other types of activity. For
aerobic exercise,
the goal is to accumulate 30 minutes of moderate
intensity physical activity on most days of
the week.
The great thing about this recommendation is
that it
can be done in three, 10-minute bouts of
low-impact
activities such as walking, cycling,
swimming, chair or
floor exercise. For a fun cardio workout,
replace your
chair with a ball when doing any type of seated
fitness routine.
If your goal is improved strength and
endurance, a
20-30 minute routine, performed 1-3 days each
week, is all it takes. Aim for one set of 8-12
repetitions for each major muscle group. To
perform
exercises for the upper and lower body, you
can use
the ball in six different positions including
sitting,
prone (face down), kneeling, side
kneeling/lying,
supine on the ball (face up) and supine on
the floor.
In addition, the ball can be used in an
incline, flat and
decline position. With all of these options,
it's hard to
get bored using the FitBALL!
To improve flexibility, the American College
of Sports
Medicine recommends static stretching for
about 10
minutes a day; and what better tool to use
than a
FitBALL which fits the natural curvature of
your spine.
Flexibility is one of the five components of
fitness, but
one that many people skip. Just 10 minutes a
day
will allow you to more comfortably perform
activities
of daily living such as bending down to tie
your shoes
or reaching up to grab something out of the
cupboard.
A great option for some Boomers is the Physio
Roll,
which is similar to the FitBALL, but shaped
like a
peanut. The peanut shape allows the Physio
Roll to
only move in one plane of motion, reducing
the risk of
falls, and increasing confidence for those
who may find
the ball too unstable.
Using the ball for physical activity is just
plain fun!
Being regularly active is important for many
reasons
and using the ball is a fabulous way to add
variety,
avoid boredom, and enhance the benefits.
About Taralyn Jensen-Jones
Taralyn is a FitBall Master Trainer and
creator of
FitBALL
Kids and FitBALL
101: Exercises for Plus
Size and Under Active Adults. She is the
owner of
her own company, TJ Life Fitness, and also works
part time at the Rocky Mountain Center for
Health
Promotion and Education in Lakewood, Colorado.
|
Welcome to the August issue of
The Health Bounce!