Want to keep fit over 50? As you get older, there are new things to think about when it comes to exercising. Liz Connor spoke to a wellbeing expert to find out what you need to know for exercise aged 50 and over.
Keep fit over 50 – how we age
As we age, increasingly, barriers can stand in the way of us being able to run, jump, skip or dance like we used to, but the benefits of staying active in older age shouldn’t be ignored.
We asked Lin Seeley, wellbeing coordinator at Bupa Sandhills Court care home (bupa.co.uk) to explain why exercise is so important to older people, and how much exercise we should be doing to keep fit over 50…
Why you should keep fit over 50
“As people get older they tend to become less active. NHS figures suggest that, on average, over 65s are the most sedentary age group – spending upwards of 10 hours a day either sitting or lying down.
“I’ve spent my career working with older people and know that keeping active as we age has a big impact on overall mental and physical health.
“Perhaps most obviously, exercise can help us maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can have a detrimental impact on many areas of our health, increasing the risk of heart problems, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Likewise, it reduces lethargy and means we can get on with the activities we enjoy.
“It’s not just about keeping the weight off either, as regular exercise helps us keep healthy muscles. As we get older it becomes harder for our bodies to maintain muscle, but exercise can combat this, improving our strength and balance so we can continue to lead the independent life we’re used to.
Positive benefits of exercise as we age
“With this in mind, it’s not surprising to see a link between exercise and good mental health, as we’re able to keep up things like hobbies, social commitments, or even playing with the grandchildren. Likewise, it can have an impact on our confidence and self-esteem. This is thought to be one of the reasons active people have a reduced risk of suffering from depression.
“So how much should you be doing? NHS guidelines suggest over 50s should aim for around two and half hours of moderate exercise a week.
“Ideally this would be spread out, with short bursts of activity – around 20 minutes to half an hour – most days of the week.
Best exercise for the over 50s
“Clearly this doesn’t have to be weightlifting or marathon training, but it does need to be something that raises your heart rate. Activities like a brisk walk or bike ride should work, but you can also see an impact from things like pushing the lawnmower – or even the vacuum cleaner, if you’re vigorous enough.
“Again though, it’s important not only to focus on cardio but also building and maintaining muscle. While weight training and Pilates can be good for this, household tasks involving heavy lifting – like big gardening projects – can also help. Varying our exercises is also important as it works different muscle groups.
Exercise in your 50s, 60s and 70s
“The most important thing to remember though is to do what’s right for you. Exercise in your 50s is going to be very different to that in your 70s and 80s.
“Adapt what you do as you age. If you don’t have the strength or balance you used to, there are other ways of staying active. For example, in our care homes, activities like armchair yoga or slow dancing are really popular, and help keep people happy and healthy.
“Likewise, it’s important to keep you brain active – which is why I recommend things like puzzles, crosswords and quizzes, to keep people both mentally and physically sharp in their older years.”
Want more advice on how to keep fit over 50? Read the Wise Living guide to weight lifting for seniors including helpful exercise tips and video.
Best-selling home gym equipment
Stuck for inspiration? Check out our list of best-selling Amazon products!
- Full Body Workout: Includes 45kg weight stacks that can be customised based on skill level. Legs, arms, chest, shoulders, biceps, back, and buttocks can all be worked on. A small gym that is ideal for...
- Variety of Exercises: You can do lat pulldowns, pec flys, and leg curls with this multi-gym workout station. Workouts that are intense and ideal for strength training.
- Dual Action Press Arms : With its double action press arms, this smith machine allows you to perform chest press and chest fly exercises to develop your biceps, triceps, pectorals, and other muscles...
- HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT:The Power Tower has 5 level adjustable height(72.8 - 80.8inch), Suitable for all adult and children fitness needs
- HEAVY-DUTY CONSTRUCTION:Steel tube frame and H shaped frame base provides more stability and safety for your exercise
- PERFECT FOR A FULL-BODY WORKOUT: Multifunctional tower for push up, pull-up /chin up, dip station, abs, vertical knee raise and more "
- 90kg (200lbs) of solid weight stack in 13 plates - Multi-function Chest Press can also be used for Seated Rows & Pec Dec
- High & Low pulleys - Height adjustable arm curl - Bio-mechanically friendly leg developer
- Accessories included: Lat. bar, Straight short bar, Single handle & Ankle strap, Exercise chart & Weight stack lock
- 💪【2 Exercise Modes】By changing the connection ways between the snap hook and the pulley cable, you can get two functional exercise modes: LAT Pull down and Lift up pulley cable system. It...
- 💪【Professional Components & Stability】The upgraded loading pin is made of thicken steel, fitting both Olympic and Standard weight plates, and loading up to 100kg. 360° rotating silent cable...
- 💪【Multipurpose Fitness LAT and Lift Pulley System】You can use the gym cable equipment to perform lat pulldown, train biceps, triceps, shoulders and back. It can help you enhance body...
- 【Simple and Functional】FLYBIRD weight bench FBGEAR23 is simple and functional for lightweight daily home workout or high-intensity strength training. FLYBIRD specializes in exercise bench and is...
- 【Years of Workout】Outstanding stable base and sturdy frame is attributed to strictly controlled high-quality steel. As well as carefully-designed trapezoidal structure, 16in wide legs, strong...
- 【-15° Decline Sit-Up】Easy to adjust the back between 90° to -30° to do seated dumbbell press, flat bench press, -15° decline sit-up and so on. Great upright bench, incline bench, flat bench,...
Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
You may be interested in…
This article may include affiliate links to products and services where we may receive a small fee to support the running of this site if you make a purchase or is a sponsored article from one of our select editorial partners providing valuable advice and information to our readers.