STAYING HEALTHY

by Carmen Dell Orefice

Exercise is the opposite of eating candy. One piece of candy now and then won't do anybody any harm, and sixteen minutes of exercise every now and then won't do anybody any good. We seem to have been born with a taste for sweets, but exercise is an acquired taste. Unless we've been doing it all our lives, it's very difficult to work up real enthusiasm for it, but no inner or outer health and beauty are possible without developing that enthusiasm. Try to think of the routine you set for yourself as a dance. Have your music playing. and see if you don't find it easier to get in the swing.

If you have not been exercising regularly, it's essential that you see a doctor before you begin. Check out your blood, heart and lungs. Take a stress test to find out what your endurance and capacities are, and never try to push your body to a point beyond what it is capable of with only a small amount of extra effort. Little by little, that capacity will expand, but pushing beyond the limit at the beginning is more dangerous than helpful. There is only one rule. Reach that limit and don't stop before you get there.

Perhaps the easiest exercise is swimming. It holds up your body, no matter how heavy you are, and puts no strain on the feet. I was born an air sign, but have a natural affinity with water. I expect I'll still be swimming when I need a wheel chair in which to reach the pool. If you have access to a pool, and you have no problem with getting your hair wet, swimming four or five times a week is an easy routine to fit into a busy life.

Water aerobics relieve stress and often enable the body to exceed the normal limits. Training for competitions generates a compulsive incentive to keep you at it. I was lucky to have as my coach, Ethelda Bleibtry, a former channel swimmer who took an not-for-profit interest in my natural ability.

But you don't have to strive for any kind of perfection to make it your healthy habit. A simple relaxing breast stroke, up and down the lane, keeping your face and eyes out of the chlorine while you do your thinking is an excellent stress soother. For one thing, it keeps you clean without having to clean the tub every day.

If you DON'T swim, of course, cleaning the bath tub every day is one of the best stretching exercises. In coming chapters, I will give you more exercises for stretching, plus exercises to stay limber; exercises to redistribute your weight, exercises to build strength, and -- especially special exercises to ward off osteoporosis.

The best exercises to help build stronger bones as you grow are the weight bearing exercises -- nice to keep in mind when you're carrying home the groceries.

Look for more on osteoporosis in my next report.