The Best Exercises for Introverts and Extroverts

The Best Exercises for Introverts and Extroverts...

Where do you get your energy? See which workout styles fit for you The ability to stick with an exercise program largely lies in finding an activity you enjoy. Extroverts and introverts each find happiness in different approaches. Forcing yourself into a workout that makes you uncomfortable isn’t likely to lead to success. “An extrovert gains energy from the outside,” says Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D., author of Better than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love. “Think team sports or high-fives in aerobics class. Conversely, an introvert gets energized from within. Yoga may be a better fit.” Keep in mind that although one modality may be a better fit than another, Lombardo notes the benefits of experimenting outside your comfort zone. “While introverts may prefer working out on their own and shy away from classes, a cycling class, where everyone does their own thing on a bike, may be a great addition to their workout.” Even a situation involving a group can be good for those who prefer to keep to themselves if they can run on their own outside of the group if desired. Extroverts may also find balance in an introverted workout such as yoga or martial arts, Lombardo adds. Check out these expert tips to find the best approach for your personality. Best Extrovert Workouts Free weights You’ll likely find many extroverts in the free weight area (dumbbells, barbells, etc.), says Pete McCall, senior advisor for the American Council on Exercise (ACE). “They will be the ones lifting heavy and walking around to make sure everyone sees them lifting heavy. The free weight area allows the opportunity to stand out and demonstrate one’s strength or skill level in technical lifts.” People tend...
You’re Not As Active As You Think You Are

You’re Not As Active As You Think You Are...

Most people overestimate their exercise level, studies show If I were to ask you how active you are, what would you say? Do you consider yourself to be active and productive on most days of the week? Do you meet the recommended minimum of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week? Would you go so far as to say that you exercise frequently? Each month, the polling institution, Gallup, tracks survey data from individuals about their exercise and activity habits. One question Gallup asks is: “In the last seven days, on how many days did you exercise for 30 or more minutes?” If a respondent did so on three or more days out of the past seven, he or she is considered a frequent exerciser. Another question asks individuals to rate, on a scale from 1 to 5, how strongly they agree with the statement: “In the last seven days, you have felt active and productive every day.” A score of 4 or 5 counts them among the “Active and Productive” group for the survey. For the month of August 2015, 47 percent of respondents reported exercising frequently, while 67 percent said they felt active and productive. What’s the True Picture? Unfortunately, objectively measured data tells quite a different story. In a 2013 study published by the American College of Sports Medicine, researchers asked 1,751 adults aged 19 to 84 to complete the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), indicating their active and sedentary time, and breaking down their active time according to level of intensity (vigorous, moderate and “walking”). The researchers had the participants wear an accelerometer for seven continuous days to measure actual minutes of activity and sedentary time, as well as intensity of active minutes. The...
Exercise will seem easier when you cut out the negative self-talk.

Exercise will seem easier when you cut out the negative self-talk....

Exercise will seem easier when you cut out the negative self-talk Feeling unmotivated to exercise? If you repeatedly tell yourself how much you hate to do it, your workout may suffer from your bad attitude. Turning negative self-talk around allows you to not only feel better, but also to exercise harder and for longer periods of time, studies show. More intense exercise for longer periods burns more calories and may eventually help speed weight loss when done consistently. Cyclists who repeated motivational phrases to themselves, such as, “I got this,” pedaled for an average of two minutes longer and reported easier effort than when compared to a baseline ride, according to a study published in the journal, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. In short, what you say can and will be used against you (or for you!) during your workout. To transform negative thoughts into motivating ones, start by drawing a line down the middle of a piece of paper, says Jonathan Alpert, New York-based psychotherapist and author of Be Fearless: Change Your Life In 28 Days. “On the left, write the negative, self-defeating thought (the act of recognizing them is huge). On the right side, re-frame the thought,” Alpert says. Here are seven ways to fill out the right side of your paper with phrases to get you going: Instead of thinking: “I’m too old.” Change to: “I can make progress no matter what my age.” Age doesn’t discriminate, Alpert says. “A body is a body and it functions best when it is in shape, regardless of the age,” he notes. Also, exercise performs functions far beyond just making you look toned. Weight training, in particular, helps you maintain muscle that would otherwise diminish with aging (called sarcopenia)...
7 Things You Should Be Doing for Your Bones Now

7 Things You Should Be Doing for Your Bones Now...

Half of us over 50 will have weak bones by 2020 unless we make changes When registered dietitian Toby Smithson gave presentations on bone health, she’d bring three bags of flour, each with a different amount.One bag represented osteoporosis. Another bag represented osteopenia, or bone whose density is lower than normal but not enough to be classified as osteoporosis. The third bag represented normal bone. “You could see the flour and feel the heaviness and density,” said Smithson, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Osteoporosis was the lightest bag.” It was a powerful visual reminder of why it is so important to invest in your bone health now, before it becomes a problem. Consider this sobering thought: The U.S. Surgeon General has said that by 2020, half of Americans over 50 will have weak bones — unless we change our diets and lifestyle habits. Having weak bones puts us at risk of developing broken bones and osteoporosis. “People need to understand that this is preventable for the most part,” says Dr. Steven Hawkins, a spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine and a professor of exercise science at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Calif. “But you have to take responsibility.” Bone Health Basics Our bones give structure to our bodies. They allow us to move. They protect our heart, lungs and other organs. They anchor our muscles. “Bone from an engineering perspective is kind of a marvel,” Hawkins says. Our bodies continually break down and rebuild bone. Children and teenagers form bone faster than they lose bone, but after age 20, we start losing bone faster than we rebuild it. Over time, our bones can become less dense and more prone to breaking. Most...
Tai Chi: The Healing Art That Will Empower You

Tai Chi: The Healing Art That Will Empower You...

