forever young naturally exercise

Fast, jerky movements with hand weights and on weights machines risk injuring muscle and connective tissue, so aim for a smooth, flowing technique, and don’t forget to breathe as you work. When lifting and lowering, try counting to four or six and use the same count on the way down. As you master lifting the weight, you can reduce the count to two or three.

Keep light hand weights or weights straps handy when watching TV. Every time there’s an ad break, grab your weights, sit upright or stand, and complete a set of biceps curls. Try to work opposing muscle groups during one break.

If you don’t want to use weights, your body may provide enough resistance for a weights workout, for instance, in push-ups, triceps dips on a chair, and in many yoga postures. In water workouts enjoy the resistance offered by the water. You might also enjoy high impact sports, and exercises that stretch and contract muscles, such as rowing.

Mild discomfort is to be expected (and enjoyed as a sign of muscles working hard) but stop weights work and take a breather, stretching out, if at any point you find it hard to catch your breath, the muscles start to burn, you feel sudden pain, or you can’t maintain good posture. Move down a weight size and try again or come back to the exercise when you feel stronger, perhaps in a couple of weeks’ time.

Some parts of the body age more quickly than others. Exercises that target features such as a sagging butt, droopy breasts, excess skin around the stomach and upper arms will increase muscle tone but be realistic about results.

Stave off problems with incontinence, which are often associated with a weakened pelvic floor, with these exercises. Draw up the muscles around your vagina and anus, as if trying to stop yourself from going to the bathroom. Hold for 10 seconds (breathing, and keeping the stomach, legs, and buttocks soft). Rest and repeat up to 10 times. Squeeze and release quickly 10 times. Then lift the muscles in stages, as if going up in an elevator. Hold at the top then relax down in stages. Repeat five times. Work for five minutes 3–10 times daily.

To tone your chest and arms, try this. Stand a pace or so in front of a wall, legs hip-width apart, arms wider than shoulder distance apart, palms to the wall. Exhaling, bend your elbows to bring your body forward, elbows in line with shoulders, heels on the floor. Inhaling, push back to the starting position. Build up to three sets of 12 reps whenever you get the chance.

Working the muscles around the chest and upper arms helps to keep the breasts perky. Build up over time to three sets of 12. If you find this exercise easy, place your hands farther apart or point your fingertips toward each other.
1. Lie on your front. Place your palms beneath your shoulders, legs hip-width apart. Push on your hands lifting your body, to straighten your arms and come up onto your hands and knees.
2. Breathing out, draw your stomach muscles toward your lower back. Bend your elbows to take your chest nearer the floor. Look down and slightly forward to keep your spine long. Hold. Breathing in, return to the starting position.

Lie on your back with knees bent and hip-width apart, feet flat on the floor. Bend up your leg, so your right ankle rests on your left knee. Place your hands beside your ears and tuck in your chin slightly. Breathing out, draw your abdominal muscles toward your lower back and lift your left arm and shoulder toward your right knee, keeping your chest broad. Don’t try to lift too high. Breathing in, return your elbow to the floor and repeat 8–12 times. Repeat on the other side. Work up to three sets on each side.

Lie on your front, with your brow resting on your hands, feet together, with a medium-sized ball placed between your thighs. Breathing in, draw your stomach muscles toward your spine. Feel a hollowing beneath your stomach: imagine a strawberry is placed there and you do not want to crush it. Breathing out, squeeze your inner thighs and heels toward each other without engaging your buttocks. Hold for one full breath in and out. Release and repeat 8–12 times. Work up to three sets, keeping your abdominal muscles engaged throughout. Push on your palms to take your buttocks to your heels, arms stretching forward. Rest here for two minutes.