TAG | Muscle-strengthening exercises
For women, muscles can start to deteriorate as soon as they turn 25. This puts women at a higher risk of injury. Women’s muscles also deteriorate at a much faster rate than men’s as they age. Additionally, men usually have more muscle to begin with than women so they can afford to lose some muscle, whereas women cannot. It is also harder for women to replace any muscle that they lose. However, with exercise women can build up their muscle strength. Muscles are sort of like investing in your savings, the more you invest in your muscles now – the better off you are for the future.
There are four key target areas that women should work on now, so that as they age they won’t be in pain and will be able to walk on their own.
1. The Core – There are several muscles in the core that you should work on. The multifidus muscles should be strong to ensure that you are not placing extra strain on the upper part of your lower back. Strengthening this muscle can go a long way as you will experience less back pain.
What to do – The forearm plank can help strengthen and build up your core muscles.
2. The Knees – The knee contains tendon, not muscle, the strength of your leg and hip muscles and hamstrings all help to play a role in stability. It also helps to prevent knee strain and injury, Women’s knees are more vulnerable to injury than men’s because they have wider hips. Wearing high heels also does not help as this causes pain in the knees because wearing heels shifts your weight forward. Knee pain can make it difficult to walk.
What to do – To strengthen the muscles in your knees, do a simple leg curl by lying on your stomach and slowly bring your right heel towards your bum and slowly return it to the floor. Do the same for your left leg, and do this 10 times with each leg, every day.
3. The Pelvis – The muscles in your pelvis help to regulate bladder and bowel function as well as help to facilitate the actions of the spine and legs. Women are more vulnerable to weakness in this area especially after childbirth.
What to do – Lie on your back with bent knees while having your feet on the floor, draw in your lower belly muscles tightly and count to five. Repeat this exercise 10 times, twice daily.
4. The Upper Body – As women grow older, they tend to lose the most muscles in their lower limbs such as in the hamstrings, thighs, and calves; however they tend to notice functional problems in the upper body first. As humans, we walk around all day carrying our own body weight, which works great for our legs, but as people get older we don’t push or lift things as much as they did when they were young. If your deltoids, triceps, biceps, and trapezius muscles are strong, they will help you make everyday tasks such as lifting groceries easier on you. Additionally, if those muscles are weak, they will cause you more neck strain.
What to do: Push-ups are a great way to keep up your upper body strength.
Tag(s): Nutribar
Most of us are a little reluctant when it comes to exercise. ‘It’s too much effort’, we groan. ‘I haven’t got the time, between my [income-generating activity], my [hobby], my [social/emotional obligation]‘ we whine. The fact is that you can always sqeeze in a little exercise. Yes, always. It can be as easy as getting off the bus a few extra stops before yours, and walking. Should you be feeling ambitious, make it a brisk one. Here’s some tips to help smooth the process out for you.
Warm Up, Cool Down - Spend at least five to ten minutes warming up before “shocking” your body with any serious exercise. It gets the heart beating faster, helps the muscles work more efficiently, and reduces the risk of injury to your body. Stretching is good for getting the blood circulating. However, you may also want to do some very mild aerobics involving the muscles you intend to use (i.e. a slow jog before running). A good warm-up will actually leave you perspiring mildly.
Bend and Stretch – Stand with you feet shoulder width apart, arms at side. Slowly bend forward from the waist, gently stretching the spine, until your hands touch the floor. Don’t strain yourself. If necessary, flex your knees slightly.
Arm Circles – Stand with arms straight out at sides, palms up. Keeping arms straight, make circles in the air with your hands, starting with very tiny movements and then making the circles as wide as possible. Repeat exercise, making circles in opposite direction.
Side Stretch – Stand with feet apart and knees slightly bent. Repeat with your other leg.
Sitting Stretch – Sitting with legs stretched out in front of you, place bottom of right foot on inner thigh of left leg (or against inside of knee). Reach gently forward from hips with both arms, sliding them along extended leg as far as you can go without feeling pain. Keep back straight. Repeat with other leg.
Hamstring Stretch – Stand straight, holding back of chair or doorknob. Bend one leg up behind you, gently pull up, grasping by the foot. The supporting leg should be slightly bent. Repeat with other leg.
Forward Lunge – Stand with right foot stretched out in front of you, arms at your side. Slowly bend right knee until knee is directly above your ankle. Keep other leg straight. Repeat with other leg.
Shoulder Stretch – Stand with knees slightly bent, hands clasped behind back. Slowly lift arms up, keeping hands clenched. To increase the stretch, bend forward at the waist and raise the arms higher. Hold for 15 seconds.
At Least Go For A Walk - One of the easiest exercises you can add to your busy day is walking. Walking is effective, and it requires no special equipment beyond good walking shoes. Keep your posture straight, not bent forward, as you walk, as if there were a string attached to the top of your head and someone were pulling it up. Let your arms swing freely. There are many books available that will explain in detail the mechanics of a “power” walk. Check your local bookstore or library.
The best thing you can do for your weight is to gain a few pounds—of muscle! Muscle burns more energy than fat, even when resting. Five extra pounds of muscle lets you eat 375 more calories in a day and not gain weight. If you maintain your calorie intake, energy for new muscle will come from fat stores, so you will actually lose weight.
Don’t be fooled by what the scales say. When clothes start fitting better but the scales show you weigh more, you’ll know the fat that was formerly there has been replaced by muscle elsewhere. Muscle-strengthening exercises include weightlifting, leg-lifts and standard pushups. If you have the space, invest in home exercise equipment.