Tai Chi can enhance your second half of life in so many ways It is an ancient Chinese martial art form, and loosely translated it means “ultimate life force”. Using a series of movements that increase flexibility, build strength, and restore balance, Tai Chi helps a person reach a heightened sense of being. Many people tend to slow down, as they get older. Exercise can become more strenuous with age, taking its toll on the body. One of the many reasons Tai Chi has a big following in the mature community is because it is gentle, requiring little strain on the body. As you enter this part of life, it can help empower you by letting you connect to the strength inside of you, balancing your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. No longer does growing older have to mean growing weaker. Doctors and other Western medicine practitioners have recommended Tai Chi for years. There are more and more studies proving the beneficial nature of its practice. We’ve listed some of the benefits Tai Chi has to offer below. Fall Prevention and Balance Building Falling is the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries. One of Tai Chi’s biggest benefits (and the one backed by the most evidence) is that it increases your balance, thus reducing the risk of falling. It strengthens leg muscles and increases flexibility in the ankles, which helps you balance on uneven surfaces. Tai Chi also builds core strength, a vital part of maintaining your balance. Connect socially What a better thing to connect over than a shared interest in an engaging, beneficial exercise such as Tai Chi. Check out your local community center or senior citizens center to find out when are where classes...
What Should You Weigh?

What Should You Weigh?

Figuring out what the scale should say, not what you want it to, is worth the trouble You probably have the number in your head right now. Most of us do. It’s the weight you’d like to weigh, if you had your druthers. It may be a long-ago weight — before you had kids, before you were married, even when you were still in school. Or it might be more recent — the number on the scale when you were training for, say, your first marathon in your 30s or when you did aerobics nearly every day. It could be time, though, to put that fantasy number to bed and focus on reaching or maintaining a healthy weight — the figure at which we feel strong, energetic, like our best self. So what is that number? Good question. Figuring it out is not an exact science, says Lisa Young, an adjunct professor at New York University and author of The Portion Teller Plan: The No-Diet Reality Guide to Eating, Cheating, and Losing Weight Permanently. That said, “it’s important to strive for something that’s realistic and healthy, and that’s usually a Body Mass Index [BMI] of 18.5 to 25,” which is considered normal weight, says Young. But BMI Has Its Limits No doubt you’ve heard of BMI, a fairly simple number crunch of weight and height to estimate how much fat a person has. Though widely-used, it’s not a perfect way to measure the link between weight and health, says Dr. Rexford S. Ahima, professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Years ago, “the World Health Organization came out with some standards and [said that] if you have a BMI of 30 or higher you...
Stretches and Exercises for Tired, Achy Legs

Stretches and Exercises for Tired, Achy Legs...

4 ways to ease leg and knee pain caused by overdoing it Whether you took a longer walk than usual, tried a new exercise or simply spent all day on your feet, achy legs can make your whole body hurt. If the achiness stems from exercise, blame it on micro-tears in the muscle cells themselves, says Irv Rubenstein, an exercise physiologist and founder of S.T.E.P.S., in Nashville, Tenn. The little tears spark an inflammatory process that’s necessary for healing. “It occurs and enables proper reconstruction of the damaged tissue,” Rubenstein says. Another cause of achy legs and knees is the normal aging process. We experience changes in connective tissue (cartilage), which can cause tightness, according to John Fenger, manager of outpatient rehabilitation at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif. However, if your legs cramp up when you’re walking down the street for no obvious reason, it’s time to schedule a doctor’s appointment, Fenger says. “The pain may be due to an occlusion (blockage) or it may be neurological,” he notes. Try hair of the dog. Perform a lower intensity, lower volume (reps, sets) version of the activity that made you sore, suggests Rubenstein. If you usually walk vigorously, slow down your pace and cut down the distance. If your soreness is due to lifting weights, cut the weight or do the move without weight and go with fewer sets and repetitions. In addition, extend your warm-up, suggests Rubenstein, since muscles are not just sore but stiff. “This way, you can be sure you’re pushing blood (and its accompaniment, oxygen) into muscles to speed healing,” he says, while helping the lymphatic system remove the “damaged” tissue and toxins. Break up your workouts throughout the day. To strengthen...
7 Easy Ways to Build Strong Bones

7 Easy Ways to Build Strong Bones...

Jump 10 times, crush some cans and other tips to boost bone density Bone building reaches a peak during adolescence but then slows after age 25. In addition to this natural bone loss, we’re less likely to perform high-impact, bone-stimulating exercises (such as jumping) after age 50. This adds up to an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone breaks and fractures. Fortunately, you can build stronger bones at any age. A recent study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion shows that people who jumped 10 times twice daily increased bone density by .5 percent compared with those who didn’t and lost about 1.3 percent. (Note: the study did not include women with osteoporosis; jumping is not recommended in cases of weak bones.) Experts offer these seven easy tips for men and women to keep bones strong throughout their lives: Snack on yogurt and other calcium-rich foods. Including yogurt, cottage cheese and other low-fat dairy foods adds bone-strengthening calcium to your diet. “In addition to dairy products, choose fish with bones such as salmon, sardines or whitebait,” says registered dietitian Laura Jeffers. For additional benefits, serve these foods with a side of dark leafy green vegetables or broccoli, which also contain calcium. Other bone-building snacks include almonds, dried figs, calcium-fortified tofu and, if you prefer non-dairy, soy milk. Take a hike. Try to engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, by jogging, brisk walking or aerobics — at whatever level of ability, says Susan Randall, of the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). “As you build stamina, increase the duration and intensity of your exercise,” she says. To see real improvements in bone density, you need to push your intensity, says Cleveland Clinic physical therapist Maribeth Gibbon....