If you’re looking to exercise above 40 years then there’s a good chance that you are either overweight or you’re simply wanting to take better care of your body. Keeping in shape and having a balanced diet can certainly help to keep illnesses and other serious health issues at bay.
Due to the fact that you’re not as young as you used to be (sorry but we’re all in the same boat!) then you may not be able to do some exercises as well as you used to. So it’s important you choose ones that will keep you fit but won’t put you at risk of injury.
Here are 5 exercises for the over 40’s you should do every week:
#1 – Cardiovascular Exercise
The older we get, the more at risk of heart conditions we are. Our bodies can store fat and it can clog up arteries causing the heart not to be able to pump the blood around the body correctly. This can lead to high blood pressure and even heart attacks.
That’s why doing cardiovascular exercises are so important. They will burn calories and prevent you from having the excess fat, as long as you are eating healthy too. And the great thing about cardio exercise is that there are so many different types you can do:
- Running (jogging or walking is good too)
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Rowing
- Dancing
Basically, any exercise that gets you sweating and out of breath for 20-30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week. Just choose an exercise you enjoy (or can tolerate!) and do it 3-4 times every single week.
#2 – Strength Training
Along with the cardio exercise, you should also do some type of strength training 2-3 times a week too. Not only will this keep your muscles strong, so that they burn lots of calories but it can also help with arthritis and joint problems.
To do these exercises, you can best to do them at a gym or purchase a home gym. You’ll need to be using weights to make sure you are building up your muscle strength and bodyweight exercises just won’t be the same.
Squats, deadlifts, and kettlebell exercises are great to build up that strength. The aim is not to build bulky muscles, just to keep them strong and lean.
#3 – Impact Exercises
These exercises are for those that have no issues with joints or injury. But adding high impact exercises into your weekly routine can really help you to keep your bones strong.
Just once or twice a week is enough, sports like tennis or badminton are ideal for this. Or alternatively, you can simply go for a run outside or on a treadmill.
Building the strength in your bones can help to keep away health issues like osteoporosis.
#4 – Core Exercises
Doing exercises to keep your core strength high can really help if you suffer from back pain. By building up the muscles in the stomach, spine, and chest supports the rest of your body and keeps the pain away.
The best exercise above 40 years for this is the plank. The plank is such a simple one to perform but it has lots of benefits. It strengthens up the entire core area and takes just a few minutes to do. Add this to your weekly routine, just 2 or 3 times is enough.
#5 – Yoga or Meditation
Once you have your exercise routine mastered, it’s also important to keep your mind in shape too. Yoga or meditation is great for this. They can help to reduce any stress you may be feeling and generally make you feel better and put you in a brighter mood.
Yoga has the added benefit of helping you strengthen the body at the same time. Whilst the exercises may look easy, many can really work your body hard.
Try and add in at least one yoga or meditation session a week, to begin with. If you really feel the difference, then you can increase it as you see fit.
Summary
When you exercise at 40+ years of age, you need to listen to your body to make sure you prevent injury or work too hard. It’s vital to exercise and have a good diet but you also shouldn’t do too much that it actually puts your health at risk.
Small steps each week will get you where you need to be.
