How to exercise
Tired of feeling groggy all day due to a lack of stamina? Don’t know how to get all charged up for that presentation on Friday? Envious of those gym-toned bodies and wondering whether you’ll ever be able to have one? Look no further. BT More tells you your problem areas and how you could fix them by exercising your way to good health.
IN YOUR 20s
Build it, flaunt it
Your muscle mass starts declining by 7 per cent every decade after the age of 25. And, when your muscle mass declines, the Resting Metabolic Rate or RMR (see below) automatically becomes slower. Intensive resistance training can help combat this. Despite the fact that we are advised to wait 48 hours in-between weight training sessions for the muscles to recover sufficiently, we should work on our flexibility every day.
Then, human growth hormones pumped out by the body when you are in your teens begin to decline in your 20s, robbing you of your strength. So, emphasise on building your muscles to reap the benefits later.
What is resting metabolic rate?
This is the rate at which your body burns calories for maintaining basic functions. It is the number of calories that a person burns while at rest and accounts for 75 per cent of the total calories that we burn every day.
WORKOUT PLAN
1. Lat pull-down: Pull the bar in front of your face to the top of your chest and pause. Slowly release the bar back to the starting position by straightening your arms.
2. Shoulder press: Hold each dumbbell at shoulder height next to your shoulder, palms facing forward. Press the dumbbells straight up, and at arm’s length overhead. Lower the weights slowly, back to the starting position.
3. Stiff-legged deadlift: Stand with a narrow stance, legs and upper body straight. Slowly bend over until your back is parallel to the floor. Grip a barbell on the floor. Your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders. Inhale, hold your breath and raise your body. When you reach an upright position exhale and lower the weight.
4. Jump squat: Hold a barbell across the back of your shoulders and stand with your feet shoulderwidth apart. Sit in a squat. Jump up to the starting position. Land with your knees bent to absorb the impact. Pause, reset your body and repeat.
IN YOUR 30s
Plan and prevent
The body’s ability to extract oxygen from your blood diminishes in your 30s and fatty deposits begin to build up around the walls of your arteries. “And working for long hours on the computer, especially on laptops, adds to the ergonomic risk,” says Dr Ashutosh Shukla, Head (Internal Medicine), Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon. You should take special care to maintain your Body Mass Index.
What is Body Mass Index?
BMI can be determined by dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared, multiplied by 705. The ideal body mass index is 18.5-24.5.
WORKOUT PLAN
1. Sit-up on a sit-up board: Sit down on a sit-up board, with your hands behind your head and do a full sit-up through the entire range of motions.
2. Dumbbell lunge: Stand with dumbbells in your hands. Lunge forward with right leg. Land on your heel then forefoot. Lower your body by flexing knee and hip of front leg until the knee of your rear leg is almost in contact with floor. Return to original standing position by forcibly extending the hip and knee of the forward leg. Repeat by alternating lunge with left leg.
3. Cable fly: Place a flat bench in the middle of a double-sided cable machine. Lie back on the bench and position your shoulders in line with the lower pulley system. Extend your arms to a position perpendicular to the ground. Inhale and slowly lower the cable handles down towards the floor. Exhale and squeeze the cable handles back up to the starting position.
IN YOUR 40s
Matters of the heart
Weight problems and an increased risk of heart diseases are matters of concern when you’re in your 40s. “There’s a decrease of 5ml/kg/min/decade in the amount of oxygen that your body can utilise at this stage.
This can be augmented by a graded exercise programme to reduce the effects of biological ageing,” says Dr Bharatinder Singh, Director, Fortis Institute of Sports Sciences. Swimming, jogging and brisk walking for half an hour move large muscle groups and help you breathe deeply and enable the heart to work harder to pump blood. A study shows that brisk walking for half an hour, five days a week, can cut the risk of stroke by 24-50 per cent.
WORKOUT PLAN
1. Incline biceps curl: Sit on an incline bench, and hold dumbbells in each hand. Let your arms hang by your sides, with palms facing each other. Keep the abdomen tight, the lower back in a neutral position and your feet on the floor. Bend your elbow and curl both dumbbells simultaneously up to the shoulder level, rotating the hand inward. Pause, squeeze your biceps and slowly lower to the starting position.
2. Dumbbell bench press: Sit down on a bench with dumbbells resting on lower thigh. Position dumbbells to the sides of the upper chest with elbows under dumbbells. Press dumbbells up with elbows to the sides until arms are extended. Lower weight to the sides of the upper chest. Repeat.
3. Barbell squat: From a rack with barbell upper chest height, position bar high on back of shoulders and grasp barbell to sides. Dismount bar from rack and stand with shoulder width stance. Descend until thighs are just past parallel to floor. Extend knees and hips until legs are straight. Return and repeat.
4. Seated row: Take hold of the handles of your favourite bar. Sit with your back straight while keeping your legs bent and feet against the metal block. Extend your arms, feeling your lats stretch. Pull the weight back into your body until the handles touch your abdomen. These seated rows are a staple in any back workout.
5. Standing calf-raise: Find a raised step, preferably with a railing or other object you can hold on to for balance nearby, if needed. Stand on the step with your heel and arch hanging off the back of the step; keep just the ball of your foot and toes on the step. Raise up on your toes as high as you can in a slow and controlled manner. Pause for a second at the top. Slowly return to your original position. Don't dip the heel below the level of the step. Repeat eight-to-12 times per leg, only exercising one leg at a time.
IN YOUR 50s & BEYOND
Holding Operations
“The ageing oxygen transport system of the body restricts its ability to undertake strenuous exercises (like running and strength training),” says Singh. But stronger muscles enhance bodily functions by stabilising osteo-arthritic joints and reduce the risk of falls. A decrease in bone density can lead to arthritis and osteoporosis.
What is the thermic effect of food?
It is the increment in energy expenditure (above resting metabolic rate) due to the cost of processing food for storage and use. It can be increased by both aerobic and anaerobic training of sufficient duration and is particularly important for people in this age group and beyond.
WORKOUT PLAN
1. Front raise: Hold light-medium weights with arms straight down, palms facing the thighs. Slowly lift arms up to shoulder level keeping elbows slightly bent. Exhale and lower back down. This exercise can also be done with a light barbell or, if you're using heavier dumbbells, you can alternate arms. Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 12-16 repetitions, with a 20-30 second rest between sets.
2. Lateral raise: This exercise can be done standing or seated, with dumbbells, cables or manual resistance. Stand upright with your arms to your sides. Raise your arms to your sides upto the shoulder level.
3. Lying dumbbell pullover: Lie across on a bench on your shoulders so that your head is hanging. Grasp a dumbbell with both hands and get it straight over your chest. Lower the dumbbell in an arc slowly getting a good stretch in your rib cage. Lower the dumbbell as far as possible and then raise it back to the starting position.
4. One-legged half squat: Go to the bottom of a staircase and stand straight with your back facing the staircase. Place the back of your heel against the bottom step. Look forward and hold your arms straight out in front of you. Starting with one leg held out in front of you; slowly lower yourself to the second step up with the other leg. Keep your body really tight and flex both legs. Make sure that the leg that you are holding in front of you stays as straight as possible. Sit down gently, tighten your glutes and stand up.
