Men
and Exercise
Lubricate Often
The muscles, tendons, joints, heart and lungs in the body need lubrication
to work. And to get long life out of these systems, they need to be
kept in constant lubrication.
Exercise is just
like WD-40 for the body. If you DON'T exercise the body, the muscles,
tendons, joints, heart and lungs will seize up from lack of lubrication.
Some of the best
exercises are those that both get the heart pumping, and the arms
and legs moving, but without a lot of jarring to the joints.
Competitive
individual sports: tennis, racquetball & golf
For guys who get bored with the monotony of exercising for exercising's
sake, playing competitive aerobic sports can be stimulating and more
fun to play.
Golf is a good
sport for fitness, but only if you walk instead of taking a cart.
And don't use the excuse that playing with a cart allows you to play
faster. Fact: Before golf carts, it was unheard of to play 18 holes
in anything over four hours. Since the age of the golf cart, the pace
of the average round of golf has lengthened to five hours. In truth,
golf carts have been pushed on golfers because they are a source of
profit to the golf course. A round of golf is the equivalent to a
four-mile walk. Walk it and live longer. With the health craze, every
golf store has dozens of ultralight carry bags for the growing number
of walkers, or you can buy a pull cart.
Tennis and racquetball
are superb aerobic sports and work the entire body. Racquetball, however,
is perhaps the worst non-impact sport for the human back because it
forces you to twist and torque in a bent-over position. Tennis, meanwhile,
can be tough on the knees because of the impact from a hard court.
Playing on a clay court can soften the impact.
Non-competitive individual sports: snow and water skiing, biking,
running, swimming
Running puts heavy
demands on the heart and lungs, which makes for a great aerobic workout.
It can cause some jarring to the knees or kidneys, so run on soft
surfaces--avoid concrete for grass.
Riding a bike
is great for legs, heart and lungs, and it creates less pounding on
the knees than running. Make sure your bike fits properly to avoid
discomfort after a ride--and know the rules of the road (or trail).
Swimming is considered
one of the best total body workouts, and since it's non-weight-bearing,
the risk of injury is minimal.Team sports: Baseball, soccer, volleyball,
touch footballIf you can get enough players together to play on a
regular schedule of evenings, team sports are a great way to stay
in shape, as well as provide comaraderie.
