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Health & Fitness

Why You Should Make Exercise a Priority

However the older you get the more the saying "use it or lose it" becomes true.

A question has just been asked of me on Facebook:

“How can I get my husband to ignore all the reality television shows and focus on working out?”

I tend to view exercise similar to giving up smoking, it doesn’t matter what everyone else wants you to do it’s only going to happen if you want to do it.

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However the older you get the more the saying “use it or lose it” becomes true. There is word for it – sarcopenia and it means loss of muscle mass. It starts in our 30s and as we become older it can make performing the most basic tasks of daily living difficult, and greatly increases the risk of suffering falls and other serious accidents. While there are many reasons for sarcopenia lack of exercise is a contributing factor.

Regular exercise, with emphasis on strength training, is essential for preserving and increasing muscle mass. In addition strength training has been found to improve bone density, particularly important for women post-menopause, and lessen the decline of your metabolic rate.

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If you are a member of a gym ask a trainer to devise you a program that includes strength training. The trainers in a gym are there to help you, and if you ask them a question I am sure they would be happy to share their knowledge, but in many gyms you have to ask them first.

For those of you without the benefit of gym membership some simple bodyweight exercises can be done at home. Bodyweight training is one of the oldest training methods known to mankind. You use only the weight of your own body as resistance to do such exercises as sit-ups, pushups, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, and the high-knee drill, just to name a few. There are three benefits that I love about bodyweight training. Bodyweight training can be done anywhere. Bodyweight training is great when you are short on time and need to get a quick 10-15 minute workout in, and when you go on vacation and the hotel doesn’t have a gym... no problem, your hotel room will do.

 Bodyweight calisthenics can be done anytime... no, or very little, equipment is needed. For many bodyweight exercises, you simply use the resistance of your own body weight. In fact, most fitness testing consists of pushups, sit-ups and running, and is designed to quickly gauge your general fitness level and to act as a benchmark for future testing. Simply put, the fitness test shows you your current fitness level and shows you the fitness level you should be at.

I have created The Floirssant Patch Bodyweight Workout. You can start this routine right away and the faster you start, the faster you can start seeing and feeling the benefits that are listed above.

The Florissant Patch Bodyweight Workout consists of three exercises – jumping jacks, pushups and squat thrusts. You do a circuit of five reps for each exercise for two minutes. Perform The Florissant Patch Bodyweight Workout twice.

Jumping Jacks – 5 Reps - Start with your legs side by side and your arms by your side. In one motion, jump and spread your legs out to the side while your arms rise out and up over your head. Land in this position and then return to the starting position and repeat.

Push Ups – 5 Reps - Lie face down on the floor with hands palm down, fingers pointing straight ahead, and aligned at the nipple line. Place hands slightly wider than shoulder width, and feet should be at hip width with toes on floor. Start position: Extend the elbows and raise the body off the floor. Lower your entire body four to eight inches from the floor. Return to the start position by extending at the elbows and pushing the body up.

Squat Thrust – 5 Reps - From a standing position, jump as high as possible and land down on your feet with your hands on the ground. Kick your feet back. For a moment you will be in a pushup position, then jump back up again as fast as possible. Repeat for the required repetitions.

One more thing about bodyweight training is that the entire body has to work as one and you will activate the use of more muscles, and this will burn lots of fat.

Lyle Johnson certified personal trainer and owner of St.Louis based MVP Fitness; he gives workshops and runs MVP Boot Camp. He is also the author of Get Fit 4 Christ.  Before engaging in any exercise program, consult with your doctor. The materials and comments discussed in this article are to be considered general information only and may not apply to your particular health situation. For more information, log onto www.getfit4christ.com or www.mvpfitness.net.  He can be reached at lyle@mvpfitness.net or call 314-831-7505.

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