Exercise Benefits for Fitness After 50

When I was 14 years old, I often went to Annie's house. She was my cousin, 21 years old and married. They congregated at Adventist Church, so they had the periodical "Health and Home" Adventist magazines which I love to read. I do not become an Adventist myself, but I admire their commitment to health and avoidance of luxury foods and worldly pleasures.

From the magazines, I found that Adventists eat a certain vegetarian diet. The Adventist allows all food to be eaten including milk and egg, but avoid animal flesh. Their health recommendations are based on the biblical principles which emphasize on self-control. Physical exercises are highly recommended as well. I was so influenced by the articles, so afterwards I usually avoid meaty and fatty food which the magazine says contain bad cholesterol.

That's why since a teenager, I was so conscious about health. I became a boy scout and physical exercise like jogging was my routine. I loved cycling too and several times I took a 15 to 20 km through uphill routes with my friends. This way I had built my calf muscles. I joined swimming club too for 2 years. I did all this at my teen years.

When I passed my 40, then 50 and right now I am 59, I feel so healthy, with low cholesterol and no illness like diabetes etc. I am seldom sick, it only once in 2 or 3 years that I catch cold. My belly is not too fat either. But inevitably aging is approaching me too. I begin to find that my balance is reduced due to aging. However, most of my concerns are that I start losing my muscles, and feel a flab on my chest.

I am sure now that I have to exercise to get my muscles back. People say that one will go downhill beginning at his or her 60. Not quite like that. Fitness and wellness experts say confidently that with appropriate exercises, one at 60s and above is still "going up" in health; at least one can maintain wellness until one or two decades to come. At the other side, without exercise, it is a fact that people at 60s and above is inflicted with the fastest rate of aging which they do not even realize, but accept it as natural process. But the process is not unstoppable either.

People at 60, even 70 can still exercise to form their muscles. If we exercise consistently and properly, we can prevent the aging process significantly. We can prevent, slow down or even stop the process.  Fitness trainers have been consistently searching methods that fit different kinds of trainees. With some new invented methods of body exercise, you can even reverse the aging process! So that with proper exercise your body is physically 10 years younger than your real chronological age.

It is up to you, to believe the myth that our body is deteriorating naturally, or to resist it and do something which is to exercise properly and to gain your muscle, fitness and wellness back.

5 Tips to enhance your physical exercises:

1. Eat well: Consume enough calories on high nutrient on complete and proportional food components, i.e. carbohydrate, nuts, fat, minerals and vitamins from fruit and vegetables. Reasonable amount of fat and thus the cholesterol is needed to produce vital hormone like testosterone which is important to build your muscles. Fat, when consumed moderately, will not make you thick. Actually, cholesterol is used to produce the steroid hormones like cortical, which regulates blood-sugar levels and defending the body against infection.

2. Drink well: Drink 8 to 10 glasses of fresh water each day. It also depends on how much sweat you produce by moving or exercising. If you drink less than the amount of water which flow out of your body, you will experience dehydration, or lack of enough water in your body. Sufficient water in your body is essential for your health, and essential too for your body exercises.

3. Sleep well: Fewer hours of sleep can cause bad mood and less motivation to exercise. So, enough sleep is important for body endurance during fitness exercise. Conversely, appropriate exercise also helps to make deep and healthy sleep. "Exercise, sleep and nutrition form the triangle of health, and all are related," said Dr. Phyllis Zee, professor of neurology from University in Chicago. If we fulfill our need for a good balance of exercise, sleep and nutrition intake, then we will be healthy, and our life will be more vibrant.

4. Divide exercises time length into small portions: Do not do a day exercises in one long, extensive session. Instead, break it up into 2 or 3 parts. Do not add extra exercise more than the portion allocated to you. Overly exercise is not necessary because it can make you too tired and is harmful to your health. Too much aerobic exercise for instance, can lead to abnormal heart-beat and fibrosis in heart muscles.

5. Make Variation: Instead of doing the same kind of exercise every day, combine weight exercise with other sports like swimming, jogging and bicycling. This way you can avoid boring and make the exercises more fun and enjoyable.

Do not wait too long. You can practise right away by joining a fitness class of your choice. You can also do exercise with your partner under a guide of a fitness instructor, or exercise book. For instance you can consider exercising here with Steve and Becky Holman. They have a proven method of fitness exercise for everyone but has put emphasis that take care of seniors at 40 to 60 specific needs in mind.

