Age is not a barrier

People throughout New Zealand are now living longer than ever. With better healthcare, medicine, and technology, people are overall healthier now than at any other time in history. As you age, exercise becomes more important than ever before. There are many benefits of exercising, many of which will help you throughout your daily life physically, mentally and emotionally.

Even if you didn’t exercise regularly as an adult, it’s never too late to start! With the right fitness trainers, you can develop an exercise programme that suits your specific needs. An exercise program should help you to build and maintain your strength, whilst at the same time providing you with the fitness that you need for long term results.

It is important to remember that as you grow older, exercise aches and pains will become more frequent and at first may be quite noticeable. However, the more time you spend exercising now, the more you can slow down the symptoms of aging; including weakened muscle, bone deterioration and slowing metabolism. Age should never be a barrier to exercise.

Before you get started with any form of exercise programme, it is always a good idea to check the programme with your doctor or health professional. This is crucial in order to prevent any serious injuries, or exercises that may do more harm than good.

Exercise should be focused on quality of life

Building your cardiovascular fitness should be an important aspect of your regime, as it’s something that can keep your organs as healthy as possible. It’s also important to include strength training; by training for strength, you can maintain your muscles and continue to live a healthy independent life without the need of help and support from others.

The main motivation for your exercise should be about living a healthy lifestyle and improving the overall quality of your life. Realistically, you’re not going to be training to ‘get ripped’. Instead, you should be focusing on developing strength for your daily tasks, such as walking upstairs and carrying objects around the home. This is a sensible reason to train, and one that will have a range of benefits in your life. Training to ‘get ripped’ is likely to end in serious injury and is something that is unlikely to be realistic.

By incorporating exercise into your daily routine, not only will you benefit from a physical perspective but your body will see a range of other benefits. You can help to control your blood sugar levels, as well as reduce your risk for a range of different cardiovascular diseases. Exercise can also improve your mental health and overall mood, allowing you to live a happier lifestyle; help you to have better quality sleep; maintain your bone strength; and even improve your balance. These benefits will allow you to significantly improve your overall lifestyle, ensuring that you are happier, stronger and able to complete daily activities without feeling consistent and regular pain.

Listen to your body to avoid injury

No matter your age, there is no ‘one size fits all’ exercise regime that will suit everyone. The exercise programme that you choose will depend entirely on your body, what your body is capable of, and what you enjoy doing. After all, there’s no point in doing an exercise day in, day out if it’s something that makes you miserable! This is a factor that many people don’t consider when it comes to exercise, which is why they struggle to continue for long periods of time. Make sure that you enjoy the exercises that you are doing before committing to a long-term plan.

It is also very important to understand your body’s limitations, as this will help you to avoid injury. When we are young, injuries heal fast and unless very serious, do not pose much of a problem. On the other hand, as we grow older, injuries will not heal as fast and in some circumstances can become serious. You need to listen to your body and learn what exercises to avoid. This is where getting help from a personal trainer can really help – they can provide you with a wide range of different exercises to help you to avoid any injury, allowing you to train daily without putting your body at risk. If you feel significant pain or discomfort at any point, it will be a sign from your body that is telling you to stop. Make sure to take this seriously and do not push yourself too much.

Ultimately, completing any form of exercise is much better than doing nothing. Whether you’re going out for walks with your friends, lifting weights with a personal trainer at the gym or completing outdoor exercises you will be able to benefit from exercise. Make sure that you aim for a consistent routine as this will be more important than any other factor. Long term training will allow you to get the best results: remember, exercise is a marathon not a sprint. Aim for those long-term objectives and before you know it, you will be overachieving in no time at all.

Summary

Overall, age is certainly not a barrier to exercise and should not put you off. As we grow older, exercise becomes more important than ever and helps us to fight against the various signs of aging. By picking the right exercises for you, and with the added help of a personal trainer, you can significantly benefit from exercise in nearly every aspect of your life. Make sure that you select the right training regime for your lifestyle and one that will help you achieve the benefits that you are looking out for. Listen to your body throughout and you will avoid injury whilst reaping the benefits. Start your exercise plan today and discover how exercising can help you in your daily life!