Staying Fit In Your Elder Years
As you enter your 60s and the years to follow, your fitness goals are bound to change. You may notice that your energy levels are decreasing or that your joints have more aches and pains. Keeping up healthy lifestyle habits, incorporating low impact exercises into your fitness routine, and eating nutritious meals will help you maintain your health and fitness. Following these guidelines will help you stay mobile, independent, healthy, and social, while also managing your weight.
Low Impact Exercises To Stay Mobile And Lose Weight
At age 60 and beyond, your joints have had a lifetime of bending, pulling, kneeling, and other wear and tear. It’s important to acknowledge this and adjust your fitness/daily routine to lower the impact you put on your joints. Doing low impact exercises is not only safer for your joints, but can also help you with weight loss. These exercises include swimming, water aerobics, rowing, and even walking. They are good for your cardiovascular health and can help you build strength. Other exercises like pushups, sit ups, squats, and wall sits are also moderate resistance training exercises that can help you retain muscle mass while being gentle on your joints.
Walking To Stay Mobile
As you grow older, walking more is a healthy habit you should incorporate into your daily routine. As mentioned, it’s easy on your joints, requires no gym membership or fancy equipment, and it’s an effective way to stay fit. According to the American Heart Association, taking a brisk walk several times a week can maintain your cardiovascular health, decrease your chances of developing chronic disease, and help improve your mood, memory, and even sleep quality.
Maintain Your Strength
Walking is also an effective way to keep your legs and lower body strong and mobile. Other ways to strengthen your legs in your 60s and beyond include body weight exercises like squats and wall sits. In addition to keeping your legs strong, strengthening your core will help you retain mobility and flexibility as you age. Yoga, Pilates and similar exercises are great ways to improve your flexibility and overall physical fitness. They are also low impact and good for the mind. By incorporating yoga into your fitness routine, you may improve your sleep quality, heart health, strength, and experience less chronic pain. When you exercise, always remember to stretch and give yourself enough time to recover. As you enter your 70s, your cardiovascular levels change, so you need to allow your body to recoup properly. Doing too much too quickly can lead to irreversible injuries.
By doing simple exercises and following these healthy lifestyle tips, you can maintain a strong body and your independence through the years. And no matter which fitness routine you choose, remember that the key is to consistently stay active. As you age, your chances of developing chronic diseases also increases. The best way to combat this is to keep up your physical activity. Just by being active for a few minutes a day you drastically decrease your chances of developing diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Remaining active is also good for your emotional health. According to the Ameircan Heart Association, regular exercise can improve your memory, help you feel better, and reduce your risk of developing depression and dementia.
Embrace A Healthy Diet Plan
Eating nutritious foods is a big part of any healthy lifestyle. Continue focusing on eating nourishing foods and getting the proper nutrition. Try to eat clean, avoid overly processed foods, eat foods closest to their natural state, and pack on the protein. Eating protein can help you combat the natural loss of muscle mass that comes with aging. Protein may reduce your appetite so that you eat fewer calories and help you feel fuller longer, which can help you maintain a healthy weight.
No matter what age you are, it’s important to keep your health and fitness as a priority. Doing so will reduce your chances of developing chronic diseases, increase your energy level, and keep you active and able to do the things you love for a longer time. So, keep moving. With a few adjustments to your routine, such as eating more protein and doing low impact exercises, you can find a healthy lifestyle that suits you.
– The Best Workout for Every Age
https://www.rd.com/health/fitness/best-workout-every-age/
– Keeping fit: how to do the right exercise for your age
http://theconversation.com/keeping-fit-how-to-do-the-right-exercise-for-your-age-108851
– MYTH: It’s Hard to Lose Weight as You Age
https://www.jillianmichaels.com/blog/weight-loss/myth-its-hard-lose-weight-you-age
– How Protein Can Help You Lose Weight Naturally
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-protein-can-help-you-lose-weight#section1
– Sore Muscles? Don’t Stop Exercising
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/sore-muscles-dont-stop-exercising#2
– Why is Walking the Most Popular Form of Exercise?
– 13 Benefits of Yoga That Are Supported by Science
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-yoga#section7
Staying Fit In Your Elder Years
As you enter your 60s and the years to follow, your fitness goals are bound to change. You may notice that your energy levels are decreasing or that your joints have more aches and pains. Keeping up healthy lifestyle habits, incorporating low impact exercises into your fitness routine, and eating nutritious meals will help you maintain your health and fitness. Following these guidelines will help you stay mobile, independent, healthy, and social, while also managing your weight.