Fruits and Vegetables Role For Our Health

Fruits and vegetables are important part of our diet. When we eat mostly meaty and protein rich food but ignorantly eat only small portion of vegetables, fruits and grains, we tend to develop degenerative diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular, and stroke.

Low consumption of fruit has long been acknowledged as the risk factor for chronic diseases such as cancer, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and cataract formation. Frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables can prevent oesophageal, stomach, pancreatic, bladder and cervical cancers. In short, a diet high in fruits and vegetables could prevent 20% of most types of cancers.

Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, provitamins, minerals and a great variety of phytochemicals that contain antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anticancer. Further, Fruits and vegetables have fiber, which is important to minimize gastrointestinal problems and diseases. Fruits and vegetables also provide nutrients that is important for healthy hair and skin.

Do you know what is contained in Fruits and vegetables that is so important for our health ?

•  Fruits and vegetables are sources of vitamins A,B1,B2,B3,B6,B9,C,D,E and K.
• Fruits and vegetables are sources of minerals : zinc, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
• Fruits and vegetables are sources of Phytochemical which is strong antioxidants. Antioxidants prevent carcinogens to become malignant cells. 
• Fruits and vegetables have antioxidants which has strength that varies greatly. Instead of taking only the strongest one, it is always better to consume many kind of Fruits and vegetables which have a variety of antioxidant capacities.
• Fruits and vegetables are sources of Fiber which prevent constipation. Fibers are also prebiotics which feed healthy bacteria in our intestines. The bacteria improve immune responses and prevent allergy development. Fibers also lower cholesterol and blood sugar level, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and help people lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
• We need to take at least two servings of fruits and at least three servings of vegetables per day.

Do you know why fruits and vegetables are so important for disease prevention ?

• Tomatoes contain Lycopene (if cooked, the lycopene increases by 170%) which prevent carcinogenesis especially of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer prevalence in Italy is low because of high comsumption of tomato sauce among citizens. Researches have also found that tomato powder significantly reduce prostate carcinogenesis in rats.  
• High intake of fruits and vegetables lower the incidence of mortality of chronic diseases, including obesity. Fruits and vegetables lower risk of being obese by 24% !

• Studies shows clearly that intake Fruits and vegetables has an inverse relationship with coronary heart disease. It means that the more frequent and higher intake of Fruits and vegetables, the lower opportunity the cardiovascular disease develops. The occurence decrease by 4-7% for each additionally fruits and vegetables serving consumption.
• Adequate intake of Fruits and vegetables has been observed to protect against coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes
• Intake of Fruits and vegetables has been studied to inverse-correlate with many healthy lifestyle aspects, especially with coronary heart disease incidence. Increasing individual fruits and vegetables consumption by 600 grams per day could reduce the incidence of stroke by 19% and decrease the risk of coronary heart disease by 31%. 
• There is a similar association between fruits and vegetables consumption and decreased blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke . Adding more fruits and vegetables serving will lead to a healthy diet by reducing blood pressure. 
• High intakes of fruits and vegetables will improve blood glucose control and lower risk of developing type-2 diabetes. In a study with 10,000 adults in the USA, the risk of developing type-2 diabetes is 20% lower if you eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. 
• Intake of Fruits and vegetables create protective shield againts oropharynx, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum cancer. Generally, people with higher intakes of fruits and vegetables could reduce their risk of developing cancer by 19%. Take at least two servings of fruits and vegetables per day to avoid cancer. Fewer than three servings of fruits and vegetables per week will yield as if you don't eat any fruit or vegetable at all. 
• High intake of cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli decrease the risk of bladder cancer in men significantly. 
• High intake of fruits and vegetables significantly reduced the risk of lung cancer for both smokers and non-smokers. Fruits and vegetables which is rich with carotene and vitamin C decrease incidence and severity of cataract. 
  
