Top 5 Exercises For Baby Boomers

Mirabai Holland is the director of fitness and wellness program at the 92nd street Y in Manhattan. She's been in the fitness industry for more than 25 years and has recently developed an exercise program to help people ease into getting in shape.
Here's a List of Holland’s Top 5 Boomer Workouts:

1. Cardio

"Basically anything that uses your full body to get your heart pumping." said Holland.

— At least 30 minutes of moderate cardio exercise a day

— This includes brisk walking, running, swimming, biking, or exercise videos

— If you don't have time in your day for the full 30 minutes, try three 10 minute bouts of exercise throughout the day

2. Strength training

"As we get older the muscles are getting smaller and losing the ability to contract," said Holland. "We can change this by strength training. The other thing we see is that mature adults have higher fat content. There is more diabetes due to lower muscle mass, so strength training is essential to regulate glucose metabolism."

Work those muscles twice a week for 30 to 45 minutes by doing exercises such as:

— Pushups (if you're a beginner, do them against a wall to start)

— Using a resistance band which is light weight and inexpensive

— Bicep curls and tricep extensions (12 ounce curls do not count!)

— Modified squats and lunges which works many muscles at once

And make sure you leave 24 to 48 hours between strength training because your muscles need time to bounce back and rest. You don't want overuse injuries.

3. Flexibility training

"With reduced flexibility people tend to lose their ability to balance because there are changes in connective tissues in the body," said Holland. "Regular stretching can help, even as little as five to 10 minutes a day."

— To start the day, try some head circles and stretching in the shower

— At the end of day, stretch calf muscles and hamstrings

4. Balance training

"Because we see in older adults a loss of balance, which results in more falls," noted Holland.

— You can do this standing in line at the grocery store

— Stand on one leg and see if you can let go of the shopping cart

— Hold for about 10 seconds

— Also try standing on your tippy-toes and holding for a few seconds

— Balance should be done everyday — all you need is two to three minutes

5. Core training

"We see so many people as they get older avoiding their abs, which results in a bad back," said Holland. "They're not really supporting upper torso."

— Try a few minutes of abdominal exercises

— Reverse curl while you're lying in back and pull your knees into you

— Hold for five seconds and release

— Start with 10 reps a day and work your way higher

— Crunches are key — not full sit-ups — because some people can do more damage than good

— Keep back on the floor and don't go all the way up

— Really concentrate so you can feel you're abdominal wall contracting

— This will help support your back

Avoiding 'Boomeritis'

For baby boomers, supporting the back and the rest of the body is crucial, especially if they want to avoid "boomeritis," a condition that affects older athletes that have pushed their limits. When this happens, it usually results in a trip to the doctor's office.

"If pain starts translating into severe pain or pain that travels down the leg with numbness or weakness or down the arm," said McCance. "Then it's definitely time to see a doctor."

McCance's advice to aging athletes is simple:

-- Warm up before you workout to get the blood flowing

-- Make sure your body (an muscle tone) is in shape for the exercise you're doing

-- Cross-train — it's a great way to keep in shape

-- Get on a swimming program — it's low-impact and gets the blood flowing to back and muscles

-- Finally, remember pain is a warning sign — don't try to power through it

"If someone is prone to back and neck problems and they get reoccurring neck or back pain," McCance said. "Check with a spine doctor before embarking on a new workout program."

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