When it comes to keeping fit, age is not a barrier or limitation. It’s never too late to start concentrating on your health. So being over 50 years of age is not a stumbling block to keeping fit. Actually, it’s the perfect time to focus on yourself.
If you are over 50, I’ve got 10 essential tips that can help you not only keep fit but stay fit. So, move along with me!.
Have a Change of Mentality on Exercising
The thought of exercises being overwhelming or burdensome and that it requires an excessive amount of energy can make you lose interest and could be discouraging. There are so many different activities that count as an exercise that is less overwhelming and can also be fun for you. Activities like dancing, gardening, sweeping, vacuum cleaning and so on.
Have a Workout Routine
To stay consistent and committed to exercises, you need to start with having a workout routine – a planned exercise program that will guide you on an overview of what to do and when to do it. This way, you’ll have something to motivate you and keep you going.
Eat a Lot of Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamins and minerals. They’re an excellent source of dietary fibre, which helps in maintaining a healthy gut, prevents constipation and other digestion problems. Research has shown that vegetable-based food helps explicitly to lower rates of heart diseases, type – 2 diabetes and so on.
In essence, it keeps you looking fresh and healthy!.
Reduce The Salt Intake
Research has it that excess sodium can lead to high blood pressure and cause inflammation in the body. As you age, reduce the intake of salt.
Attend Group Fitness Classes
Attending group fitness classes keeps you motivated to exercise. Seeing others energizes you to go on. Also, it helps you make new friends and enhances your social skills. Remember that health also involves a state of social wellbeing.
Drink a Lot of Water
Staying hydrated helps regulate the body temperature, aids digestion, lubricates and cushions the joints, and protects sensitive tissues. The human body is made up of more than half of water, about 60%.
Continuous intake of water gives the stamina to go on.
Make Nature Your Friend
Taking a walk in the cool evening, resting in quiet or peaceful places helps you feel relaxed. It helps not only your physical health but also your mental health.
Research has proven that taking a walk helps boost the immune system, lowers blood pressure, reduces pain caused by arthritis, and decreases heart disease risks. It could also help in calming your nerves when you feel anxious or sad.
Meditation is Important
Meditation can be defined as a practice where a person uses techniques such as mindfulness, which involves focusing the mind on a particular thought, object or activity. The aim is to train awareness and attention to help achieve an emotionally calm, mentally clear, and stable state.
Taking care of the mind is also as important as taking care of the body. The mind is essential because it influences your thoughts, emotions and even your actions. Having a sound mind helps you sleep better.
Most importantly, having a healthy mind and body means you can easily achieve your goals and maintain a positive attitude.
Get Enough Rest
A good night’s sleep is crucial to one’s health. Poor sleeping habits are strongly associated with weight gain. In fact, short sleep duration is one of the strongest risk factors for obesity. Here are some vital reasons why you should always get enough rest:
- Good sleep can improve concentration and productivity.
- Poor sleepers are at a greater risk of heart diseases and stroke.
- Poor sleep is linked to depression.
- Sleep improves the immune function.
- Poor sleep is linked to increased inflammation.
- Sleep can affect emotion and social interaction.
It is imperative, therefore, that you have enough rest to function properly.
Cut Down on Alcohol Intake
As you get older, your resistance to alcohol lowers. Also, studies have shown that the rate of hip fractures in older youths is associated with alcohol use. This is because older people have thinner bones than younger people. So excessive alcohol intake leads to balance problems and falls, which can lead to hip or arm fractures with other injuries.
That’s about it for the top 10 tips on keeping fit for the over 50s. We hope this has motivated you to start your fitness journey irrespective of your age. We wish you good luck, and don’t forget to have fun. Remember, we are rooting for you always!
