Body of Work

Let’s face it—unless you’re a superhuman supermodel with round-the-clock access to a celebrity trainer, the human body is a tough act to manage. The figure morphs, weight yo-yos—and as the years slide by, it doesn’t get any easier. That’s why a regular fitness routine is crucial to a woman’s health, not only to keep up appearances, but more importantly to address health concerns that inevitably arise in the various stages of life. Whether you are in your 20s, 30s, 40, or 50s, getting in shape now will do wonders for your physical condition—reducing your future encounters with heart disease, osteoporosis, and even breast cancer!

Women’s Health magazine addresses these concerns in their September issue with their article, “A Body For the Ages.” Here are some of the workout tips they recommend to combat the specific challenges of your age.

IN YOUR 20s

The Challenge:
You have a hunch. Spending 40 or more hours a week crouched over your keyboard like a human comma probably impresses your boss, but it also compresses your spine. “That leads to slumped posture in the short term and irreversible damage to your spine over the years,” says Lori Incledon, author of Strength Training for Women. “When your spine is held in the same posture for years, the muscles become too deconditioned to move the bones, and the bones begin to fuse together.” Act now and you’ll be a head above the other women on your over-50 basketball team—not to mention less prone to upper back and neck pain.

The Routine:
Stretch tall. Do the foam roller snow angel every day. Lie back along a 3-foot foam roller so that it runs the length of your spine. Bend your knees and rest your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands next to your hips, palms up, with you arms straight. Without raising your shoulders, slowly—take 15 seconds—drag your hands along the floor (as if you’re making a snow angel) until they’re above your head or they lose contact with the floor. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds. Take another 15 seconds to drag them back to the starting position. If you feel tightness in a particular spot, pause there for 10 to 15 seconds, then keep moving. Repeat four times.

IN YOUR 30s

The Challenge:
Your back is a royal pain. More than 50 percent of women in their 30s suffer from lower-back pain, and that number rises to nearly 70 percent during pregnancy. The key to preventing it is not just muscular strength but endurance too. “Your back muscles don’t need to be overly strong to support your spine; they need to be able to support it for long periods of time,” Incledon says. In other words, it’s about how much force those muscles can exert as well as how long they can go before pooping out. That’s doubly important when you’re expecting because levels of the hormone relaxin rise, loosening not only your pelvic ligaments (get that baby outta there!) but also the ones around your spine.

The Routine:
Shore up your core. Do the side bridge three times per week. Lie on your left side with knees straight and upper body propped on your left elbow and forearm. Place your right hand on your right hip and slowly raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds, breathing deeply. That’s one rep. Repeat four times, then switch to your right side. Do one to two sets for each side. If that’s too hard, bend your knees 90 degrees so that they rest on the floor. If you’re pregnant, do the exercise with your back against a wall for support.

• It's important to stay fit and healthy in any age. We should have time to exercise even if it's just for a short time everyday.
  by Lourdes Espanol on 2010-03-04 09:28:01