8 Best Workouts for Over 50s to Stay Fit and Healthy

Researches have found that when you hit your 30, you can experience a sudden muscle loss of 3 to 5 percent each decade. Not only your muscle, but each organ and system in your body work less functionally as you age. And once in your 50s and beyond, you can expect to have lost 15% of your muscle mass. Thankfully, exercise regularly can help combat age-related joint problems, lower cardiac risks, rebuild your muscles, as well as improving your bone strength, heart health, metabolism system and mental health.

Maybe you just start for the first time, or you never stopped training. You are never too old to start working out. And the benefits you get from regular exercises can be incredibly great. According to fitness pro, here are some of the best workouts for staying fit and healthy without hurting yourself if you are over 50, add them to your daily exercise routine. Check with your doctor at first to make sure you’re medically cleared to start.

Push-ups

This kind of weight-bearing exercise is one of the exercises you should never skip. Researches has found that people who perform push-ups everyday are far less intend to suffer a heart attack. Push-ups help raise your metabolism, maintain strength and buildup the muscle from your whole body, which help you break a fall.

Push-ups is not easy to do for everyone. If you find classic push-ups too challenging, try a less-intense version of it. Standing in front a wall, space your hands about shoulder-width apart and your feet about same width of your shoulder. Bend your elbows and slowly lower your chest toward the wall. When your nose is nearly touching the wall, press away from the wall and back to standing.

Planks

Planks is an ideal workout for older adults to improve and maintain core strength. As it works with whole body, planks can improve balance, mobility and posture, which is crucial for preventing fall. It also decrease the risk of injury during further strenuous exercise and activities. Improve your core strength by sparing one minute a day for planks.

Squat

Squat can be very useful for older adults to build lower body strength and even grow muscle mass in the legs. To make sure you are doing it safe and correct, stand with your feet shoulder width apart and arms out in front. Break at the hips and start to sit your bum back into an imaginary chair, squat down to a comfortable depth (90 degree knee bend is optimal). But do not allow your front knee to move past your toe. Using the arms of a chair, using sticks or using the back of a chair are all great ways if you have arthritis.

Lunges

Lunges is another good workout option for building up leg muscle. It’s also a kind of balance training that helps to enforce coordination and prevent falls. Stand straight and slightly out with one leg, landing on your heel and then bend your knees to descend into the lunge with 90 degree angles. Transfer your weight to your front foot and push your body upward and forward.

Golfing

Golfing really is a perfect sport for older adults, but in particular it is a safe way to burn some serious calories and all whilst having a laugh. Many people struggle to believe this but a round of golf will easily surpass your 10,000 steps, which means burn well over 1000 calories stunningly.

In addition, golfing trains your balance a lot every time you pull your club and swing. Meanwhile, golfing is good to older adults’ mental health as you can enjoy more fresh air and stress relief.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a relaxing yet strengthening exercise that best for people after 50. It’s a great fitness combined with slow movements and meditation that trained muscles from your entire body. Studies from Harvard has proven that this kind of workout have many benefits. It can improve bone, strength and coordination. It may help ease pain and stiffness from arthritis. It might even improve your memory, concentration and help you sleep better.

Yoga

Yoga is another way to train your body for over 50s, as it stretches and loosens your muscles. It helps reduce chronic pain and help you feel less stiff and tired – especially for people with arthritis. Yoga is a train combines both cardio and strength training, nearly all yoga poses build core strength. Yoga poses like downward and upward dog will strengthen your upper body, increase blood flow. Also many researches has shown that yoga improves heart health.

Swim

Swim is also one of the best workouts for older adults. Unlike other exercises on the ground, swim under water provides swimmers with resistance, and therefore takes less stress and strain off joints. So there is little or no chance of injury. In addition, swimming is not a weight-bearing activity, it has actually been proven to improve posture, balance, bone strength and to alleviate pain of arthritis. And thanks to the water resistance, your bone and muscles are forced to get much trained. In fact, an hour’s muscle use in swimming is far more comprehensive than any other form of exercise out there. However, if you have an underlying health condition, consult with your doctor first.