Anti-aging exercise: Cardiovascular.

Anti-aging exercise programs need to include cardio exercises as well as those for muscle strength and those to improve your balance and co-ordination.

The medical community has been talking about 'increasing your heart rate' for 20 minutes a day for many years. Such activities can:

• Protect your heart
• Keep your blood pressure at more normal levels
• Help regulate your insulin levels so they remain in balance
• Reduce stress and protect your memory
• Improve mood - even in cases of clinical depression
• Assist with weight loss - especially losing abdominal or 'belly' fat

With so many health benefits, you want to include this Anti-aging exercise in your daily regime.

How much cardio exercise do you do each day now? Researchers tell us that 20 -45 minutes a day is more than enough. In fact long periods of such activity, a few hours a day for example are NOT a good health habit. Such extended periods orcardio vascular exercise can tax your body - lead to bone loss and have other negative consequences. Athletes who do extended periods of such activity usually have an experienced trainer and/or doctor monitoring their training. Still, it has been shown that professional cyclists, swimmers and even runners can suffer excessive bone loss intheir training.

If you are doing regular cardio workouts as part of your Anti-aging exercise program, you want to keep your workout within the 20 - 45 minute range.

You have many activites from which to choose

• Walking is an excellent choice. And it had the advantage of have some balance and co-ordination benefitsas well as some benefits for strengthening. To read more about walking go to : Walking as an Anti-aging exercise
• Stair climbing is another choice. What is interesting about climbing stairs is that going UP the stairshas been shown to be good cardio conditioner and going down the stairs helps stimulate stronger bones.
• Cycling also offers a good cardio workout. If this is your choice, and it is a good one, be sureto include something that will strengthen your bones. See: Weight bearing activities
• In recent years something called Nordic Walking has become popular - especially with those who wantto exercise outdoors on dirt roads or walking tracts.
• Swimming has also become popular too - especially among those who have joined a health club.

But there are other activities that meet the criteria.

• Dancing - all sorts of dancing. Anything that gets your heart rate up. You can pop on some musicand dance your way to good health. It is fun and anyone can do it. You do not have to go to a dance club,you can dance in your own living room or kitchen.
• Jumping robe is another choice and jumping has also been shown to stimulate bone growth.
• Some of the prefatory workouts for karate and other such spots are sometimes of a cardio vascularimprovement kind

It does not matter what you do. what matters is that you get your heart pumping and breathing deeply for about 20 minutes a day at least 3 or 4 times a week. If you do this, you will be adding years to your lifespan AND putting off the day that any of the markers of 'old age' begin to show in your life.

Cardiovascular activities are an important part of any Anti-aging exercise plan.

To learn more about the kinds of exercise that can ward off the characteristics of old age, go to

• What you can do prevent falls after age 60 and to keep from developing the 'old person' shuffle as you age

and to

• Weight bearing activities to age proofyour body