| If you are thinking of starting an exercise | | | | If you have a hard time walking up stairs, or |
| program late in life, the safest exercises are | | | | getting out of a chair without using your hands, |
| cycling and swimming. | | | | your thighs are weak and you can strengthen |
| A study from Japan shows that people with heart | | | | them by pedaling stationary bicycle. |
| pain on exercising feel chest pain when they run | | | | You become weak because you do not use your |
| and not when they pedal because it takes far | | | | muscles, not because you age. You use your thigh |
| more energy to run than to pedal. Running also | | | | muscles raise you up stairs, and you strengthen |
| causes more wear-and-tear injuries than pedaling. | | | | these muscles by pedaling, skating, and skiing, not |
| When you run, your foot hits the ground with a | | | | by walking or running. If you wobble, stumble or |
| force greater than twice your body weight. This | | | | walk with your feet wide apart, you probably |
| is transmitted up to jar your muscles, joints, and | | | | have weak thigh muscles and can strengthen |
| bones. Place your hands on the quad muscles in | | | | them on a stationary bike. Pedal every other day |
| the front of your upper leg while you run. When | | | | until your legs feel heavy or hurt or you feel tired. |
| you feet hit the ground, your quads shake like | | | | Then stop. You should be able to gradually work |
| jelly. Pedaling and swimming are safer because | | | | up to the point where you can ride for thirty |
| you pedal in a smooth rotary motion and swim | | | | minutes, three times a week. Then walking up |
| with the buoyancy of the water dampening | | | | stairs and raising yourself out of a chair should be |
| forces on your muscles. | | | | as easy as pedaling a bike. |