Workout and Diet Advice for Women over 45

The recent post discussed the difference between Dynamic and Static Stretching.  Dynamic stretching does  a great job of improving dynamic flexibility for your workout.

I said I would follow up with a  set of Dynamic Stretching exercises that you can use before your workouts.  I also mentioned that the Dynamic stretch is much like our “warm-ups” from high school gym class; so if you recall those days, and haven’t suppressed the memories (with good reason), you should recognize some of the movements.    And don’t neglect your Static Stretching after the workout – forgetting to stretch very easy to do; just ask me!!

I love the Health and Fitness Industry because things are always changing and (mostly) improving.  Guidelines that we took as gospel in the early days of fitness and weight-training were blown away a few years later with a new theory, only to be refuted itself with new research a few years after that; and so the cycle goes.  

• The best way to do sit-ups (straight back and legs) became the surefire way to hurt one’s back, and we found out about better “core” exercises;
• The perfect way to stretch (bouncing) turned into a guaranteed way to pull a muscle, and we learned about safe stretching.

I have had personal trainers for short periods occasionally over the years, and I have been a personal trainer.  I have seen what works and what doesn’t work from both sides.  I am also a keen observer of current personal trainers when they are training others.

In a recent Tweet I said June would be the month to focus on stretching tips.  Well we are still in June, so this is just in time.   Summer is the time we think about getting to the beach or the BBQ or the County Fair – so we want to work out and get going.  The activity that generally suffers is the stretching.  I raise my hand – I am guilty of this oversight.  And am I the only one who has said ‘well I will stretch tonight when I get home’ and that is the last time the thought entered my head?  You don’t have to be a Boomer to forget to stretch; I think a lot of people forget.