• Fruits and vegetables contain Lutein and zeaxanthin carotenoids that preventing damage to the retina which is caused by light or oxidants. 
• Fruits and vegetables consumption also reduces risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, thanks to antioxidants such as vitamin C and flavonoids. 
• Intake of fruit especially apple can be associated with higher expiratory volume values, hence indicating a better lung function. 
• Antioxidants in Fruits and vegetables juices can prevent Alzheimer disease because fruits and vegetables juices promote detoxification to human body. 
• How about person living with HIV and AIDS? Good nutrition including the consumption of fruits and vegetables can contribute to the wellness of people with HIV and AIDS and may even prolong life. The necessary vitamins, minerals supplied by fruits and vegetables can boost their immune systems. 
• All creatures' cells are continuously exposed to oxidation in air, water,and everywhere. The oxidant may also be produced by metabolic in the cell itself. However, it is important to maintain a balance between oxidants and antioxidants to sustain optimal physiological conditions. Too much oxidants over antioxidants wiil lead to a condition called oxidative stress. This can cause damage to macromolecules such as lipids, proteins and DNA and consequently develops cancer and chronic cardiovascular disease. 
• We need to consume sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables which contain antioxidant, to prevent oxidative stress due to free radicals induced by oxidants. Fruits and vegetables contain a variety of antioxidant compounds such as phenolics and carotenoids which protect cellular systems from oxidative damage and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. 
• Carotenoids provide photoprotection by means of their ability to inactivate the reactive oxidants, while phenolics give essential health benefits which reduce risk of chronic diseases. 
• Different phytochemical contained in different Fruits and vegetables. They build together a synergy to fight the harmful oxidants. For example we can combine orange, apple, grape, and blueberry which give a synergistic effect between in antioxidant from many phytochemicals in various types and quantities. 

What is Free Radicals ?

• Cancer forming or carcinogenesis is a multistep process. Free radicals causes DNA damage. If left unrepaired, it will lead to cell mutation or a cell whose program is damaged. In turn, it cause DNA cross-linking, chromosomal breakage and rearrangement. At this point, normal cells have changed to cancer cells. 

• Antioxidant and phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables have complementary mechanisms of action, capable of fighting and deactivate free radicals attack above, at every step. Enzyme contained in fruits and vegetables also organize detoxification, stimulation of immune system and, regulation of hormone metabolism and provide antibacterial and antiviral effect.

What is body Acidity ?

Human body has pH around the normal level at 7. pH is an abbreviation for "power of Hydrogen" which range between 1 or most acidic to 14 or most alkaline. Ideally, our pH should be a bit alkaline which is between 7.3 to 7.45. 

• Acidity is the principal cause of heart disease. Many fats are extremely important and essential for cardiovascular health. But acidity from bad fat create inflammation to heart blood vessel. 
• Our body responds to the acidity by lining the vessels with fatty plaques to prevent life-threatening leaks, which can lead to death. But the piping for the blood to flow through become narrower and narrower which eventually blocks the blood flow to the heart causing death. 
• Acidic environments are also breeding grounds for anaerobic pathogens whereas alkaline environments keep bad bacteria inactive. 
• Fruits and vegetables are rich in precursors or material to form bicarbonate ions which serve to block acids in order to maintain normal pH which is very important for our body. If ion concentration is low, then our body will mobilize alkaline calcium salts from bone. So, because fruits and vegetables block acids, there is no need to mobilize. In turn, this will preserve calcium in bones which will otherwise be mobilized to maintain normal pH.

Tips and recommendation :

1. For an adequate supply of vitamins, minerals and other compounds from fruits and vegetables, buy fresh fruits and vegetables without bruises, soft spots, mold, decay or broken skins. Wash all fruits and vegetables before cutting, slicing and eating. Store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator but once cut or sliced, fruits and vegetables should be tightly sealed in plastic bags before stored in the refrigerator and consumed within three days.

2. Consume Fruits and vegetables with at least 5 different colors from red, orange, yellow, white, green, blue and purple, each one with different phytochemicals which will work synergically in our body. Red color of tomato and watermellon are sign of lycopen which prevent heart, prostat and colon diseases. Purple cabbage fight Alzheimer. Orange flesh mango, sweet potato and pumpkin protect lung and heart. Green vegetables are low in calories, low in fat, high in protein per calorie, high in dietary fiber, high in iron and calcium, and very high in phytochemicals such as vitamin C, carotenoids, lutein, folate, magnesium as well as vitamin K which has so many benefits for our health.

3. In fact, there is no super-food, including in fruits and vegetables kingdom, that contain all vitamins, all minerals and phytochemicals singly. So we need to consume a variety or many kinds of fruits and vegetables, which will work powerfully in synergy. It is the only way to fulfill our need of healthy nutritions for our body.

4. Do not take fruit immediately after a maincourse meal. Fruits should be consumed when our stomach is empty or almost empty. Fruits should be eaten at least 15 minutes prior to a fatty and high protein meal. But in the other hand you should allow at least 2 hours for your stomach to be empty before eating fruits afterwards.

5. Living in a big city nowadays lead to a more sedentary lifestyle. Worse, we are overfed with fast food which is loaded with fat, sugar, calories and chemicals. Obesity become inevitable in modern societies. So, we need to switch at once from junk-food to fruits and vegetables as and enjoy healthy lifestyle you deserve. Fruits and vegetables nutrients fight bacterial invasion, infections, aging and chronic illness.

