First Wind owner Karen Hill believes that making fitness a part of life in your 50s and beyond is the foundation for a good quality of life. Disease prevention is an important reason to exercise, but also, fitness has been proven to fight off depression and improve emotional well-being, balance hormones, and improve mental clarity. Her tips for getting the most from your fitness routine:
1 – Find a community: As we age, the social aspect of fitness is as important as the physical. Find a place that knows your name and notices when you’re gone. At First Wind, we love that our members make this studio their second home and family comprised of all ages and fitness levels and our members benefit greatly from the relationships they’ve formed here.
2 – Warm up: Your age does not prevent you from doing anything that you could do before you were 50 except heal as quickly. Make sure that you warm up properly at the start of every session. Try lower impact warm-ups for less stress on the joints. We start a lot of our fusion classes on the bike because it’s a safe way to elevate core temperature. Once you’ve warmed up properly, you’re less likely to injure yourself. Remember that an injury can set you back longer than it used to and you don’t want to go weeks without being able to exercise.
3 – Strength train: Without strength training, you start losing muscle at age 25. Not only does muscle support a good metabolism and a good libido, but it supports your joints. Without strength training, we start to avoid activities that keep us healthy and happy. For instance, you might not get on the floor to play with your kids or grandkids if it’s too hard to get back up. Make sure you’re incorporating strength training in your routine so you can keep doing the things you want to do.
First Wind is offering scoop readers Over 50 a free 45 minute transformation session
including a fitness & nutrition assessment to help you set goals, understand barriers,
and find a fitness program that works for you.
Email karen@firstwindcycling.com to book yours today.
Staying Fit at Fifty-plus has its own set of challenges but the rewards are worth every sweaty minute. The main things to remember ~ what worked at 35 or 40 won’t work as well over 50, so adapt and respond. And most important of all ~ you need to cherish and take care of the castle that is your beautiful body of 50, 60 or 70+ years. We pulled some info and guidance from the web here, in our post on Fitness as You Age.
