Do the Right Thing

Over the course of my 25 years of Osteopathic practice I’ve treated thousands of people who told me they exercised for their health. Of all those people, however, I determined that only a handful were doing the correct exercises, the right way. Whether its stretching and strengthening to improve posture and avoid pain, aerobic exercise for heart health, or a strengthening routine for balance and stability, there are certain things that must be done in order to achieve those benefits and to avoid wasting your time or, worse, injuring yourself.

Done right, these exercises share a few important things in common. First, they are very effective at turning back the clock, combating the chronic health problems associated with aging—weakness, frailty, dementia, heart disease, cancer, and other causes of premature decline. Second, they are very efficient, allowing for optimal health benefits for the body in as little as 10 minutes per day, 1 to 2 days per week. And finally, they achieve those amazing benefits because they challenge the body…read on.

End Everyday Pain

Becoming pain-free (or avoiding it if you’re already pain-free) is the first step on the path for an improved quality of life, and is the subject of my first book End Everyday Pain, A 10-Minute-a-Day Program of Stretching, Strengthening, and Movement to Break the Grip of Pain. Erasing whatever time-earned postural compromises you own—breaking your postural mold—to release tension, improve alignment, and ease pain is not only important for its own sake, but also prepares your body for the increased physical activity necessary for achieving optimal health as you age. (For some specific examples of common postural problems, click the Compromised Posture button on the Home page.) I’ve known many adults who decided to start a fitness program at the behest of their loved ones, or cardiologist, only to become sidelined soon after because their shoulder muscles, or their knee, or hip joints couldn’t tolerate their new and increased activity level.

Staying Young With High Intensity Interval Training

The first of the two most powerful exercises for health—High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), is an aerobic cardiovascular fitness plan described in my second book, Staying Young with Interval Training, The Revolutionary HIIT Approach to Getting Fit, Living Healthy and Keeping Muscles Young. It includes the latest scientific breakthrough information on how to get in maximal cardiovascular shape, and genetically improve your muscles, in 10 minutes a day, just 1-3 days per week.  This short workout routine not only gets you maximally fit in less time, but also creates less wear and tear on the body compared to longer, less efficient programs. 

Reverse Sarcopenia (Muscle Weakness)

The second of the two most powerful exercises for health is a muscle strengthening program, referred to as progressive resistance exercise (PRE), and is described in my third book Reverse Sarcopenia, An Easy-to-Follow Program to Keep Muscles Strong and Youthful While Reducing Your Risk of Developing Dementia. It is an exercise program designed to reverse the muscle weakness that accompanies aging, and is one of the hottest topics in preventive medicine because it not only strengthens your muscles—decreasing your risk of falling and improving your ability to live independently—but also can reduce your chances of getting;

• Heart disease

• Strokes

• Diabetes

• Bone fractures

• Nursing home admissions

And a reduced risk of death from all causes!  

Aside from these incredible health benefits, combating weakness can also help you to

• Sleep better

• Have more energy

• Overcome stubborn weight loss

• Have more vitality

• Gain more confidence.  

The ground-breaking information in this book will teach you how to get all these incredible benefits in less than 15 minutes a day, in just 2 days a week! 

The Smart Plan

Once your posture is prepared, it’s time to challenge your body to become the healthiest it’s ever been by embracing a smart fitness plan. Not by doing more exercise, by doing better exercise. Not by spending more time, but by actually devoting less time! The path to become stronger and fitter, with all of the benefits that entails is well-established by modern science. New information in the fields of health and fitness are highlighting that while being active helps to slow the progression of age-related decline, only those whose exercise routines more intensely challenge the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems—even if only very briefly—will reap the rewards of a body that devotes sufficient resources to getting fitter, stronger, and healthier.   

In Conclusion

The bottom line is that science is both learning just how many age-related diseases are preventable and reversible by challenging the body through exercise, and how little time it takes to achieve those result. With documented increases in aerobic fitness in as few as 6 HIIT session, and measurable improvements in strength in as a little as 1 week in the case of PRE, the time is now—and it’s never been easier.  Don’t get to the point where you wished you’d taken better care of yourself.  Remember, if you don't set some time aside for health, you will almost certainly have to make more time for illness.

To Your Health.