How To Evolve Your Exercise As You Age

how to adapt workouts when getting older

A healthy body means a healthy mind – we’ve all heard this saying many times. However, as you get older, it means much more than that, and simply following a healthy diet isn’t enough. For men over 50, testosterone levels drop, which leads to gaining weight easily (especially around the chest and belly). This leads to a number of health risks, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, so exercising becomes imperative in order to lead a longer, healthier life. Luckily, there is plenty of hope, and the result of your efforts can be truly amazing for your overall health. Without further ado, we will go over some advice and tips to get you started. 

First Things First: Consult A Professional 

Anyone can exercise, no matter what your condition may be, but it is crucial to know your limits and how far you may push them, especially when you get older. That’s why it is highly recommended to check your overall body statistics with a physician you trust or a certified personal trainer, especially if you’ve been inactive for a longer period of time. Things like blood pressure and joint resistance will be important factors when you’re getting started with exercising. Once you know the weak and strong points of your body, you can plan your workout routine which would hold a minimal risk of injury. Also, it would be good to have regular appointments (for example, every two months) to check your progress. 

Cardiovascular Exercises 

Cardio plays an important part in metabolizing fat as energy, burning calories, preventing disease, boosting energy and, obviously, strengthening your cardiovascular system. When doing weight training, first warm up with a 30-minute cardio session of mild to moderate intensity. Brisk walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming, are all great forms of cardio for men over 50. If you haven’t been active for a while, brisk walking is a great start, along with swimming, which puts different muscle groups in motion, but with minimal stress on the joints. Try to be more active during the week so that in the end you would have 3 to 5 sessions of cardiovascular exercises – simple things like taking the stairs or riding a bike instead of going by car whenever possible all go a long way! 

Resistance Training 

Doing weight training exercises 2 to 3 times per week brings plentiful benefits – boosting your energy, speeding up your metabolism, relieving stress, even increasing testosterone levels, and, according to Ageless Clinic, it is key in preventing a number of diseases and conditions which can result in erectile dysfunction. For an effective workout, try training the larger muscle groups with exercises such as the bench press, squats or leg presses, lat pull-downs and dumbbell step-ups. The American Council on Exercise reports that adults lose on average half a pound of muscle each year, so, in order to prevent this, you will need to exercise smartly and focus on keeping your muscle-to- fat ratio high. 

This is done by increasing the weights but decreasing reps and switching up your program from time to time. Start with lighter weights – something you can handle with a moderate amount of strain, and do 15 to 20 reps. As you get stronger, increase the weights by about 5-10% and do 12 to 15 reps, to increase muscle mass effectively. Take a short break (do some flexing in the mirror while you catch your breath haha) and repeat the process so that you can do 2 or 3 sets of reps for each exercise. Be very careful with the amount of weight you put on and make sure you are doing every exercise properly, not just to have a maximum effect, but, most importantly, to ensure there will be no injury. 

Core Exercises 

Strengthening your stomach and back muscles will do wonders for your posture and overall strength – and what better way to do this, than with simple core exercises! To strengthen stomach muscles, do three sets of a maximum number of crunches (don’t push it too far!) three times weekly, and for back muscles, do planks. Especially considering that lower back pain is a common issue for men over 50, you will find these exercises very helpful and relieving. 

Remember To Stretch! 

Never skip stretching at the end of a workout – it feels great, increases flexibility over time, and it helps cool down your muscles to prevent stiffness and soreness from exercising. Static stretching is the best way to relax your muscles after working out. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds, and keep in mind – it should feel relieving, and never painful. 

Adapt And Evolve Your Workouts As You Age 

The great thing about exercising is that it turns time to your advantage – as time progresses, so will your body (and mind!), provided, of course, that you work out regularly. You already know that healthy living and eating right goes hand-in-hand with working out, and once you become physically active, your body will actually be yearning for fruits and veggies which are rich in vitamins and high-protein foods such as eggs, nuts, and dairy. Remember to be cautious, be kind to yourself, take enough time to rest between routines, and enjoy the blissful feeling after each workout! 

When it comes to health and fitness, longevity is key!


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I hope you enjoyed this article about adapting your workouts to your growing age while still maintaining performance.

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