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Create your Body for Mid-LifeMany feel that as they reach 50 or 60 years of age that it is too late to begin an activity, but that is not true. The human body is proficient at adapting to any new demands, and older bodies are just as capable as making improvements in both appearance and fitness as their younger counterparts. However, use common sense and take it slowly. No matter your age, whether it is 40 yrs, 60 or even 80 yrs, you will be able to improve your level of fitness, as well as your health after only a few weeks or months of activity. In mid life any healthy adult, regardless of their current fitness level, is able to attain the aerobic capacity of a person 20 years their junior by starting a program of regular aerobic exercise. Imagine your body is a car. The food you eat is the fuel; however the exercise will keep you in good form, and running smoothly and efficiently for all the years to come.
Make it work. If you haven’t participated in exercise very much over the past few years, it would not be smart to exercise too hard. However, if you don’t push yourself, you will not make any improvements. Therefore, aim to work steadily at a moderate level during your session. The best method of judging your level of exertion is the “talk test”. If you are unable to talk, that tells you that you are working too hard. If you find that you can chat easily, laughing as you go, then you need to pick up the pace a bit. Should you wish to add a bit of technology, you may prefer to use a heart rate monitor. Check that your heart rate is between 50% and 70% of your MHR (maximum heart rate) during the workout. Calculating MHR is easy. For women, simply deduct your age from 220, and for men, from 226. For example, a 49 year old woman would have a MHR of 171, therefore ideal aerobic workout would have her exercising at the optimum of between 85 and 119 beats. For those new to exercise, working out at the lower rate is best, and gradually increase the intensity as weeks progress.Before beginning any exercise program, it is recommended that you seek your doctor’s approval. For the totally unfit, I suggest you commence with a walking program. With gradual increases in duration and intensity, you will build your fitness level to be able to move more sprightly. Always start at the lower level and build upwards. To avoid any muscular pain or injury, ensure you warm up prior to and cool down following any aerobic workout. It is important to wear appropriate training shoes which will give your feet and legs the support required, as well as providing shock absorption. Be smart, be sensible and get off that couch! Both the quantity and the quality of your life depend on it. As does your mid-life body! Our mid-life health mantra – |
We must plan our workout to increase our cardiovascular fitness levels in order to obtain the optimum benefits to our health and lifestyle.
