Many middle-aged individuals and senior citizens shy away from physical exercise, especially in trendy gyms like ClubFitness where younger people gather, for many reasons. While many of their reasons are valid, most of these reasons can be overcome and it’s important to overcome them. After all, anybody with a willing heart and a working body can embrace exercise no matter his or her age!
But we also know that there are challenges to embracing exercise, especially if you’ve fallen off the wagon for several years for any reason. Here are ways that you can have an easier time at it.
Be Smart in Your Choice of Exercise
We can’t emphasize it enough – you have to listen to your body and make fitness decisions based on what it says! You have to be smart about making your choices in the types of exercise, as well as their intensity, frequency and duration, that you will be engaged in based on what your body says.
Otherwise, your body will be at higher risk of injuries, and it’s something that you can’t afford to have this early in the game. If your knees hurt, for example, then you shouldn’t run on a treadmill, much less run outdoors where uneven terrain can cause more harm.
Be sure to check your body’s reactions to the exercise that you’ve chosen. You must take more ownership of your body but also be its responsible custodian.
Being smart also means choosing an exercise that appeals to your sense of fun and your unique personality. If you like exercising alone, then a treadmill session is a better option than a Zumba class.
Be Willing to Make Adjustments in Your Expectations
Your body changes with each passing day and these changes are more significant with each passing decade. You have to acknowledge that you cannot do things that you were able to do in your 20s and 30s now that you’re in your 40s, either for the better or for worse.
You should then adjust your expectations, as needed, so you will feel motivated by your achievements, not discouraged by your apparent lack of progress. You may even have to give up certain activities, such as reducing the intensity of your running exercises.
No matter your age, you should adopt a balanced approach to exercise – neither too much that it feels like you’re making up for lost time nor too little that it’s a waste of time. You may want to work with a personal trainer so that your workout program consists of the right ratio of cardio, flexibility and strength training.