Keep those signs of aging at bay

Keep those signs of aging at bay, stay trim and feel healthy despite the ravages of age by moving that body.

Exercising, as you get older, need not cost you one penny. All your workouts can be free and can be performed in familiar surroundings. However, you must have the will and desire to look your best and enjoy your senior years for as long as possible.

We are not looking at giving you complicated routines nor do we intend to suggest time limits for any of the exercises.

A major problem with any physical fitness regime is boredom sapping away at the initial enthusiasm for getting and staying fit and trim.

Start by acknowledging that your keenness will evaporate unless you take steps to avoid the repetitive tedium.

In a commercial gym you can chat to others as you move from one exercise machine to another, compare progress or just gossip to help the time pass. But at a cost!

At home it has never been easier to listen to hours and hours of your own music picks on your personal iPod or enjoy a your favorite radio soap through a tiny earpiece, without disturbing any one else in the house.

So the first step is to pick a time when you are least likely to be interrupted, plug in your iPod or listen to a regular radio program you enjoy.

Before you start any physical exercise it is essential that you spend a few minutes gently warming up and stretching the muscles. A minute or two marching or gentle jogging on the spot followed by twisting from side to side from the waist with the arms folded then extended in turn from under the chin will set you up for the rest of your chosen keep fit program.

Here are a few of the many stretching routines that you should progress from as you become fitter. Do not be tempted to stay with the same old exercises but keep experimenting with new and imaginative workouts as this will also help to keep boredom away.

Support yourself with one hand on the backrest of a dining chair, standing sideways to it.

Raise your free arm and leg sideways until you can just feel the muscles stretching, repeat several times and then change to the other arm and leg.

Hold the back of a chair, have your legs about two feet apart and raise each leg alternatively behind you trying not to bend the knee.

Sit firmly on a seat with your back well supported. Hold the arms and then raise one leg off the ground in front of you. Repeat ten times with each leg and then try and lift both together.

Hold onto the back of a strong chair and bend both knees. Straighten up and repeat.

Walk backwards round the room or sofa. Hold on to your partner for extra support if necessary.

Lie flat on the carpet or rug with your head on a cushion and your hands interlocked underneath your head.

Go to the bottom of a staircase.Hold the banister and step up and down the first step. This is easier done in time to music.

Of course, if you buy one of the many exercise discs available on the market all you need is a TV and a DVD player and a little room in front to follow the routines.

If you get bored seeing the same faces going through the same motions then buy another DVD.

The serious point to make is do NOT overdue any of the exercises, forget about “no pain, no gain”. These exercises will just help you to slow down the effects of aging.

The moment you feel any discomfort stop and either have a rest or start again the next day.

Just remember that you are not as young as you used to be and take heart from the knowledge that as each day of exercising passes you are finding that it becomes easier to extend both the range of routines and the time spent carrying them out.

Finally do not overlook the value of a proper balanced diet to supplement your efforts at keeping age at bay and enjoying life by staying trim and healthy.

If you have any back or neck problems it is advisable to consult your medical adviser before undergoing any exercise routines