Exercise and sport are essential for maintaining a healthy body and mind, which also keeps people fit after 60. However, it can be difficult for most seniors to exercise on fitness equipment or in gyms as they get older. However, with the right exercise routine, you can achieve equally good results without having to leave your home or go to the gym. In addition, you can consider certain exercises that can be performed using your own body weight or as gymnastics. These require minimal sports equipment and space, while increasing your muscle strength and improving your quality of life. Here are some of the best ways to exercise to keep you feeling healthy and alert as you age.
How should you train to be healthy and fit after 60?
Many nutrition and health experts believe that following certain diets and exercising appropriately can help you achieve the mostCounteract aging processescan. Since human biology changes significantly over the years, older adults have several reasons to exercise. For this reason, it is important to replace the sedentary lifestyle with an active lifestyle. However, it is also crucial to know how to perform specific exercises without overwhelming yourself.
In addition, sports and such activities can be very beneficial for seniors in helping them become more independent. Regular physical exercise promotes abilityolder adult through gymnastics, to be independent and to carry out everyday activities without additional help. It can therefore be a huge motivation for many people of this age to exercise if independence is a priority for them.
Not to mention the numerous other benefits, such as improved brain function, balance, body energy, disease prevention and much more. If you are also feeling motivated, you may consider trying the following workouts to get throughfunctional strength trainingand gymnastics to stay fit after 60.
Squats for older adults
When it comes to squats, this can be an excellent exercise for building lower body strength and strengthening legs as you get older. This can significantly reduce the number of injuries caused by falls and improve your general condition significantly. In addition, squats also support heart function because they target many muscle groups. Although the exercise is a little more challenging, if done correctly, it can be easily done by most people of older age. If you want to try this workout, you should start with three sets of ten repetitions. Make sure you give yourself enough time to go both down and up. Depending on your mobility, you may need to adjust your foot width.
- First, position your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Then extend your hands forward at floor level.
- First, make sure to keep your feet flat on the floor and lower your hips as low as possible while simultaneously bending your hips and knees.
- Finally, return to your starting position.
Stay fit after 60 through exercises such as climbing stairs
Although it is an everyday activity, climbing stairs requires coordination, leg strength, core stability and balance. Core stabilization is necessary because you need it in combination with muscle strength in your thighs to move up and forward. In addition, muscles such as calves, hip flexors, tibialis, quadriceps, as well as abdominals and glutes are also among the muscles involved in this exercise. Another great benefit is that this will improve your ability to relieve lower back pain by strengthening your core muscles.
- For example, you can first use a crate to be able to climb up. Choose something that will be no more demanding than climbing stairs.
- Then, starting with your feet together, lift your right foot onto the platform. Your position must be stable before moving on to the next step.
- Now step onto the chosen platform and bring both feet together.
- Then come down first with your left foot and then your right foot on the floor.
- First do one repetition on the other side as well; five sets of six repetitions each are enough to be able to perform the exercise effectively.
- Also try counting a second before ascent and when descending.
- To optimize, you can also perform the exercise with dumbbells to increase resistance or increase the intensity with a higher platform.
Planks at an older age
Another challenging but very effective workout is the plank. This can easily be done by seniors without having to put in too much effort. It's a core exercise where the static position can help you build core strength and stability without putting any strain on your back. You will also train your hips, glutes and shoulders. Generally, it's a full-body workout that can keep you fit over 60 in just 30 seconds.
- First, start by kneeling on a mat or other suitable surface.
- Then place your forearms on the mat and bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
- After that, you should fully extend your legs to the back of your body.
- In this position, try to initially support your entire body with your forearms and toes, keeping your back and spine in a straight line.
- Hold the plank for 30-45 seconds and then return to starting position.
How the so-called bent over rowing can keep you fit after 60
Bent-over rowing can also provide a beneficial full-body workout as you get older. This increases the strength of your lower back, abdominal muscles, hamstrings, glutes, upper back and arms. This type of exercise can also improve the mobility of the spine and thoracic spine. Additionally, this is also a challenging training exercise that may require weights and a little more hip mobility. The resulting movements mimic many everyday activities that require bending.
- First, get into a position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Then, with two light dumbbells in each hand, slowly bend forward at the waist.
- Then, to lift the weight toward your chest, pull your elbows back.
- Try to keep your back straight as you lift the weights up and down.
- For better results, you can perform bent-over rows for three sets of ten reps or pyramidal for twelve, ten, and eight reps.
Lunges as strength training with your own weight for better fitness and endurance
Last but not least, you can try lunges to stay fit after 60. This type of exercise helps you with strength training by strengthening the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. If you enjoy hiking or playing sports like bocce ball, golf or tennis, lunges can strengthen your legs and improve your performance even as you age. In addition, such a workout helps to strengthen the muscles that you need to sit down and stand up. This means you will have to put less strain on your joints.
- Again, start first with your feet shoulder-width apart on a flat surface.
- Then take a big step forward so that you are in a split stance.
- After that, drop your back knee to the floor while keeping your back straight and your eyes at eye level.
- You can extend your arms to the side at the same time to improve balance.
- Now assume the split position again by pushing the floor away from you.
- Do three pyramidal sets, performing one set of twelve, then ten, and finally eight repetitions of the exercise.
- To increase resistance, you can also add dumbbells.
