There are several reasons why working out in your forties or fifties is a good idea. The most important one is that it helps you keep your weight in check, which results in lowered blood pressure, and a lower risk of heart disease. However, it’s crucial that you do it the right way, so that you won’t bring harm to yourself.
We’ve put together a list of helpful tips in ensuring that you keep fit beyond your 40s.
Learn How to Stretch Effectively
Static stretching, which involves holding a certain position for a long period of time, is not considered as effective as dynamic stretching, where you move your body in different ways in order to make it more flexible. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use static stretching, but you have to know when to do it.
For example, it’s good to stretch before and after a workout, or simply when you want to relax your muscles. But in order to gain flexibility, you have to include dynamic stretching in your workout.
Try Doing a Different Workout Every Day
A great way for you to stay in shape is to do a different type of workout every day. While this is definitely not advisable for beginners, it can be a great way for you to stay in shape without getting bored.
Doing this prevents your body from getting used to your training pace which in turn, helps you burn more calories. But again, it’s recommended that you only do it if you know what you’re doing, or if you have a wellness trainer who can help you with it. Regularly visiting experts at centers like Hotze H&W Center can help ensure that your body is responding well to your daily workouts.
Avoid Coffee
You might not like the sound of this (especially if you’re a morning coffee kind of person), but coffee is pretty much useless when it comes to your health and fitness. Although coffee does have its benefits, it also contains substances that can be harmful for your body. For example, drinking too much of it can lead to anxiety, panic attacks as well as disrupt your sleep.
Eat the Right Amount Of Fat
There are a lot of myths surrounding fats, especially the ones that are considered to be healthy. Remember, unlike saturated fats and trans fats which aren’t good for you at all, there are some fats that are actually good for you. Some healthy fats that you can incorporate into your cooking are olive oil, avocado oil and fish oil.
But still, it’s recommended that you stick to the recommended amount of fat per day. This means that even if the fat is healthy, it’s still necessary for you to keep an eye on the amount of fat you consume.
Get Enough Iron in Your Diet
As we age, our body becomes less efficient in absorbing iron from our diet. This means that we should make sure that we consume enough iron every day in order to stay strong and healthy. Sources of iron that are great for middle aged people are beans, red meats and fish. Also, notice that vegetarians should pay more attention than meat eaters when it comes to their iron intake.
Don’t Become Too Obsessed with Working Out – Make It Part of Your Life
For all those who find working out too hard and not fun at all, here’s some advice – just make it part of your life. If you’re just starting out, you don’t have to force yourself to go to the gym every day – there are a lot of other ways for you to stay fit. For example, if you like walking, why not start off your day with a nice morning walk? You can even make some friends along the way if you find yourself in a new neighborhood while walking. Find what works best for you and try to stick to it.
Eat Enough Protein
Not eating enough protein has a lot of negative effects on your body. Obviously, you’ll have a lack of energy and strength, as well as a decreased muscle mass. That’s why it’s important to eat enough protein every day. And to know how much you should be eating, use this helpful calculator. But keep in mind that these are just general recommendations, and you might need to eat more or less depending on your age, diet, etc.
Bottom Line
No matter how good you are feeling, it’s important that you adjust your workout routine, and lifestyle in general to your age. This is because as we age, our bodies are becoming weaker, and more prone to injuries. Taking the simple steps above will help ensure that you approach your fitness at a pace that is right for you.
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