Exercise Therapy

Every woman's best bet for maintaining her health and beauty is exercise. It improves the circulation to the point where areas are stressed and regular exercise will actually develop tiny blood vessels to deliver extra oxygen to the body and remove waste material. Muscles trained by exercise develop greater stores of energy in the form of glycogen. The muscles also grow larger and stronger, lung function improves and heart turns healthier. Somehow we must try to fit exercise of some sort or the other in our daily routine. Forget the car for short trips and walk whenever you can. Stretch when you reach for something on the shelf. Skip elevators whenever you can. Walk up and down the staircase. Park your car a few blocks away from your destination, walk the rest of the distance; do the same for the bus or train. Get off one stop before your destination. Whenever you get a chance stand rather than sit. Do not be a couch potato. Be always on the move if you want to remain young and healthy.

Stretching: This keeps the body firm and graceful. In the morning it awakens the body, during the day it releases tension and stretching at night helps you to sleep. Before you get up in the morning gently stretch first on one side and then the other. Then get out of bed, stand with your feet flat on the ground and reach for the ceiling, try and touch it. Stretch one side, feel the pull from your fingertips to your feet, now stretch the other side. Do this 10 times. Now do the same stretch standing on your toes. Repeat this 10 times then let your body go completely slack.

Cycling: Recent research on heart attacks has shown that cycling is one of the best forms of exercise. It can minimize the likelihood of giving you a heart attack by increasing the blood circulation and exercising all the muscles of your body.

Walking: This the easiest exercise in the world. The act of walking combining both the exercise and the actual striking of feet on a hard surface promotes the addition of essential minerals to the bones. It also works wonders for the circulatory system of the legs and also it improves the entire vascular system. Besides it burns up cholesterol and other fats. But mere walking is not enough, your pace has got to be brisk, because brisk walking though a mild exercise is a good aerobic workout.

Skipping: This exercises the whole body. It strengthens your lungs, legs and wrists. It improves the circulation, firms up the breasts, thighs and buttocks. It tones the muscles, improves your co-ordination, improves your skill at sports, reduces nervousness, increases endurance and helps improve your hand and foot co-ordination. Jumping rope is an excellent means of achieving total body workout. It is equal to jogging 1 and a half kilometers, 350 meters of swimming and half hour of continuous basket ball.

Breathing: Every tissue in the body requires oxygen, therefore practice deep breathing. Stand before an open window and fill your lungs with fresh morning air, then exhale pushing out the last breath. Repeat this for 10 minutes.

The secret of exercise is to develop interest not so much in the exercise but in some hobby which requires vigorous movements of all kinds like swimming, dancing, yoga, karate, tennis, cricket, hiking, gardening, etc.