Many doctors agree that a regular exercise is a must for good health. Laughing is one. Like any physical activity, laughing also burns calories and works one’s abs as well as facial muscles to benefit the body and mind. Regular exercise takes the form of physical activities which, if integrated into one’s daily routine outside of a gymnasium, can make one’s body and mind healthier. Examples of everyday activities include climbing the stairs in your house, and doing the house works such as mopping the floor or wiping your kitchen counters, and gardening like raking dried leaves and mowing the lawn. All these activities can help burn calories and help you maintain an active lifestyle which doctors say is an important key to good health.
Climbing the stairs at least four times a day definitely gives you a cardiovascular workout and strengthens some muscles in your legs. Doing a jumping rope or dancing for 10 to 15 minutes to the tune of your favorite music will get you sweating—which is a good sign of your calories being burned. Walking is an easy exercise for both genders. A brisk walk is good for the heart, lungs and waistline. If one has a sit-down job in the office, a brisk walk during a break time can refresh the body and mind for the rest of the work day. If outdoor biking is not possible, go indoor biking, using a stationary bike to help you strengthen your leg muscles, or you can go bowling for a few hours to burn some 260 calories per hour, which is good for the blood pressure.
There are other ways to exercise even without the facilities of a gym. If you have a car, leave it behind by walking your way to the corner store; otherwise, park your car away from the mall entrance and walk. If you are in the workplace, take the stairs instead of the lift or elevator, and when using an escalator, walk it up, not just riding it. Whenever and wherever possible, always practice deep breathing to provide you with a sense of calm and balance.
For older persons the best exercises can be the neck stretch, shoulder raises and rotations, shoulder push outs, arm or truck stretch, hip stretch, hamstring stretch, and arm curling, among others. These are aimed to lose weight only if supplemented with the right diet. The neck stretch is done by moving the head from side to side and slowly dropping the head to shoulder level, and repeating the movement to as many times as necessary. You can do the shoulder raises and rotations by shrugging your shoulders upward toward the ears, and rotating your shoulders slowly in one direction. The arm or trunk stretch can be done by stretching one arm back behind the body, and slowly turning the head, shoulder and trunk as if to look behind. By the hip stretch you sit on the edge of a chair, raise a leg up to the chest, return your foot to the floor and extend the leg as far as possible. To do your muscles behind your knees, perform the hamstring stretch by placing one leg on another chair and keeping it straight while you are stretching your arms forward until you feel tension behind your knees. Breathe before repeating this for a few times. Another easy exercise for an older person is the arm circling where both arms are moved to cross in front of the face, and then the movement is reversed until the arms are outstretched at the sides of the body.
Now are you ready for any of these exercises?
