John Aaron Wellness

As you approach and go over 40, you can start to feel a difference in your body. Even if you were an athlete all through your younger days, it is inevitable that changes happen in your body that will prevent you from doing things you could. However, you can largely reduce the effect of these changes. You can keep your energy levels, strength and flexibility in good shape enabling you to delay the effects of the aging process. This is because inactivity and poor nutrition actually speed up the aging process. Some of the first changes you will notice are: • Losing your balance • Getting out of breathe easily • Tightening up of your body • A decline in muscle mass • Weakening and thinning of bone mass • Cartilage, ligaments and tendons becoming less elastic Understanding why these changes are happening, what your new nutritional needs are, and which kind of physical activity is good for you will help you stay fit without hurting your body. A sedentary lifestyl...

Thanks to a recent study published by the American College of Sports Medicine, the view of what it means to be fit may be changing. That's because the study found that while being thin is nice, it does not mean you're fit. Rather, being fit requires some effort. During the study, three groups of overweight individuals were told to do three different things. Group one was told to keep doing what they were doing, group two was put on a diet, and the third group was put on a diet and given an exercise regimen to stick with throughout the duration of the six-month trial. When the study was complete, the two groups of people that changed their habits lost weight. Researchers expected this, as did the general public. What is surprising many people, though, is that losing weight was found to not be enough to improve a person's overall fitness. Only the group that dieted and exercised regularly improved the function of their internal organs and thereby enjoyed increased overall fit...

I’ve often been asked, “How many times a week should I exercise?” Well, the truth is that we should be doing “something” physical every day. This is especially true for us forty (and older) year olds. The great thing about your body is that it was designed to move, whether or not you're in the gym. One great exercise to improve the strength of your lower body is to perform wall sits. With your feet about a foot from the base of a wall, push your back against the wall and let your body slide down the wall until you are in a sitting position (like you’re on an invisible chair). Be sure to stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold this position for as long as possible. Some of my clients have made it to a full 3 minutes! Another smart way to stay in shape is to skip the elevator and escalator and go for the stairs when shopping, making your way through an airport, or whenever the opportunity presents itself. And, a good third exercise would be to begin sitting in a chair,...

Okay, so you don't want to go completely “crazy” over your cardiovascular routine, but if you are looking to improve your health and energy levels (maybe even shed a few extra pounds), you'll probably need to alter the amount of cardio you subject yourself to on a regular basis. How much cardio should you be getting each day? I usually say “shoot for an hour, but get at least 30 minutes.” If you are in a part of the country where the summer heat can be overly oppressing, try doing your walk indoors at your local gym, shopping mall, or church recreation hall. While you may want to push yourself to your limit the entire time, you may be surprised as what alternating between fast and moderate-speeds can do for you. Try doing this; walk as fast as you can manage for about one minute (pretend you’re playing a race with someone – but don’t run!), then walk at a more relaxed rate of speed for up to two minutes. Doing this will not only increase your energy, cardiovascular strength ...