Description

Fitness Director Michele Stanten demonstrates two bonus moves for women in their 60s

Transcript

High Metabolism Workout Hi! I'm Michele Stanten, Fitness Director for Prevention Magazine. Research has shown that after menopause women can lose up to six times as much muscle as they did before menopause. They also tend to be about half as active as they were. That can result in up to a 100 calorie decrease in your metabolism everyday. By adding some core exercises to strengthen your abs and your back, you can prevent some of that muscle loss and also keep yourself strong so you'll be more active throughout the day. I'm going to show you two moves that target that area. We're going to start by lying down on our mat for a single leg stretch. So come down on to a mat. You want to raise your legs up off the floor so that your shins are parallel, knees above your hips. Now, we're going to pull one knee into the chest as we extend the other leg up about a 45 degree angle and grasp the shin of the other leg and pull it towards your chest, and then switch sides extending that leg. You want to keep your abs nice and tight as you're doing this, pressing that back towards the mat, and make sure that you keep breathing. You're going to do 20 reps with this exercise. Our next move, we're going to come onto our sides and this is a side raise, Side Leg Raise. You might want a pillow or a towel to support your head. Lying on one side come down, rest your head on the towel and cross your arms. Your feet are going to be flexed and legs are extended. Now contracting those abs your side muscles and your back muscles and you're going to raise your feet about 2 to 4 inches off of the mat and then lower them. Again, making sure that you are not holding your breath as you are doing this exercise. And lift and lower, you'll feel those abs really working. You'll do ten of these on each side. Try practicing these moves every time you do the high metabolism workout for stronger abs that'll help you to stand up taller and look slimmer.