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Exercising with a Health Challenge
Exercise is good for everyone, but for some it can prove to be more difficult to get the proper amount of exercise time in each week. If you are dealing with some type of health issue you will understand just how difficult it can be to exercise every day.
For certain conditions low impact exercises can be really beneficial.
Regular exercise has actually been shown to help those who are suffering from depression, anxiety attacks, and can even help slow down osteoporosis.
Low impact exercises help to release the endorphins in your brain which in turn make you feel more alive and alert. If you suffer from achy and sore joints exercise will help make you feel better. The tough part is just getting going!
If exercising is challenging because your body hurts then there are a couple of things you can do.
Take a warm bath or shower to warm your joints before exercising
Start exercising very slowly
Visualize yourself exercising
Listen to music while warming up
These tips have been very helpful to people who have to live with the pain of arthritis each day. Sometimes not focusing so much on your body actually allows you to get moving a little quicker each day.
Every time you exercise you must always pay attention to your body. If your routine is too much then slow the pace down. Don't try to keep up with the rest of the class.
After exercising your body may feel a little sore and tired. This is to be expected and perfectly normal. But if you are experiencing lots of pain more than 2 - 3 hours later then you may want to seek medical attention. Always inform your doctor when starting any new exercise program especially if you have a health challenge. They can possibly recommend ways and methods to help ease your body into your new routine.
If you suffer from asthma your doctor can advise you on how to use your inhaler so that you can get the most out of your exercise routine without having an attack. Many Olympic athletes deal with asthma and still manage to exercise and train daily.
Once you have found ways to exercise around your health issue you will find that your mind and your body both feel much better. Within a couple of weeks you will probably notice that you can exercise a little longer without feeling so sore afterwards. Don't let any health problem stop you from exercising, with a little help and determination you can manage anything.
Low Impact Family Exercise
Exercising as a family has lots of benefits. First it provides you with some great quality time together. Plus it shows your children that exercise can be fun and is a great way to instil some healthy habits into them. Too many children today spend so much time in front of computers and video games that they don't understand the benefits of getting some exercise.
Exercise doesn't have to be running and huffing and puffing around the gym. There are plenty of easy low impact exercises that can be done together. A couple that come to mind are walking, hiking, swimming and golfing. What better way to get outside with your family and have fun!
Just teaching your young child how to ride a bike or learn to skate is exercise! You are showing them how to be active and get some much needed fresh air.
Many parents put their children into baseball, soccer and even karate lessons, which is fine. But what is better is when both parents and children exercise together. So why not go on a family hike once a month?
To get your children into the habit of exercising you could allow them to pick the activity. It could be going on a mountain bike trail, ice skating, horseback riding, even going out to play miniature golf.
As with any exercise you want to make sure that your kids are wearing the correct type of clothing. This includes any protective clothing such as helmets, knee and elbow pads. If you are hiking then a good hiking boot is essential. You want to prevent injuries if at all possible.
Before you head out for the day or afternoon make sure that everyone has had the chance to warm up. This could be just doing a few jumping jacks or running on the spot for a couple of minutes. Even bending over to see who can touch their toes is a great warm up exercise that is fun for the family.
Make your chosen activity more enjoyable by taking along a camera and shooting a few pictures of your family outing. If you are hiking or walking you never know what animal, bird or unusual flower you might see.
Always go out prepared by having a small first aid kit in your car or better yet carry it along in a back pack. Hiking is a great way to teach your children how to read a map and use a compass. They won't even realize they are learning something new as they'll be having so much fun.
Why Healthy Eating Impacts Your Fitness Routine
As much as you may have heard that eating healthy and exercising go together many people just don't put the two together. This is really a shame as the benefits you get from improving both aspects of your life improve tenfold when combined.
If all you change in your life is to take up walking or cycling you will still get some benefits, but not as many. Think about it this way. If you start walking thirty minutes a day but still continue to eat the same foods and drink tons of pop or beer, do you think you will lose weight or feel better. You may to some extent but you could feel so much better if you change what you eat as well.
