In Joliet, Illinois there is a spring near Pilcher Park where people fill their empty water jugs with water to bring home and drink. They don't do it because they are cheap and can't afford to buy bottled water. Nope, the people who do this claim the water is "the fountain of youth."
St. Augustine, Florida has a more famous version of this so-called fountain of youth too. And if you do a Google search for fountain of youth you will find 2,310,000 results ranging from supplements to the aforementioned springs to cosmetic surgery.
Personally I don't take much stock in thinking I can drink some smelly sulfur water from a spring to keep me young. I have learned that the benefits of great health require a more active role than simply wishing on that special jug of youth water.
This makes me think of a quote I read from an unknown author when I was in high school. To this day I keep it above my desk. The quote reads: "The value of something is not from what you gain but from what it cost you." For the successfully active and healthy individuals like YOU, this quote is priceless.
And while I don't believe in wishing on that special jug of water, I do believe the benefits of exercise and eating properly have the ability to make you feel like you have taken a trip to the fountain of youth. Specifically, performing all four types of the following exercises will assist you in staying healthy and help to prevent injury.
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Stretching Exercises gives you more freedom of movement allowing your body to move as it was intended. This allows your muscles and joints, as you age, to work together not against each other.·
Strength Exercises. Do these, gain muscle. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn. You know what that means...this helps to control your weight. Increased muscle can also help control blood sugar. These exercises have been known to improve mood and relieve depression. And they increase balance, potentially preventing injury.·
Exercise Great Eating Habits by consuming more antioxidants and natural foods and less processed foods and simple sugars. No one person has all the answers on what is best for our bodies. But we do know that eating healthy foods rich in natural vitamins, antioxidants and electrolytes will allow our bodies to protect itself and to get stronger.·
Endurance Exercises: (any exercise that increases your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time) improves heart health, can increase your metabolism therefore increasing weight loss.So my advice to you is to focus on these exercises instead of counting on the next fountain of youth in a bottle. You will not only find the benefits of exercise and eating properly to act like a trip to the fountain of youth...you will actually feel it.
And now that I've answered your question about what types of exercises to do to help keep you healthy and injury-free, be sure to visit my Q & A at http://www.mikeryanfitness.com/faq.php. There you can read my answer to Doug K.'s question: What is the difference between a BURSITIS and a TENDINITIS? ...and then email me an answer to my question at the end of my post.
With Healthy Regards,
Mike Ryan PT,
ATC, PES
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