Fitness as you age can be just as satisfying if you embrace the changes ahead. As I’ve grown a little older, fitness has changed quite a bit for me and what my workouts look like as a result. I’m 47 now instead of 27, so of course, my body has changed in many ways with regards to the weights that I’m now lifting or the types of cardio that I’m now doing. Gone are the days for me of lifting heavy weights. It’s not that I can’t anymore but it’s because I demand things other than size as I grow older. I want more flexibility and balance now from my time in the gym.
Experts, in addition to increased regular exercise , flexibility, and balance, recommend that as we age, we include more elements of endurance as well. Strength is still very important as you age but for me, that looks different than when I was in my 20s. Strength now is less about the amount of weight I can lift but rather the length of time I can for now.
Let’s Discuss 5 Key Points That Will Help You Maintain Your Fitness As You Age
Staying on Task and Regular
As we get up in years it becomes increasingly more important to stay on track with your workouts and try to never miss a day. As someone who struggled to stay regular at the start of the recent pandemic, I found that it was really hard coming back again as far as motivation and keeping the fit train moving at a constant speed forward. The constant stop and start played havoc with my weight too. It’s no secret that our metabolism changes and slows down as we grow older. That’s why you need consistency in your fitness as you age in getting your heart rate up and moving to stay healthy.
It’s also very important to stay regular because they say the average American as they age and, in their midlife, can gain an average of 3-5 lbs per year when regular exercise isn’t present in their daily routine. That’s a stat that may not seem like much when you take a glance but over the course of a few years, you can gain double digits on the scale if you’re not doing anything about it.
Makes You Happier!
As we age it’s very common to have feelings of depression and be moodier than when we were younger. They say that more Americans than ever older than 40 are now taking some kind of mood and depression medicine to stay even keel. I want none of that pharmaceutical help as I age. Fitness as you age can be that medicine by feeding the brain more endorphins, dopamine, and otherwise natural “feel-good drugs.”
Regular exercise as we age is such an easy way to be happy and enjoy all that life will bring you in the coming, days, weeks, months, and years ahead. Aging is a gift from heaven and doing it in a happy, healthy, and natural way thru regular exercise is exponentially better than doing it with doctors’ scripts and office visits. Plain and simple Endorphins make you HAPPY!
Better Sleep
As we get up in our mid 40’s to mid 50’s many of our body’s systems begin to slow down cognitively and physically. Sleeping well and even often as far as mini naps during the day, can help keep those cognitive and physical systems functioning at peak capability. Concentration, standard and regular movements, and especially memory are all benefactors of optimal sleep which also reduces the risk of any injury.
Maintaining regular fitness as you age is important because it also helps us fall into a deeper sleep and much faster. This will result in waking up feeling more refreshed and having more energy to tackle the day ahead. I know often when I do a little light exercise just before bedtime, such as some ab work or even a little spin bike session, I find it much easier after cooling down and a shower to fall asleep quickly.
Check out our article on Why Getting Enough Sleep Is Important right here on our website for more great information on this topic!
Flexibility and Range of Motion Benefits
Remember the old saying that “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it”? That could not be more true when it comes to fitness and particularly your flexibility and range of motion as we age. Natural degeneration is a fact of life as our bodies get older. To help slow that down and give us many more active years, we need regular exercise to grease the joints and keep us in top physical condition.
Regular exercise is a full-on major intervention piece of the puzzle to slow this degeneration process down to a snail’s pace. I often look at my fitness mentor Tony Horton from the famed P90X series as a great example of how, as Tony puts it, “Aging is for idiots.” The guy looks still like he’s in his late 40s or early 50s when in reality, he’s in his mid 60’s already. Still very spry and lean and still performs handstands and things, I can’t even do 20 years younger than him. His flexibility and range of motion are what I strive for. It’s who I want to be and emulate as I get to be closer to his age.
Simple daily tasks such as emptying the dishwasher, washing your hair, and even putting on your socks are all going to be affected as we age, and the body breaks down. Just how much will depend on how flexible you stay and exercising is a key cog in this puzzle to live life on your terms without help down the road!
Reduces Dementia and Cognitive Decline
Regular exercise transports much-needed oxygen around the body and removes unnecessary waste from our muscles and organs. A major interest area, the brain, benefits largely from the exercise we perform regularly. By transporting adequate blood flow to the brain, your body removes harmful waste products all from your daily sweat fest. With no regular exercise, the brain can be hindered in the form of memory, processing, and standard problem solving over time, ultimately leading to dementia.
Having a parent who suffers from dementia I’ve seen the real-life effects it can have on a person as we age. I do not intend on ending up in that same boat which is why I make exercise a regular and daily occurrence. Exercise releases so many feel-good chemicals to the brain as well which in turn reduces the chances of brain shrinkage and disease.
Conclusion
Getting regular exercise in life and especially as we age in years, comes with unbeatable benefits for physical and mental health. It really can act as an important and valuable fountain of youth for you and all those who love you and want to spend more time with you.
Even when age-related limitations make fitness tougher and a little harder, with the right mind-set and modifications, regular exercise, you can still make your workouts good, hard, and beneficial for you and for years to come as we age with grace.
Here are a few supplements we recommend from Tony Horton to help with your fitness journey.
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