Keeping Fit & Healthy Over 50

Introduction

Whether you have decided to kick start your fitness journey, or you've been active the majority of your life - keeping fit over 50 is certainly quite different to when you were in 20's or 30's. Now it is more about health and being able to maintain your mobility for years to come, rather than just looking good!

Some of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle include:

• An increase in energy levels and improvement in quality of sleep
• Gain in muscle strength
• Prevent and delay development of illnesses and diseases
• Minimise some symptoms of chronic conditions
• Maintain independence
• Boost brain and emotional health

It is never too late to start focusing on yourself and prioritising your health, making just a small number of changes can have major benefits on your well-being.

We've listed 7 simple things you can introduce that will get and keep you fit for the future:

Eat More Whole Foods

Keeping fit and healthy means supplying your body with fresh whole foods that help maintain good health.

We’re talking about the old-fashioned fruits and vegetables, and cutting back on processed foods. When looking at your dinner plate, you want to see a variety of colour and not just a plate of beige stuff!

Swap the ready-made burgers for a pack of quality mince, and get creative with seasoning - you may find you make a better burger than your local supermarket.

Keep Hydrated

Consuming the correct amount of water for our bodies can help to control body temperature, lubricate joints and can prevent kidney stones.

The average person should consume around eight 240ml glasses of water per day. Staying well-hydrated also improves mood and sleep quality.

For more information, please check out our other helpful articles relating to hydration: How To Stay Hydrated During The Summer, The Top 10 Water-Rich Foods that Boost Hydration.

Keep a Food Journal

It is important to take note of what you are eating, as being over 50, our body can't always handle what it once could when we were younger.

Keep a journal of what you are eating and any symptoms you suffer from the meal, as this can help you pin point which food you may have developed an intolerance to.

It is also a great way to keep an eye on the types of food you are eating and be an aid to weight loss, if that is your intention.

Introduce a Step Counter

You can monitor your daily steps using a fitness tracker and set yourself daily goals.

The more we move our bodies the more energetic we become! Studies show that women over 50 should aim for 10k steps per day and men should aim for 11k.

Easy ways to up your steps are to take your dog out for more walks, park further away from the supermarket, take the stairs instead of lifts/escalators and go on walks with friends and family.

Weight Training

When we think of exercise most people think of cardio and know this as the only way to stay in shape, though it is important to include in your routine it is not the only way to stay physically fit.

Weight training and resistance training can help prevent Sarcopenia, which is age-related muscle loss. This can improve your balance, build bone density and increase metabolism.

You don’t need to go out and buy the expensive equipment, a tin of beans (or canned food of your choice!) will suffice. You could even do this while you wait for the kettle to boil each time you make a tea or coffee.

If you are setting time aside to exercise don’t forget to set up your work out playlist! Make sure to check with your GP before starting any new exercise routine if you are on any pain medication.

Exercise - Overhead Press:

• Start with feet hip-distance apart. Bring elbows out to the side, weights are at the side of the head, and abdominals are tight.
• Push weights slowly up until arms are straight. Slowly return to starting position with control. If desired, you can also perform this exercise seated in a chair.

Don’t forget to take time after any workout for recovery as it is extremely important to allow time for your blood pressure to return to normal and to stretch the muscles.

The Importance of Sleep

Getting quality sleep is crucial to your health and in maintaining an active lifestyle. Sleep deprivation can have negative effects on our health.

We don’t make the best health-conscious choices when we are tired as we tend to crave fatty foods and it also causes us to be less active throughout the day. Whereas a good night’s sleep leads to improved cardiovascular health, enhanced memory and attention span and a regulated appetite.

If you are finding it difficult to get proper rest please see our other article - 10 Tips to Help You Get Off to Sleep.

Meditation

Our mental health is just as important as physical health. A great way to keep our mind healthy is Meditation.

Studies have shown that meditation improves blood circulation in the brain and has long term benefits for certain organs. Continuous meditation can reduce negative emotions, help to gain a new perspective on stressful situations, lowers blood pressure and improves memory.

Exercise - Quick meditation:

• Take a minute and sit in your comfiest chair or lay on your bed.
• Concentrating only on your breathing
• Take a deep breath in and feel the air fill your stomach through your ribs and up through your neck to the top of your head, then fully exhale from your head back down through your neck and ribs to your stomach.

Check in with yourself after, how do you feel? Take another deep breath if needed.