6. Mix Fruits and vegetables with other food. Add slices of fruit to breakfast cereals. Fresh tomato and cucumber to pizza. Enjoy vegetable salads and add carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower and celery.

7. Make fruits or vegetable juices as healthy drinks. Check out recipes featuring fruits and vegetables.

Fitness Exercises to fight aging

Human aging is getting older chronologically,  socially, and physically.

• Chronologically, some people with a same birthday, will grow older to 49, 50, 51 and so on  together and at the same time.

• Socially, there are people which are so childish at their 30 or 40 but there are people which are so wise and mature in thinking despite their relatively young age.

• Physically, all person will experience the aging process differently, depend on how we treat our body, health and fitness. Because of fitness exercises, a guy at 50 can appear younger than his fat belly friend who is only 45.

Our point of interest is in the phisycally aging process.  Growing older is inevitable, but it can be made slower as it should be, or rapidly if we are ignorant of our health exercise and diet. For instance, gradual loss of bone tissue can be prevented by weight bearing exercises which help to increase bone mass and bone density. This will prevent fractures, and osteoporosis. Our bones are alive and respond when stimulated, by increasing bone mass.  Any weight-bearing exercise will stimulate your bones. Not only that, but also anything that involves impact , like running, jogging, walking, dancing, etc. Routine exercise is a great way to stimulate your bones to be stronger.
 

How about aging impact on muscle ? Muscle too will decrease about 0.5 to 1 % a year, if you leave it without exercises.  This muscle atrophy or  a decrease in the size of the muscle,  will go along with muscle tissue quality reduction and  a replacement of muscle fibres with fat, and degeneration of the neuromuscular junction.  Exercise is very important  to avoid muscle atrophy.  It is also important not only for muscle but the entire musculoskeletal system, neuromuscular responsiveness, endocrine function,  bone and  bone joint, all need lifelong exercises.
 

Physical exercise is the only way to prevent muscle and bone tissue lose over time. It will enhance physical fitness and wellness, strengthening muscle and cardiovascular system. Frequent and routine exercise will augment the immune system and prevent cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. Physical exercise will improve body appearance with slim waistline and body contour.

 

Tips to slow-down aging

• Exercise Your Brain

The brain, like the rest of the body, needs exercises.   Simple math, playing a special brain games, knitting and learn a new languate, can exercise the brain. Brain exercises do not produce new neurons but creating new connections between them.  Interconnections will keep the neurons live longer, but lack of connections will eventually make a neuron cell die. When we 75, 10% of our neuron have died.  So it is very important to use our brain intensively and extentively, otherwise the cells will die rapidly, and in turn, the brain develops the Alzeheimer Disease. So, keep on using your brain cells, otherwise they will gradually lose their connections and die eventually.

•  Eat Well

Consume five servings of fruits and vegetables, and three servings of whole grains daily for vitamins and minerals  each day as recommended by the U.S. government.  Take complex carbs like oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and wild rice. Drink sufficient water, between 5-8 glasses or more to avoid dehydration.

•  Joyful and Forgiving Spirit

Religion or spirituality has a positive effect on physical health and in fact, help reduce suffering, bitter feeling, hate, by joyful, compassion and forgiving others.  Joyful heart will make your face more vibrant, and confident  to face life’s difficulties. Happiness by means of spirituality will makes you healthier and slow the aging process.

•  Exercise

Exercise is a must-do to slow to fight the aging process.  It prevent loss of bone tissue and muscle atrophy (muscle size decreasing). It also prevent the degradation of musculoskeletal system, neuromuscular responsiveness, endocrine function,  bone density and  bone joint.
Hundreds of studies show that exercise combats the loss of stamina, muscle strength, body balance and osteoporosis that increases with age. Exercise should be practice consistently and in lifelong period. You can join a fitness class and attend the exercises !

•  Maximize Your Intake of Antioxidants

Free radicals which contribute to the onset of age-related diseases, have to be obliterated by antioxidants. Take fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, carrots and spinach as carotenoids, and blue and purple berries for flavonoids. There are many classes of antioxidants that work synergically, so they have to be taken from several kind of fruits and vegetables.

• Sleep

Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle :
- A study in 2011 found that people that have enough sleep tend to live longer
- People with adequate  sleep tend to have a sharpen attention
- People who have not enough sleep tend to have obesity problem.