Time to Get Healthy and Exercise

YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONSTART GETTING HEALTHY!

The holidays are over for most of us, and it’s time to start thinking about reducing the waistline, and getting into shape. I don’t claim to be a physical fitness nut, but I’ve enjoyed my 67 years of being around, and want to live for a long time to come. Once you get over the 50 mark, it’s much harder and much more important to watch what you eat, exercise regularly, and take the proper supplements.

On my daily radio show, I hear from a number of listeners, particularly by email, asking about advice on staying healthy. I’m hanging in there for an old guy, so here’s my advice to the approaching geriatrics that are out there.

EXERCISE. You come home after a long day of work, you’re tired, the kids need some attention, and you just don’t feel like exercising. But you’ve got to find a way. It’s all about keeping that heart pumping, and if you don’t sweat, you’re not really sustaining the effort you need to make any significant difference.

Once you get over 50, joint pain becomes a problem. Joining a health club gives you a number of options, because there are a variety of machines that you can use to up your heart rate, yet keep the pressure off your knees. Elliptical trainers and recumbent bikes all fit into this category. Spinning classes can be a real challenge; just don’t come out of the seats when the instructor is screaming in your ear. More pressure on the knees. I am in a spinning class once or twice a week, and spend several more days a week biking around the neighborhood.

Swimming, hands-down is the best. Little joint strain involved, and good overall value for muscle tone and cardiovascular support. It is my number one exercise.

In addition, you just can’t stretch enough. No matter how limber you try to be when you get a little older, and even if you stretch everyday, you are always back to square one by the next day. It is imperative that, at least for me, I stretch 30 minutes a day, seven days a week. Sure it’s hard sometimes.  A couple of Advils can ease the pain. And you cannot drink enough water.

I do lift weights 30 minutes a day, three times a week, but that’s more for muscle tone. Stretching and the cardiovascular work are at the top of the list.

And how about vitamins and supplements? By the handfuls. I have taken a variety for years. I start my day with a breakfast shake called Full Strength mixed in the blender, add some water and I’m out the door with a large cup. It’s an energy carbohydrate blend that includes soluble fiber and performance enhancing nutrients that both increases energy and keeps your weight down. It’s my morning breakfast seven days a week. I’ll throw some low-fat yogurt in, and occasionally a banana, strawberries, or some other fiber-related fruit. You can get it over the internet at fullstrength.com.

Second, either in the breakfast drink or later in the day, I mix a pack of Smartfiber stixx in some juice. It’s a dietary fiber that stimulates the growth of healthy bacteria in your colon. It’s a natural vegetable product with a mix from a cross section of vegetables and fruits, including onions, leeks, wheat, garlic, bananas, artichokes and chicory. Most people ignore their intestines. This product is as important as anything I take.

A number of others are in my mix. A baby aspirin once a day for the heart. Saw palmetto for the prostate, omega-3 fish oil for the joints and one multi-vitamin, usually at lunch, called Alive which is a whole food energizer. I also take two tablespoons of liquid Glucosamine and Chondroitin with MSM. This too is for joint support. The liquid form is more effective and absorbs more quickly.

I usually carry around in my pockets some packets of Stevia which is a natural herbal substitute for sugar. Stevia leaf is naturally sweet but there are no calories and no problems that have been documented with aspartame. I use it for ice tea, cereals, etc.

When it’s workout time I take one pill a day of Atro-pagx. It’s for more serious athletes that help with weight management, energy, muscle tightening and toning along with appetite control. I’m just not as hungry when I take this.

After the workout, I take something called Syntha-6 which helps with muscle recovery and gives me an energy boost after a hard workout.

Hey, I know I’ve thrown a lot at you. But put a combination of these exercises and mixes together, add in eight hours of sleep and a good love life, and you too can be full of energy for a number of years to come.

Diet? I just follow the rule of moderation when I eat. I do try to apply the sugar busters of no whites (bread, pasta, potatoes, etc.). And keep the sugar to a minimum. Other than that, I just use some common sense eating.

If you have any questions or comments, or you want to include your own routine, I’ll write some more about the responses and talk about them on the radio. You can email me at jim@995fm.com.

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“Living a healthy lifestyle will only deprive you of poor health, lethargy, and fat.”

~Jill Johnson~

Peace and Justice.

Jim Brown