The Best Fitness Tips For Seniors
TIP #1
On top of our senior fitness tips list is no matter what you do for fitness, have fun by approaching all your fitness endeavors with the right attitude, which means stay positive and try to look at it as fun, like recess for your golden years. Thinking healthy and positive is the first step toward achieving that state. You’ve already paid your dues in life, and now the better you feel by being physically fit, the more you’ll enjoy the rest of your days. For the scientific proof that has finally caught up with the wisdom of the ancients, read The Power of Positive Thinking: The Key to Health and Happiness.
Tip #2
Consult your doctor before you begin any serious fitness regimen for their medical opinion on what you should or should not be doing. They will know your history and how hard you should push yourself, and how high you can safely get your heart rate up during a workout. Doctors are on board with how important physical fitness is, so listen to their input and suggestions. Conversely, there are plenty of stories about seniors who suffered heart attacks or strokes and went on to become marathon runners too. Most likely, in those cases, such rigorous routines were against doctors orders. So let us not forget the triumph of the human spirit and the litigious society we live in, which makes doctors cautiously conservative.
Tip #3
Start simple, ease your way into getting your heart rate up by engaging in an activity that you slowly mastered when you first left crawling as a mode of transportation behind. Begin with something as easy as walking. Yes it counts and as a matter of a fact, walking consistently, three or four times a week for at least 20 minutes, is an excellent routine to fall into, plus it gets you out into the healing properties of the natural world. Walking is Free So Leave the Stress Behind provides some great information that might reacquaint you with the joys of the shoe leather once you realize the benefits.
TIP #4
Start any activity slowly. If you begin any regimen or routine with great intensity, you risk injury. Furthermore, with an initial bad experience, you might be more likely to forgo any further physical conditioning. Avoid having an initial bad experience by doing just a little and rewarding yourself for the effort. These fitness tips for the finely-aged are collected in the hopes of providing information and motivation for consistent dedication to a healthier lifestyle. We want you craving more once you catch the bug and get those endorphins to kick in.
TIP #5
Try anything and everything to find out what you like. You’ve got too many options to get stuck in a routine you don’t enjoy. Here’s a great roundup of gentle exercise routines for the elderly assembled by one of our experts. My folks are retirement age in their seventies, and they’re both in great shape because they take responsibility for their fitness. My dad takes a regular physical class along with golf while my mother joined a Curves and ventured into the pool for an aquatic class which was completely foreign to her. Although even though they experience stiffness and achy muscles, they refuse to take a yoga class, which I’ve been suggesting for years. When their doctor suggested the same thing, they sort of acknowledged that maybe I knew what I was talking about. The point is, try new things, which keeps you young and open to variety. Here’s my folks taking a little hike in Glacier National Park recently.
TIP #6
Another important consideration with an eye toward giving you both the maximum benefit and enjoyment is whether you want to exercise alone or in a pack. Everybody is different and you don’t have to be locked into one. But just like Socrates said many years ago before they poisoned him for asking too many questions; “Know thyself” which in turn inspired Shakespeare to write “This above all: To thine own self be true.” So decide if you want to be engaging in your routines in a group or alone by trying both to find out.
TIP #7
For the most part schedule your routines on the same days and at the time. By setting aside specific times, you won’t be tempted to let other things crop in and take priority. Routines are good to fall into and make sure that you consider your fitness endeavors to be just as important as anything else you do, because being in good shape makes all that other stuff more fulfilling anyway.
TIP #8
Write down your goals and the down and dirty details of each workout because that has been proven to inspire folks to keep with their program. Having it there on a piece of paper or on your computer (or any other electronic scheduling gadget) gives you that pleasant power of crossing things off a list. For some useful and easy templates, read this series which highlights where to get templates for workout routines to keep you organized and on task.
TIP #9
Enroll in classes like Tai Chi and Yoga because disciplines like that not only benefit your physical conditioning but they help you stay sharp and focused. Classes like this teach you how to relax, which soothes your central nervous system and wards off illness and diseases. Iyengar Yoga, for instance, makes use of many props so practitioners can still do poses that would otherwise be impossible. The founder, Mr. Iyengar still practices now that he is well into his eighties and you can see the benefits by seeing his serene and limber nature. Use the centuries old wisdom derived from the east.
TIP #10
Utilize every resource you have available, whether it’s the gym, classes offered near you, DVDs, and even all the fitness videos you can easily find on the internet, free. This way you’re adhering to the variety principle and finding out what you enjoy most. Stay fit and utilize all of these fitness tips for seniors to keep your eyes on the prize, which is a happy and healthy lifestyle of gratitude and appreciation. Finally, don’t forget to thank your body for all those years of loyal service it has given to your mind and spirit. Look at it as one of your oldest friends and treat it accordingly.
Sources:
Prevention.com @ Prevention.com
The Broadwater Fitness Clubs
