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After crossing 40 a few questions start weighing on our minds. Am I looking old? Are the signs of age visible on my face? How do I prevent and hide these wrinkles? And then starts the process of buying and applying all kinds of anti-aging, tissue tightening creams. Some of us may even go to the extent of getting surgeries done to look young.
In doing so, we forget that aging is not just about beauty it’s also about declining body strength, low bone density, senility and a weakening heart. Are we going to fight these problems we our anti-aging creams? No, a fight can only be among equals. And therefore, our weapons have to be anti-aging muscle toning exercises like Aerobics, Yoga, Tai Chi and the like.
Three broad categories of exercises are best suited for an anti-aging regime. These are flexibility exercises, cardiovascular exercises and strength training.
In the first category, performing some basic stretches will help you do away with pains.
The cardiovascular exercises are designed to keep your heart healthy and include running, brisk walking and swimming. You can adopt any one of them.
The strength training exercises help in building sturdiness and sustaining bone mass. The focus areas should be chest, abdominal muscles, shoulders, buttock, hamstrings, calf muscles, and the upper and lower back. Exercises like leg abduction, hamstring curl, squat, chest press, reverse crunch and back extension can be practiced.
Facial Exercises
To prevent wrinkles you can do the following exercises daily.
A) For strengthening eye muscles, close your eyes and move the eyeballs up and down.
A variation can be to massage your temples with two fingers and simultaneously look
up and down.
B) Exercise your forehead by first raising your eyebrows and then bringing them down towards the eyes.
C) Exercise your lips and cheeks by inflating your mouth, keeping it that way for sometime and then deflating it.
Yogasanas for Anti-aging
If you practice yoga, then you can try asanas like the Fish Posture (Matsyasana), the Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana), the Reverse Posture (Vipritakarani Mudra) and the Plough Posture (Halasana). Supplement these postures with Pranayama like alternate nostril breathing and rhythmic breathing.
These anti-aging muscle toning exercises will boost your health, prolong aging and promote longevity.
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