Regardless of your age, getting regular physical activity and exercise is vital for having a strong and healthy body. But as people get older, their ability to exercise the same way that they did when they were younger simply isn’t a possibility. Because of this, there are some changes that will need to be made, both physically and mentally.
To help you in managing these changes, here are three tips for adjusting your exercise routines as you age.
Add More Variety To Your Workouts
When you were younger, you might have done basically the same forms of exercise every time you worked out. And while this might have worked for you then, it likely won’t work for you now.
When you do the same exercises that are working the same muscles and parts of the body over and over again, you don’t give yourself time to recover those muscles. And when you’re older, your body is going to need more time to recover before you put it to the test again.
Along with this time for recovery for your muscles, adding variety to your workouts can also help you to have a more well-rounded physical health. And when you’re needing to work on things like strength, balance, stamina, flexibility, and more, you can really only get training in these areas when you do a variety of exercises.
Spend More Time Warming Up And Cooling Down
While you used to be able to jump right into an intense workout or sports game without much of a warm up, as you age, your body is going to need more time to get things working again before you throw too much at it. With this in mind, you’ll want to be sure that you spend enough time warming up and cooling down when you do any kind of physical activity.
Even if you just spend a few minutes getting your blood flowing and your joints moving a bit, this kind of warm up will help to get your body ready for the activity as well as help to reduce your chance of getting injured while working out.
Incorporate More Rest Days
As your body gets older, it will start to take more and more time for it to recover from hard physical activity. So while you don’t have to spend days where you’re doing nothing but sitting around your assisted living community, for a day or two after you’ve done a more intense workout, make sure you give your body time to recover and recuperate.
If you understand the importance of exercise throughout the span of your life but aren’t exactly sure how to incorporate this into your routines now that you’re a bit older, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you see how this can be done.
