A Fitness Plan

Of all the tools used for measuring health and fitness, a simple cloth tape measure may be one of the best. Measuring the circumference of your waist will tell you more about your fitness than either scales or the Body Mass Index (BMI) formula. Or, put another way, Jack LaLanne used to say, “Your waistline is your lifeline.”

Then along came trainer and author Jon Benson (Fit Over 40) who took the tape measure method a step further, using a waistline-to-height formula as a predictor of heart disease. Mr. Benson tells us to measure right below the navel, and not pull the tape measure too tight. Write down that number in inches. Then measure your height (without shoes) in inches. Write that down too.

Multiply the result of your waist measurement by two. If the number is greater than your height, you are four times more likely to get heart disease. It’s more predictive than cholesterol tests, he says. And the medical profession seems to agree.

Okay, that’s all well and good. But now let’s suppose that you don’t belong to a health club, and you haven’t got a set of barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or resistance bands. You know you’re out of shape and want to start getting in shape right now. Here is one good way to do it.

First, begin by walking every other day. Start with five minutes on the first day and add five more minutes to each walk until you reach 30 minutes. Then maintain your 30-minute walks every other day. Step up your pace a bit when it gets too easy.

Next, on the days that you do not walk, do the following no-equipment-needed exercises. These are guaranteed to get your heart pumping — if you push it. Or they can be slowed down for beginners or older seniors. My advice is to start slowly, and gradually build up.

Here we go.

No. 1. Burpees. For a refresher course, watch the brief video.

No. 2. Mountain Climbers. A favorite of the military. Daughter Jennifer demonstrates.

No. 3. Side Split Squats. Popular in martial arts, and for good reason.

Your regular exercise plan has been established and you’re on your way to a fitness lifestyle.

Just one more thing: Let’s move on to eating habits.

As important regular exercise is, you cannot out exercise a poor diet. If you are overweight, you must regularly eat less. There is no other way to achieve a healthy body weight. Please go here to get on the right track.

You’ll never regret it.

Stay healthy. Stay Fit.

Logan

Senior Exercise Central

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Sincerely,

Logan Franklin
The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter
www.senior-exercise-central.com