Staying active and participating in regular activity as you get older is important for your health, body and mind.
If you are over 40 you might be considering the benefits of staying fit and healthy, especially as you get older.
The benefits of fitness over 40 includes better mobility, strength, agility, better cardiovascular health, It reduces the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and helps you to look and feel great. Not only that, but regular exercise can give you a mental boost, by helping reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
Here are 7 great reasons why you should stay active as you age:
Improved health
As well as reducing the risk of chronic illnesses, regular activity also reduces metabolic syndrome.
If you have not heard of metabolic syndrome, it is a term used to describe a cluster of conditions that include hypertension (high blood pressure), high blood sugar, low HDL (good cholesterol) and excess abdominal fat (often an indicator of harmful visceral fat) all of which increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers mentioned above.
Better cardiovascular health
Regular cardiovascular exercise has been proved strengthen your heart and lungs and reduce the risk of illness and disease. As well as better health, cardiovascular exercise can help you to lose weight and increase your endurance in physical activity.
Strength
Strength training is not just for bodybuilders at the gym. Regular strength training increases bone strength and lean muscle mass, helps reduce body fat and gives you an overall leaner, fitter appearance, not to mention making you physically stronger in general.
Improved mental wellbeing
When you exercise, you release hormones that have a positive effect on your mood and energy levels, leaving you feeling happier and healthier. Exercising in a group, outdoors or in a social setting can also help if you are prone to isolation, as being around others can help reduce depression.
A better night’s sleep
You are also more likely to sleep better following exercise which is also proven to improve mood, help you to establish a healthy sleep/wake cycle and will give your body time to recover from your workout, ready for your next session.
Increased mobility
Have you noticed that you cannot do some of the things you could do when you were younger? Do you have difficulty in moving around like you used to? As you get older, you may start to notice that it is harder to move in certain positions, for example, squatting down to floor level or twisting around to see behind you. Unfortunately, we tend to get set in our regular movement patterns and those that are neglected get lost over the years. Participating in regular fitness and activity after the age of 40 can help you regain some of these lost movement patterns and give you better mobility.
Better balance and agility
If you want to stay steady on your feet as you get older, getting regular exercise will help. Exercise that promotes balance and mobility is especially helpful, for example yoga or Pilates. Balance is another important aspect that can deteriorate as we age, and this is sometimes evident in older people who have falls. To avoid an increased risk of falls, regularly practising balance and agility is key.
Regular physical activity that includes a mix of cardiovascular exercise and strength training will have a positive impact on most people, but continues to be particularly important as we age. Inactivity contributes to a faster decline in physical health as we get older, but the good news is that people who are more physically active experience this decline at a slower rate than their inactive counterparts, so there is no better reason to get moving today.
Always seek advice from a medical professional to ensure it is safe for you, before commencing any new activity, fitness or exercise programme, especially if you have existing health conditions.