Most people aged 50 or over will view modern health clubs with fear and trepidation. A lot of people in this age bracket feel like they shouldn’t be there or don’t have a clue how to use the equipment. Some other people who are over 50 years old may decide that they can no longer be bothered with trying to stay physically fit.
Whatever your reasons are for not exercising you really should reconsider. Exercise is beneficial for people whether they are 20, 40, 60 or 80 years old. If you don’t want to attend a gym that’s fine because there are many other options available to you. Yoga, books, magazines and exercise videos are all great alternatives as are the many types of fitness and workout programs available.
If you don’t exercise regularly then choosing the right routine is a tough task. For example, if you are overweight or out of shape, running or cycling may not be the best way to begin. Instead, a seated exercise, low impact cardiovascular exercise or a beginners exercise video will be best.
Before you begin to formulate your new exercise routine, you should make sure you follow the advice given below.
Consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Make sure they help you set up a program which you will be able to keep up with.
It may be a good idea to start slowly and take adequate rest on the days you do not exercise.
If you experience pain slow down. If you still experience pain after slowing down then stop exercising. Pain is often a sign that you are over exerting yourself or doing too much, too fast.
Consume plenty of water and fluids. This has the dual function of helping your body flush out toxins and rehydrating your body.
Eating healthily and reducing your calorie intake will improve the results you get from your exercise. Plus, this is a great lifestyle change to introduce.
If you change your routine on a monthly basis this will challenge you and help your body improve physically. Once you can complete an exercise routine easily it’s time to step it up to the next level. For example, maybe go from standing aerobics to step aerobics or even using the treadmill or start running outdoors.
Although, you should be looking to improve the intensity of your exercise routine at regular intervals you also need to be kind to yourself. If you are finding one particular exercise difficult or you are taking longer than you thought you would to improve don’t worry. You will get there. Instead of focussing on these little setbacks look at the progress you have made already.
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If you are over 50 and still sceptical about starting an exercise program check out Fit Over 40. This excellent ebook discusses how you can stay fit as you get older and includes a whopping 52 success stories. Each success story tells you how they eat, how they think and how they train so that you can implement their achievements into your own fitness routine.
About Tom
I need to exercise my arm muscles and am thinking about dumb bells. Have just been released from hospital after an acute cardiac problem. Any suggestions.
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Tom Reply:
August 8th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Hey Rod – Sorry but I’m not an expert. This website is just a hobby for me so the only advice I can give you is to speak to a doctor or trained fitness professional.
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I have heel spurs, fluid on my left knee that really hurts if I bend it or walk too much and bursitis in both elbows. I am lost as to what kind of exercise to do because of these issues. I can’t walk long because it hurts my feet and knee and repetitive exercises really make my elbow ache for months. any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
CD
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Tom Reply:
March 20th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Hey C D. Sorry to hear you suffer from these conditions. Unforunately I can’t offer you much advice. Perhaps cycling would be OK as it is low impact but I think the best solution would be to ask your doctor for their recommendations.
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