Yoga may seem trendy, but it’s been practiced for health benefits for some 5,000 years. You can do yoga just about anywhere and feel more relaxed and energetic in just 10 – 20 minutes, according to Brooke Benjamin, Mills-Peninsula exercise physiologist.
Some benefits of a regular yoga practice:
Relaxation
Improved digestion
Increased flexibility, strength, coordination and balance
Less anxiety
Lower blood pressure
Watch this video segment from Healthpoint TV to learn a few simple yoga poses you can incorporate into your fitness routine.
Exercise is a vital component of any weight loss program. If you are overweight or recovering from injury or surgery, you should begin a fitness routine slowly and consult your doctor first, advises Brooke Benjamin, Mills-Peninsula exercise physiologist.
In this video segment from Healthpoint TV, she demonstrates a beginner’s workout with exercise bands to increase strength and coordination.
Back pain got you down and out? Do aching knees prevent you from walking long distances or engaging in other types of exercise? If so, you may want to jump in the pool.
“The buoyancy of water lets people exercise with less impact on joints and with a decreased overall weight,” says Kelly Rancatore, an aquatics exercise physiologist at Mills Health Center in San Mateo. “A 200-pound person in chest-deep water only has to support about 50 pounds of their body weight, meaning less pressure on your joints and decreased pain.”
Did you know that men and women respond very differently to exercise? That’s because of physiological differences: Men have more muscle mass, while women tend to store fat.
In fact, women over the age of 45 need at least 60 minutes of exercise a day just to maintain and not gain weight!
This video segment from Healthpoint TV features tips for women on how to stay fit from Brooke Benjamin, a Mills-Peninsula exercise physiologist.
Want to learn more? Check out more fitness demonstration videos and tips from Brooke Benjamin on our blog:
Few things feel as miserable as a backache, says Brooke Benjamin, Mills-Peninsula exercise physiologist. And while back pain is a common complaint, it can often be avoided with propper body mechanics and physical fitness.
In this video segment from Healthpoint TV, Benjamin demonstrates some ways to help prevent back injuries, including proper lifting techniques and quick exercises to strengthen and stretch your back.
Exercise is important at any stage of your life. But staying fit during your pregnancy is a particularly good idea – for both your physical and mental health, as well as the health of your baby, says Mills-Peninsula Exercise Physiologist Brooke Benjamin. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends 30 minutes of exercise a day for most pregnant women. “But it’s important to exercise safely,” emphasizes Benjamin.
In this video from Healthpoint TV, learn some simple, safe exercises to help keep expectant mothers fit:
Two dangerous trends are on the rise in children’s health—a rapid increase in the number of youth sports injuries and a drop in the age of young athletes with overuse injuries. This blog post offers some tips on keeping your child sports safe – on and off the field.
The fountain of youth may not exist outside of legend, but with its long list of health benefits and healing powers, exercise comes pretty close.
Regular exercise at any age can boost cardiovascular function and bone health and decrease risk factors for diseases such as cancer and diabetes. I am an exercise physiologist at Mills-Peninsula, and I teach the Seniors in Motion class at the Fitness and Therapy Center.
The list of benefits goes on: Exercise also increases muscle mass and strength, counteracting the loss of muscle that occurs with age. In addition, stronger muscles improve balance, which is key to cutting the risk of falling.
In our busy days, it’s often hard to make time for stretching and exercise that we know we need. To help you fit in an exercise break at work or at home, in these two short “Time Out for Fitness Break” videos, Mills-Peninsula Health Services exercise physiologists Dai Daiku and Brooke Benjamin, take you through some simple exercises to help you stay healthy, stretch and build strength. The exercises shown here are great for taking a break while at your computer, at home – or wherever it is convenient for you. We know you’re busy, so let’s get started!
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