Fitness Tips for Women Getting a Little Older
Fitness is important, especially as you age. As you age however, your body goes through changes that may keep you from doing the same exercises that you did in your 20. Women in their 40s may exercise in different ways than women who are much younger.
Differences in range of motion, flexibility, biomechanical, and health factors all change how a woman in her 40s hits the gym. Here are some of the best fitness tips for women getting a little older.
Get Rid of Your Treadmill
One of the reasons that women in their 40s need to ditch the treadmill is because of the lack of efficacy that it has. There are other ways that you’re going to get more bang for your buck. It’s important that you do a high intensity interval training instead of long and easy cardio sessions.
High-intensity interval training consists of 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of recovery. This is a tub bodice style workout. You repeat the cycle for five minutes for a total of 10 sets. When you do this, you can incorporate different exercises like squat jumps, push-ups, burpee’s, and other body weight movements.
Keep a Food Journal
After age 40, many women notice that the weight starts to creep on. There are many reasons that this happens from diet changes to slower metabolism. No matter what the reason the only way you’re going to figure it out is if you keep a food journal.
The Huffington Post recommends that you either use a food journal or a app to track what you eat. This will help you see exactly what you’re putting into your body to eliminate the possible reasons for excess weight gain. If you know what you’re eating, you can help yourself improve your overall health by eliminating the not so good foods.
Do More Yoga
Yoga is probably one of the best exercises to incorporate as you age. When your body begins to stiffen, you run the risk of fall injuries. Not only does yoga increase flexibility and stability but it can also help you build strength. Women’s Health Magazine also likes to point out that in versions like downward dog can be good for your complexion because they bring blood flow down to your face. All the different positions in yoga help keep your mind and body in shape.
Use Resistance Bands
Resistance band exercises are great because they can be done almost anywhere. There are some excellent moves that can keep you strong and healthy that is easily done with resistance bands.
Prevention magazine has a whole workout designed for women over 40 that focuses around resistance band movements. They recommend that you perform slingshot squats, crunch and press, triangle press, half curl, bench press, seated rows, and lat pull downs in your resistance band routine. Doing this to or three times a week will help build strength and keep your blood flowing to your muscles.
Stretch
For some reason people always neglect a good stretching routine. She knows.com recommends all women in their 40s focus on staying flexible. A nice stretching routine can help you stay active even through the face of injury.
Finding a good, stretching routine that helps keep you flexible will help prevent injuries during exercise and daily activity. When you’re stretching for flexibility it is recommends that you hold the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds while breathing. Doing this every day can improve your overall quality of life.
These are some great ideas for how to stay in shape after age 40. No matter what you do, it’s important to keep your physical health and strength up. These two factors will help keep you mobile and active throughout your golden years. Starting at age 40 will give you a leg up in leading a good quality life throughout the aging process.