The Sisyphus Comments

Easy Personal Fitness Techniques

Are you among the 68 percent of baby boomers who believe exercise is an important consideration in their lives but are having trouble fitting it into your life?

Denise Austin, physical fitness expert and member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and BoomerTowne.com, a website for baby boomers are teaming up to help boomers work physical fitness into their daily lives. Austin says you don’t have to dedicate hours a week at a gym or constantly watch what they eat to stay fit.

Here are some of Austin’s suggestions for fitting fitness into an active lifestyle.

Watch what you drink
Many people don’t think about it, but every time they drink a soft drink, gourmet coffee, fruit punch or an alcoholic beverage, they are adding on substantial calories. A recent study by the American Institute for Cancer Research found that about 20 percent of the average adult’s daily caloric intake comes in liquid form. An easy way to reduce these calories is by switching to low calorie drinks, such as diet sodas, unsweetened teas or water.

Water is one of the healthiest things you can put into your body. Increasing water intake helps the body set fat cells free and clears out other impurities. If it is difficult to drink eight glasses of water a day, try eating things with a high water content. Fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, strawberries, squash and cucumbers are excellent starters.

Increase your metabolism
Some people have naturally high metabolisms. But by altering eating habits, anyone can naturally increase their body’s calorie burn-rate. Eat small meals throughout the day to help keep your body running at a steady pace, instead of being slowed down by digesting big meals at fewer intervals. Avoid skipping meals and small snacks. Skipping meals or eating too little throughout the day activates the body’s starvation response and actually slows the metabolic rate.

Multi-tasking fitness
With work hours getting longer, many Americans can find it hard to fit fitness in their schedules. But there are simple exercises people can do in their everyday lives that won’t take up as much time.

For example, while talking on the phone to a friend after a day at work, instead of sitting on the couch, try “pretend sitting.” Simply find a wall and lower your back against the wall until you are in a sitting position. Hold it for as long as you can, or for up to 60 seconds and you will firm your thigh muscles, all while catching up with your friend.

Elevators are a great invention, but they don’t help burn calories. Whenever possible, take the stairs instead of the elevator. At work, instead of sending an e-mail across the office, take a break and walk over to update your co-worker. Choosing to walk instead of taking the easy way out will help boost your physical and mental health.

To learn more fitness tips from Denise Austin, visit http://www.BoomerTowne.com.

(ARA contributed portions of this article)