Using Exercise to Stay Young - 27/01/2011

Every woman is looking for the secret to eternal youth, but many don’t realise they already have the key to making their body look good, without spending a fortune. It is exercise.

Exercise the Body

To keep you feeling good on the inside, lose extra kilos and do a minimum of 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day to ensure your organs are healthy. Good cardio workouts include stair climbing, walking up hills, bike riding and swimming. When you feel fit and ready, increase the amount of time you exercise and the intensity.

Complete this picture with resistance exercise to ensure you look as good on the outside as you feel. Resistance-based exercise keeps muscles strong and toned, because the last thing any woman wants is sagging body parts.

Work the Face and Neck

Some women swear by facial exercises to prevent wrinkles, crows feet and other signs of ageing, as well as enhance glowing skin. Exercising the facial muscles allows the skin to get the oxygen it needs to keep it healthy and deliver other nutrients to the skin cells. Try laughing, frowning, smiling, raising your eyebrows, moving your jaw up, down and sideways.

It is easy to overlook caring for your neck, even though it is an area prone to wrinkling. While a woman's face can look young, her real age can be obvious when looking at her neck. Neck exercises, such as chin tucks and stretches, can minimise neck wrinkling and help women look younger.

Keep Your Bust Taut

There are a number of exercises women can use to improve their bust size and prevent sagging, including:

Push ups, bench presses or flies with weights
Yoga or Pilates strengthen chest muscles and tone and define breasts
Back exercises, such as low row, may alleviate back pain associated with larger breasts. Strengthening back muscles allows women to support their chest and improve their posture
Improving your posture by holding your upper body correctly will make your chest look even better.

Legs and Bum to Die For

Part of looking and feeling young is having great legs and a firm bum! All women can have wonderful legs and bottom using the following exercises:

Step ups, using stairs, a park bench or an exercise stepper, tone everywhere and offer a great cardio workout because they work all leg and gluteal (bottom) muscles at the same time
Lunges work the same muscles. Perform walking or stationary lunges and swap legs to ensure both get a good work out
Add ankle weights to your legs to tone them faster and perform and use for thigh exercises (lying on your side and raising one leg up)
Squats push the full weight of your body through your legs and buttocks.

Don’t Forget Your Arms

Triceps (in the upper arm) are often forgotten because women can be preoccupied with toning their tummies and bottoms, so here are some

exercises to tone those arms:

Tricep dips, tricep kick backs, overhead tricep extensions and shoulder presses are effective isolation exercises
Wide-grip push ups work pectoral muscles (hidden under the breasts) and triceps if you move your hands closer together.

Exercising alone won’t minimise ageing, but it goes a long way to maintaining a healthy glow and toned body. Add to these results by avoiding too much time in the sun, as it can damage your skin, and remember to drink lots of water.

Article written by Merendi Leverett - Lifestyle Management Consultant/Accredited Exercise Physiologist

This article was written especially for the www.shesaid.com website. To view this article on this website click here.

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Using Exercise to Stay Young - 27/01/2011

Every woman is looking for the secret to eternal youth, but many don’t realise they already have the key to making their body look good, without spending a fortune. It is exercise.

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