I bet the title of 3 Exercises to Do Until You Die grabbed your attention eh? Fortunately, we are all smart enough to know now that exercise can be done forever. Not the exercises that we used to think kept us young like just cardio, or just machines, but actual strength training. Yes, even if you are 97 years old, you can strength train. I personally have a client that “trains” his father whom just celebrated his 97th Birthday! He does the exact exercises that I am going to describe to you, and has for over 50 years. This robust 97 year old just took a fall this year…got up, and looked around and said “I got up because I exercise.” Pretty damn cool if you ask me. This article can be shared with anyone. (Don’t forget that if you are over 30, you are already in a state of muscular decline if you are not strength training.) Share this with your parents!
Let’s get to the 3 Exercises to do until you die. You want a squatting motion, a pulling motion and a pushing motion. 3 moves that will take your body through all of the daily tasks as you age that are known as Functional Strength. Squatting, pulling and pushing are not really considered exercise if you think of what activities you put your body through daily. You get up and down out of chairs. You bend over and pick up things and stand back up. You pull objects whether it be weeds from the garden, things from the back of the car, or dishes out of a cupboard. You push carts in stores, lawnmowers and wheel barrows, strollers and chairs around daily. Most of us don’t think of that as exercise. It’s not exercise until you cannot do it without injury and you are 70. Worse and even more common is the 40 year old that hurts themselves doing one of those daily tasks. See, they did not consider it exercise either.
We need to make it a point to train our bodies to get stronger with age instead of weaker. We need to do exercises that mimic daily life, but in a controlled manner with purpose. The purpose is to place a demand on the body that it is NOT used to. The plan is to practice doing squats and deadlifts with everything from your own bodyweight to a larger weight. The same goes for the pushing and pulling moves. Rowing moves that get your elbows behind you to open up the chest and work the back. Moves like grabbing a rope and pulling yourself forward or upward. (you can attach a rope to anything and do this move in the beginning). Pushing moves like push ups on your knees for beginners (even off of a counter top for the aged) or push ups with the feet elevated for the strong. Chest pressing in different ways and angles.
3 Exercises to do until you die. Squat, push and pull. If you are training in a gym, you should have these moves be the base of all workouts. If you work out at home, you can find a number of ways to mimic these moves.
Here is the list of the 3 Exercises to Do Until You Die...and a bunch of ways for everyone to do them.
Squatting moves
Bodyweight squats from a seated position to standing and back down.
Bodyweight squats from a chair to standing with one leg and back down.
Bodyweight squats with no chair.
Weighted bodyweight squats. Holding freeweights at sides, or at shoulders.
Barbell Squats.
Barbell Deadlifts.
Lunges…stationary/walking/alternating legs.
Weighted lunges with either free weights or barbells.
Pushing moves
Push ups on knees
Push ups on hands
Push ups with feet elevated
Push ups while exploding up to a clap (very difficult)
Exercise band pressing. Attached to doorways, trees and poles. Great for the weak, aged or muscles that need rehabilitation
Chest presses while lying flat on bench.
Barbell chest presses
Dumbbell chest presses
Single arm chest presses
Chest Flyes
Cable Crossovers and/or Flyes
Pulling moves
Rowing
Cable rows
Lat Pulldown machines
Rowing with exercise bands attached to doorways, trees,and poles. Great for the weak, aged or muscles that need rehabilitation.
Renegade rows (also works core intensely!)
Bent over rows single sided
Standing Bent over rows
Want to be strong now? Better yet, want to look into the future and see a strong, erect standing and lean individual living life to the fullest? Start squatting, pushing and pulling and see how your life and posture changes. Building muscles using these moves will prepare you for a lifetime of strength without injury. (or at least you might bounce back up if you take a fall!) Remember the 97 year old. He is looking forward to his next birthday.
Searching and sharing ways for us to achieve optimal health and wellness,
Dawn
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