Staying fit and healthy at any age is a choice. We can choose to adapt our fitness as we age, or not. Age is so much more than just a number! It’s a lifestyle.
As humans, we have an innate need to remain fit and healthy and to do what we can to really get our exercise in. Without this drive, or without a prime focus on our health and wellbeing, we find ourselves really falling, with regards to our emotional stability and general happiness.
On top of this, forgoing exercise at any age is going to accelerate the aging process and really make it a whole lot harder for your body to fight illness and remain productive at school and work.
With that in mind, if you are struggling to find a way to stay fit, whether you are 18 or 80, we have plenty of tips and a few motivators for you below.
Trust us when we say exercise is well worth the time spent and you will feel much better for a long while after you have gotten in a solid workout and eaten your greens.
Just Get Moving
Off the top, our biggest tip here is to simply get moving and do anything. With a sedentary lifestyle, you are at risk of falling into the loop whereby you simply do not want to move too much and essentially never do, and it is time to break this by doing essentially anything you can to burn a few calories.
Whether it is something like a low-impact power walk for the older readers or a fast-paced jog for our younger ones, it is always good to simply get moving.
Keep in mind that with whatever exercise you choose, it is always good to kick things off with a warmup of some sort and go from there. You do not want to risk tearing or pulling a muscle and causing injury that could reduce your chances of staying fit.
Diet is Imperative
A second big tip from us is to take control of the food that goes into your body and keep on top of this as best you can.
Always remember that whatever you are putting into your body is essentially fuelling you for your daily life, and if it is greasy, fatty, and sugary food, you are not going to be feeling too well during the day.
Of course, this is a rather mundane tip, however, we also suggest considering a smoothie each morning with just about all your essentials.
When it comes to older people, higher fiber diets are important, and so greens into your smoothies are a good thing to consider, and from there you will be kicking off your day with everything you need to get you looking and feeling well.
One key point to note is that your diet will also dictate how you feel when you work out, and this means that if you are eating poorly, you are not going to feel too good when you work out or do any type of exercise, which can be demotivating.
Do What You Enjoy
One major point from us is to find something that you enjoy and do it!
There is no one size fits all type of exercise and so with that, we say to find something that you enjoy and simply move forward with doing it.
You might find that at-home workouts are the best for you, whereas other people may find that running with friends or working out socially is a better option – and so this might be something to consider.
With that in mind, if you find an exercise that you love and want to do, run with this, and make it part of your daily routine. You will be more inclined and motivated to stay fit and be better off for it.
Relying on Community Space
For a lot of our readers, access to gyms and community centers with fitness equipment is on the cards, and so you are going to want to consider making use of these.
There is typically a tonne of programs on offer for members of all ages, and that means getting on top of your fitness goals this year is not going to be too hard.
Added to this, for the older readers and seniors on our list who make aged care residences their home, there are typically exercise programs running here too. For example, providers like Banfield’s aged care offer exercise programs that enable you to continue your exercise routine through to later life without a hitch.
Adapt Workouts to Age
When it comes to cross-generation fitness, it is important to understand that our bodies have different requirements and restrictions as we age, and it is a good idea to be mindful of this.
For example, as we get older we lose bone density and increase our risks of fractures, and this means you’re going to want to reduce heavy impact exercises as you age and move to more bodyweight and slower-paced workouts that won’t run the risk of you injuring yourself.
In line with this, it is also imperative to make sure you are doing exercises correctly before making them a habit, otherwise, you run the risk of causing further injury – which can be increased depending on how old you are.
Cutting Back on Detrimental Substances
A final major tip from us is to be mindful of substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and sugar and keeping these at bay when it comes to your diet and keeping fit.
Not only does smoking and alcohol consumption accelerate aging, but it also works to weaken muscles and bones, and so you are going to want to stray from these substances as best you can to increase your chances of keeping fit and giving your body the chance to heal and regenerate itself after a workout.
The Takeaway
As you can see from our points above, it is not too complex or complicated to keep on top of your health and fitness regardless of your age, and in fact, your body is going to majorly thank you for this.
Always be mindful of your age range and the types of exercises you do, and work to move forward with making use of training programs and working out with friends or family to keep you motivated to continue keeping on top of your fitness goals, or you could even invest in an Apple Watch to help you out with this.
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