Many people think that exercising daily is the solution to all the health woes and fat problem. Partially, yes! But following an exercise routine is more important than just exercising randomly. People above 40 should be more concerned about their health than any other age groups because they tend to have their health deteriorating at a faster rate. Women over 40 are busy. They have friends, family and work commitments and rarely find time for themselves. Very often, they give up their time taking care of people around them and take a very little care of themselves. No women like the excessive fat growing and it’s still not late to curb it down.
Following these 12 exercises, women can easily get in shape and stay fit and healthy over a longer period of time. It is well known that physical activities improve life’s expectancy and being over 40, they should take special care of their health to enjoy living a happy life.
Image Source: www.phillymag.com
Often referred to as ‘Cardio Workout’. Running, dancing, swimming all counts as the cardio workout. It is referred to as the heart-pumping exercise which keeps the heart muscles strong. However, if you really want your heart health to be better, you need to exercise at least 30 minutes 3-4 times a week at 80% of your maximum heart rate. On a scale of efforts from 1 to 10 and 10 being the highest, you should put in 8 every time you do cardio workout to make your heart stay fit and strong.
Image Source: www.fitnessmagazine.com
Before starting training hard for the day’s workout, it is best suggested to start with low-impact exercises such as stationary bike or other cardio equipment. This is just to get the blood moving in the body and takes few minutes to be completed. During cold months, add few extra minutes to remove the stiffness in the body. Stretching should be done prior to the workout to help stretch the muscles.
Image Source: kareemvancefitness.com
According to research conducted by American College of School Medicine, muscular strength of women peak around the age 20-30 and then remains stable for the next 20 years. The main goal of women over 40 should be to maintain that muscular strength and not let it decline as age increases. Resistance training should be done twice a week for every major muscle group with a rest of 48 hours between successive workouts. Two to four sets of 10-15 counts are suggested for maintaining muscle mass.
Image Source: www.dreamstime.com
Maintaining flexibility of muscles eases the task of performing works in a relaxing manner. It is an important part of workout especially for people who are aging, to keep their muscles relaxed. Prior to stretching, muscles should be warmed up with light cardio exercises. Hold your body still through each stretch for around 20-30 seconds and repeat the set for three to four times. Flexibility training can be done on a daily basis but should be done at least twice a week to make your muscles relaxed.
Image Source: www.bodybuilding.com
One of the main problems both men and women face is the loss of bone density. While it typically occurs around the age of 50, it is better to take precautions by the age of 40 to promote bone health and maintain it. Weight-bearing cardio workouts are preferred such as walking or jogging instead of non-weight bearing workouts. Moderate or heavy workouts helps in maintaining the bone health. Consult your physician before starting any workout as with other workout programs.
Image Source: www.webmd.com
Research conducted by National Osteoporosis Foundation indicates that approximately 1 in every 2 women will break a bone because of Osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones become brittle which increases the risk of fractures. Simple activities like dancing, jumping jacks, sports and jogging are all great examples of workouts to be performed to keep bones strong. This should be done a minimum of 2 days a week with high intensity.
Image Source: www.active.com
Risk of developing arthritis increases with growing age. Chronic joint pain and stiffness can affect individuals of all ages especially those who have suffered join injury before or are overweight, according to Arthritis Foundation. Strength training is one of the best ways to prevent aches and pains. It decreases pain associated with arthritis. Exercises to perform include squat, deadlift and overhead press to strengthen the joints and muscles. This workout should be done at least 2-3 times a week.
Image Source: www.prevention.com
Women between the age of 40-60 have increased the risk of depression which declines their physical as well as mental health. Though any exercise can help stave off anxiety and depression, research has shown that yoga is the perfect exercise for reducing stress and maintaining the mood. Yoga increases the level of GABA, mood-regulating neurotransmitter that is deficient in those with depression and anxiety. Many women who tried yoga for three months have stated that they felt mentally relaxed after doing it. Yoga should be done at least thrice a week to help avoid depression.
Image Source: mloovi.com
Most people experience back pain between the ages 30 to 40 and it becomes very common with growing age, according to research conducted by National Institute of Arthritis, a division of National Institute of Health. Plank is a great exercise to help avoid back pain as it tones all the core muscles of the body. Not only it works on abs, but also the muscles around the chest and the spine region. As these muscles tighten up, entire midsection tightens which ultimately supports the lower bank keeping it pain-free. A plank should be held for 90 seconds at least 3 times a week.
Image Source: www.lifehack.org
The shoulder is an important part of the body as it helps to carry weights and perform tasks much easier. Having a strong shoulder is ideal to prevent injuries while handling heavy weights and gives us enough strength to perform hard tasks. There are many exercises which include shoulder press, push-ups, dumbbell press. Each exercise should be performed in a set of three with 10-15 reps. This workout should be done once a week for strong shoulder muscles.
Image Source: www.pinterest.com
Women who want to maintain their legs strong and muscular should perform legs exercise once a week to maintain it in structure and strength. There a variety of machines to perform legs workout including leg press. Free squats are more suitable because it can be performed without any equipment anywhere. Around 70-80 free squats should be performed along with other exercises.
Image Source: suncoastchiropractic.ca
The most important part of all these workouts is to get an adequate amount of sleep. Most women get less sleep and have trouble sleeping on the other days due to the menstrual cycle. They have too much work or depression which causes them to be upset or feel irritated. They should sleep a minimum of 7 hours each day to maintain their health properly and to be fresh the next day to perform the daily chores and to workout. After all, nothing feels better after a good night’s sleep the next day!
Image Source: sleepsugar.com