The Benefits of staying active as we age

There are a lot of people out there who believe that they’re now too old or too frail to exercise, or that they’ll injure themselves, if in fact, they do begin to work out in any way. In fact, the opposite is actually true. If you’re are over the age of say, 50 and considering exercising on a regular basis, you should know that you do far more harm to yourself by leading a sedentary lifestyle, than you could ever do exercising, properly that is.

As we age, we lose muscle mass. Over time, if we don’t maintain our muscle mass or add to it, we lose mobility. From there, it’s a vicious cycle; we feel too weak to walk, so we tend to not work out, and eventually, we lose all of our mobility. In addition, the continued movement as we age, keeps the mind active as well. Physical fitness leads to mental fitness.

Ideally, you want to prevent this from happening. However, even if this negative transformation has already begun, you can regain your mobility and mental aptitude by exercising on a regular basis. This doesn’t mean that you have to put in hours at the gym, banging away at weights. It doesn’t mean that you have to walk six miles a day, or climb a mountain using nothing more than your finger nails and determination. On the contrary, when it comes to weight training or resistance training, less is often more. With just 20-30 minutes a day of moderate exercise, you can regain your mobility and feel healthier and stronger than you have in years.

Of course, there are a number of health benefits that can be derived from exercise. Let’s have a look at a few of these benefits, and you can judge for yourself.

• Look and feel younger

• Improved sleep

• Improved blood pressure

• Improved endurance

• Less chance of suffering a heart attack

• Less chance of suffering from a stroke

• Improved strength

• Improved flexibility

• More confidence

As you can see from the list above, exercise can have far ranging affects on almost every aspect of your life. If you’re just starting out, or haven’t seriously exercised in a long time, you should consider hiring a professional to help you along. A fitness and nutrition coach can do wonders to improve your diet and devise an exercise regimen that fits your lifestyle and goals.

It’s also important that you mix some stretching into your workout routine. No matter your age, stretching before working out helps prevent injuries. A good stretch, and warm up, will help get the blood flowing. It also prepares your body for the actual workout.

Exercise can actually help turn back the hands of time. With regular exercise, as least three times per week, you can actually repair most of the cardiovascular damage that accompanies aging. You can replace lost muscle, increase your energy, and feel great. Age doesn’t have to be a detriment to good health.

 

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Author: jhorsley