Being physically active when you reach your 50s isn’t easy. Aging makes exercising challenging; however, it becomes more vital for your life as you get older. If you want to stay fit as an adult, you have to accompany your diet with exercise.
Now it’s normal to think that it’s too late to start working out in your 50s because your body won’t move as well as it did when you were younger. Don’t worry about that, because you don’t have to move like your younger self to stay active. It starts with the right mindset, so the first thing you have to do is not stress it.
You can still exercise well in your 50s; you just have to find a suitable workout routine for your current physical condition and age. There are exercises you can do to lose extra weight and even build muscle even at midlife. Here are the best workout routines to stay fit in your 50s.
Walking
Walking is the simplest form of exercise, which makes it suitable for your age. The key to starting a workout routine in your 50s is to do simple yet effective exercises. Walking fits that bill, especially if you don’t have an active lifestyle or haven’t exercised in a long while.
Not only is walking not strenuous, but it’s also easier to fit in your schedule. You can walk in the morning before cooking your breakfast to begin your day or in the afternoon before sundown. You should also consider the best time for you to work out, and since walking is simple, you can do it anytime you feel comfortable.
A half-hour walk three times a week will do wonders for you. It improves stamina and strengthens your muscles in the lower body. Its benefits are undeniable that even established medical weight loss and wellness centers have it included in their plans.
Biking
Biking is a good option, especially if you’re looking for a new hobby or own a bicycle you haven’t used in a long time. You can put a workout while enjoying a hobby. It lets you move your legs and have better blood circulation in body parts that doesn’t get enough blood flow like they used to.
Riding a bike around your neighborhood or the park is excellent for stiff or sore joints since you have something that supports your weight other than your legs. It also builds muscles on both the front and back of your hips and legs. Overall, it’s a fantastic body strengthening workout for a 50-year old and a perfect alternative if your legs can’t bear jogging.
Swimming
Another great exercise for 50-year olds is swimming. It works your heart just like biking and jogging does, except it’s on water. You can also do it longer than walking or any exercise you do on land since the water carries your weight for you.
Swimming burns calories, build muscles, and strengthens your bones effectively. It checks all the items on the list of fitness priorities for a person of your age. You can do all that without stressing your body too much as well.
Strength training
Doing strength training in your 50s is beneficial for your wellness. At 50, you start losing muscle mass, making your body more fragile, injury-prone, and less energetic. You can build up muscle and improve your flexibility with strength training, but not the same intensity as younger people do it.
The most popular way to do strength training is lifting weights. You can go to the gym or buy your own weight training tools. Dumbbell standing shoulder press, barbell hip thrusts, and even deadlifts with lighter weights are all solid strength training workouts for your body. You can also do push-ups and sit-ups or house chores like gardening (digging and shoveling) if you prefer to train at home.
Yoga
Yoga is a good level-up workout after engaging in light exercises such as walking. It also helps you beyond physical fitness since it’s also a form of meditation. It’s a more challenging way of staying fit but offers plenty of benefits for 50-year olds.
Yoga strengthens your muscles, tendons, and ligaments with the constant holding of poses. It also lowers your heart rate and blood pressure as well. It also helps in relieving feelings of depression and anxiety.
Wrapping up
Now that you’re aware of workout routines that you can do at your age, you have fewer reasons not to exercise. All you need is to find the best time to get a workout in the day. Two and a half to five hours per week, depending on how intense you plan on exercising, is enough to keep you healthy. Work on your physical fitness and achieve the best you at 50.
