| "Slowing aging down, right now, may be as easy as simply eating more vegetables.”
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| Today more than ever, your age is a state of mind. Throw a little curve into your routine. Try our six fun ideas to uncork the fountain of youth and jazz up your outlook today.
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1. Try a fresh way to stretch.
Author Anita Boser recommends gentle exercises called undulations to relieve stiffness brought on by lack of movement. “These exercises create a fluid exchange in the joints so tissues can get the nutrients they need to remain limber as we age,” Boser said. Try the Easy Sway:
- Sitting in a firm chair (not a sofa), lean to the right so that the left side opens in an arc and the right side curves in.
- Then lean to the left so the right side opens up.
- Sway from side to side for a minute and notice what parts of your spine can do this movement easily and what parts of your spine are stiff.
- Stop and then start again, but let one of the stiff places initiate the movement. It will be different; perhaps smaller, uncoordinated or less smooth. That's OK. Just don't do anything that hurts. Let the stiff place lead for a minute.
- Stop and start once again a few times. Just a few minutes of gentle movement will lubricate and nourish the joints in your spine, so they are healthier.
2. Take a veggie break.
“We’re undergoing a quiet revolution in our understanding of aging,” author Sally Brown said. Aging, once thought to be inevitable, is now considered to be a buildup of faults in the body caused by damage from unstable molecules called free radicals. When the body’s repair systems weaken, free-radical damage accumulates, leading to disease, reduction in skin elasticity, muscle and bone wastage and slower mental reactions. “Slowing aging down, right now, may be as easy as simply eating more vegetables,” said Brown. “They contain antioxidants, which bind with free radicals and make them harmless.” Do something for yourself. Take a veggie break and reap the rewards. Being proactive will help you feel refreshed and younger today.
3. Play some new music and dance.
When was the last time you kicked up your heels and spun around the room? Try turning on the radio to a random station or pulling something new to your digital music player. Then feel the rhythm and get stepping. Or try a dance video from the library and learn some new steps.
4. Lift some weights.
Don’t wait to join the gym. Grab those weights that are under your bed gathering dust — or soup cans will suffice. Now try a few arm curls, lunges and lifts. Visit www.beautifyyourheart.com for strength-building fitness activities and more fitness ideas. Please check with your doctor before beginning any strenuous physical fitness routine.
5. Get centered.
Slowing down to take stock of your life can help you get focus and feel younger. Choose today to take a break from your responsibilities, maybe just for an hour. Reflect on your personal goals. What are you doing to accomplish them? Do you like your work? Any relationships you’d like to improve? Come up with one action item that you can accomplish today and do it. You’ll feel your youthful vigor revive as you spend time on you.
6. Put it in perspective.
Spend time with someone older, doing errands or simply visiting. Call up a family member or friend and see if today would be a good day to stop in. While there, take a moment to appreciate your mobility and your stage of life.
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