wellness
FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 16, 2018 • WELLNESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 29
Beginning a workout at any age or skill level
Our bodies crave exercise at all ages,
whether that means daily walks, fi tness
classes or a night of dancing. Although
physical fi tness may look diff erent at age
65 than it did at 20, being active on a regular
basis is still important to maintaining
health and well-being.
Exercise helps establish better balance
and fl exibility and reduces falls. It
improves sleep patterns and boosts mood.
But it can be diffi cult to adapt our fi tness
routines or start new ones as our bodies
change with age.
An overview at www.cdc.gov outlines
weekly goals for amount and types of exercise
for people over 65. Below are fi ve exercises
that can be modifi ed for diff erent
skill levels and range of motion and can be
done almost anywhere, anytime.
If you prefer working out in a gym
environment, some health plans, including
UnitedHealthcare, off er gym memberships
at no additional cost. To learn more,
visit UHCMedicarePlans.com.
Talk with your doctor about healthy
ways to incorporate fi tness into your routine.
For individuals recovering from an
injury, consider seeking advice from a
physical therapist who may identify areas
requiring special focus.
Squats: A familiar movement, bending
and lift ing to pick up a grandchild or a bag
of groceries requires training to help avoid
back injury. Fine-tune your form by trying
this move that can build muscle strength
in the glutes, abdomen and leg muscles.
Begin by standing in front of a chair. With
your weight in your heels and big toes,
slightly drive your knees out, squeeze your
glutes and lower yourself to the chair. To
come up, lean forward slightly and push
your knees out again. Repeat. If you’re
able, try the move without the chair.
Push-ups: Drop and give us two, or 10
or 12. No matter how many push-ups you
can muster, making time for this all-star
exercise off ers a high return on investment
- building strength, balance and stability.
For beginners, push-ups can be
done against a tall counter, rather than
all the way down to the fl oor. Stand with
your palms on a counter and feet fl at on
the fl oor. Keeping your elbows tight to
your side, lower your upper body slowly
until it taps the counter. Hold the position
for one second, come up and repeat.
As you get stronger, you can progress to
lower counters or tables until you’ve made
it to the fl oor.
Single-leg balance drill: Boost your stability
and balance by including this exercise
into your at-home workout rotation.
It can even be done while brushing teeth
or washing dishes. Start by removing your
shoes so your foot muscles can feel the
fl oor. Stand with your feet fl at on the
fl oor, then shift your weight to your left
leg and slowly bend your right knee, aiming
to get your thigh parallel to the fl oor.
Hold for fi ve to 10 seconds, depending on
your strength and stability, then, return
that foot to the fl oor. Repeat this motion
10 times on the same leg, before switching
to the opposite side. To increase diffi culty,
add some weight to one hand and transfer
it from hand to hand while balancing.
And don’t worry - a little wobble means
you’re making those muscles work!
Planks: Side, center, forearm or - you
guessed it - all of the above! Planking
is a great way to engage your abdominals
while strengthening and lengthening
spine, back and shoulder muscles.
Begin on all fours, with your hands under
or slightly behind your shoulders. Extend
your legs straight behind you and come
up onto your toes. Keep your eyes focused
downward, pull your belly button toward
your spine and lower your midsection so
your body forms a straight line. Beginners
can drop their knees to the fl oor. Engage
your core and hold the pose for 10 to
15 seconds. For side planks, start lying
on your side, with knees stacked one on
top of the other and bent so your heels
are behind you. Rise up onto one elbow,
stacked under your shoulder, with your
palm spread. Squeeze your glutes and lift
your hip. Look forward and raise your top
hand to the ceiling.
Yoga: If you haven’t already, it’s time to
give yoga a go. Th is holistic practice blending
exercise and mindfulness is time-tested,
has few age or ability barriers and off ers
benefi ts ranging from increasing fl exibility
to reducing falls. Two good starting positions
are downward dog and warrior one.
For downward dog, start the same way
you start a plank but push your backside
to the ceiling rather than toward the fl oor,
so your legs are straight and your torso is
straight. Keep your heels down and head
relaxed. Th e more fl exible you are, the
closer together you can keep your feet.
From downward dog, raise one leg and
step it forward and place it between your
hands. Walk your hands back, lower your
back heel and slowly rise up. Bend your
front knee and raise your hands above
your head. You are now in warrior one.
Consult your doctor prior to beginning
an exercise program or making changes
to your lifestyle or health care routine.
Courtesy BPT
/www.cdc.gov
