Being in the fabulous fifties means you need to have a fabulous workout routine.
Ensuring you are doing all the right things at the gym (or from home) will have you feeling strong and healthy, looking radiant, and will definitely slow down the aging process!
Aside from all that, regular exercise can really boost your immune system, keeping you protected from certain diseases!
If you’ve not worked out before the point, do not fear – it’s not too late to hop on the bandwagon.
Without further ado, let’s go over some key things you need to be incorporating into your workouts in order for you to continue to be your best self!
These apply to those who are regular gym-goers, and those who are just starting out.
Cardio Is Your Friend
This is one of the most important parts of any workout plan. While many look at cardio with fear in their eyes, it is incredibly important, especially as you get older.
Cardio exercises promote heart health and reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. They also enable you to increase your stamina, so cardio will help you with other workouts!
Cardiovascular exercise also helps you burn calories, which will reduce your weight and help you see your results from the gym faster, as you will be burning fat!
If you’re new to working out, you may feel a bit lost on how to start with cardio. You can do a number of exercises, such as walking, running, and even swimming!
If you’re after something a little more fun and social, you could even try some dance classes, as these are great for burning calories and keeping that body moving.
The best part is, you’ll be having so much fun that you won’t even notice how hard you’re working.
It’s important to note that cardio exercises don’t have to be limited to the gym. Going on a walk three times a week is enough, as long as you’re going at a steady pace.
Strength Training
While cardio is an essential component of any fitness regime as it promotes heart health, strength training is what keeps you toned and lean.
It improves muscle mass, bone density, and joint flexibility.
It is this type of exercise that keeps you looking and feeling young, and helps your body function to its best capacity year after year.
Once you reach 50, strength training is less about building mass and muscles, and more about maintaining a healthy body and protecting it from strain and illness as the years go by.
You should aim to work with each major muscle group twice per week, but if you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your time and money, then you should consider investing in a personal trainer.
A personal trainer will ensure you are hitting all the muscles you need to hit, and they will also keep you motivated throughout your sessions.
While many people feel a sense of dread at the thought of squatting with massive dumbbells, this doesn’t have to be the case.
There are various forms of strength training that use your body as weight. Pilates, for example, focuses on toning the body by utilizing what God gave you, rather than having to reach for the dumbbells.
Resistance bands are also very popular in this kind of training. They involve performing movements with an elasticated band that provides resistance.
If you’re a workout-at-home gal, then these are great, as they won’t take up half as much space as weights would.
Stretching
As we age, our bodies become stiffer and lose elasticity. Stretching is an excellent way to combat this and prevent injuries.
The best thing about stretching is that it only takes a few minutes a day to reap huge rewards. Stretching not only increases mobility, but also reduces pain and stiffness.
It’s recommended that you stretch before every workout, and ideally, before bedtime too. This way, you’ll wake up ready to tackle the day ahead.
The key to effective stretching is to hold stretches for 10 seconds and repeat them two or three times. However, don’t overdo it, as stretching too often can lead to injury.
When you first begin working out, it’s likely that you’ll experience soreness in certain areas of your body. While this is normal, it’s important that you don’t ignore it.
Soreness means that your muscles are adapting to the stress placed upon them during your workouts.
By allowing yourself to rest, you’ll allow your muscles to recover and grow stronger.
On the off-chance that you do happen to get injured, it’s important that when you return to exercising, you follow a gradual recovery plan.
This is because sudden changes in activity levels could cause further damage to your muscles.
Healthy Eating Habits – The Key To A Healthy Body And Mind
Having a healthy body at 50 is one thing, but a healthy body must be accompanied by a healthy mind.
Regular exercise releases endorphins, which make you feel good, but making sure your body is well-nourished with healthy foods is equally important.
Not to mention, as we age, we must be more careful about what we put into our bodies to avoid illness and disease.
You must ensure that you are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein like fish, chicken, beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, and eggs.
Avoid processed foods and sugary drinks, and try to reduce your overall sugar intake.
If you are worried about your food intake, you could speak to a certified dietician, as they will be able to recommend the best foods for you.
If you have hired a personal trainer, they too can create meal plans for you, which are great if you need some extra guidance in the nutrition side of things.
Advice For Keeping Fit
Making these changes and incorporating these workouts into your exercise plan is great, but staying consistent is the main key to keeping fit in your 50s.
You should aim to make exercise part of your daily routine. If there comes a day when you don’t have time for the gym, try and get a 30-minute walk in instead.
You should also take the stairs wherever possible rather than the elevator. Physical movement should be at the forefront of your mind each day.
You should also remember to take it easy at the beginning, especially if you are new to exercising like this.
As mentioned earlier, just walking for 20 to 30 minutes is good enough, to begin with.
Remembering to challenge yourself is also important. You may find that after some time, you become comfortable in your workouts and aren’t feeling challenged enough.
At this point, you should increase your intensity.
Whether it’s going from walking to jogging, or increasing the amount of weight you are lifting, gradually making things more intense is how you will see results.
If your body gets used to the exercise you’re doing, it’ll start to stagnate, and you won’t notice much difference.
Finally, your top priority is to make sure you are engaging in exercise that you enjoy. If you find the bicycle or treadmill boring, switch it up by joining a Zumba class or some swimming classes!
Ensuring you enjoy what you do, will make it feel like less of a chore and more like a hobby!
Final Thoughts
To conclude, what every 50-year-old woman needs in her exercise routine is cardio, strength training, and stretching!
Just because you’ve turned 50 and haven’t ever really been a gym-goer doesn’t mean it’s too late to start. Engaging in regular exercise will really benefit you in every way imaginable.
Being consistent and challenging yourself will have you noticing results in no time, and the best part is you can alter your workouts to incorporate anything you enjoy!
