How to Stay Young

You’re now ready to go.

Cardio

…For the sedentary:

This will take up one day out of the three minimum days you will devote to exercise. At this point you want to perform an activity that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat for 20-30 minutes. For some of you walking around your yard or up and down your street will do the trick. For others it will take a power walk around the neighborhood, a stint pedaling on a stationary bike, or walking laps in a pool. Beginner aerobic videos also count. Pick two or three activities you can do regularly.

…For the active:

You will want to perform your cardio workout three days out of six. Do it every other day. The stair stepper machine at the gym is a great option because you can get an intense workout without jolting your joints or back muscles. If you have access to a gym, try the other cardio machines or consider an aerobics class for variety. Your body adapts to exercise quite quickly—you will want to change things up so you continue to see an improvement.
A Master’s Swim club is a great way to keep the intensity up and make new friends. You will have access to a swim coach, who will design a workout based on your fitness and swimming ability. The United States Masters Swimming organization at USMS.org can help you locate a swim club in your area.

…For Everyone.

Once you start exercising regularly you will quickly see improvement. Remember to assess how you feel after each workout. It is normal to feel a little sore, but if you feel can’t get out of bed for days, then back off. You need to progress, but do so slowly. Add an extra minute to your exercise each week. Or raise the intensity of the workout by swimming faster, or raising the incline on the treadmill for a short amount of time. As long as you are working hard, small changes will produce big results.

Strength

This is your key to losing weight and looking young. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even when you’re sleeping. Beginners, you will be doing your strength training on one of your three days. Those of you who are active should pick two out of your six days to work on strength.