1. Cardio Workouts
Walking and cycling and swimming are excellent forms of exercise, not least, as we get on in years. They’re easy to do and don’t require any gadgets. They give the heart a good workout, especially when it’s a brisk one. Cycling and swimming, whilst involving a little more organising, give a great overall workout.
2. Strength Training
Lifting weights might be seen as a young mans interest but not so. As we age our bone density decreases but weight training can actually build muscle strength, slow muscle deterioration and increase our bone density. It can also help to prevent falls which may result in fractures e.g. hip. Another advantage of weight training is that it can help reduce lower-back pain which is common problem as we age.
3. Yoga
Simple stretching exercises, through a yoga routine, can help to prevent muscles and ligaments from shortening. Yoga can also give a great feeling of relaxation which of course is always beneficial and can help to make exercising a most pleasant experience and therefore allow to maintain your daily stretches.
4. Pilates
Again, as with yoga, pilates is another great method for staying fit and healthy. The goal is to strengthen the body’s core, which is the abdominal, back, hip, bum and all related muscles. When these muscles are strong you can greatly improve your overall balance.
5. Mind Power
When we talk about being active we’re not just talking about physical fitness. It is vital to keeping our minds active through reading, doing crosswords and puzzles, learning a new language and taking up new hobbies. This way we will sail into our senior years with a much joie de vivre as when we were young.
In conclusion, we’re all ageing, we know it’s something we must accept, but it’s how we live our lives that really counts. We must embrace each day as it comes and live it to the best of our ability and being fit and healthy will only elongate this process. So here’s to many more years of happy and healthy living.