10 Best Exercise For People Over 50

Exercise is vital to maintain a good quality of life. This is especially true for seniors.

A 50- or 60-year-old body is not  the same as a 20-year-old one. Exercise is key to independence and a good quality of life as you age.

Benefits of Exercise

Muscle mass deteriorates as you age, and exercise rebuilds it. Muscles also burn more calories than fat, even at rest, and thereby offsets your slowing metabolism. It also helps the body fight heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It releases endorphins which keeps your brain sharp and your mood happy.

Exercise Workout Routines

Aerobic exercise increases heart rate and builds endurance.  Weight training keeps your muscles supple, while flexibility exercises result in full range of movement. Moreover, do balance training after age 50 to prevent falls.

Walking

Simple and extremely effective! It builds stamina, strengthens lower body muscles, and helps fight against bone diseases like osteoporosis. It is easy to schedule and no equipment is necessary. Go solo or make it social. At a moderate pace, you’ll get exercise and still be able to chat with a friend or group.

Dancing

It doesn’t really matter what kind: ballroom, line, square, even dance-based aerobics classes like Zumba and Jazzercise. Dancing helps your endurance, strengthens your muscles, and improves your balance. It burns a lot of calories because it gets you moving in all directions. Research shows learning new moves is really good for your brain, too.

Cycling

It’s especially good when you have stiff or sore joints, because your legs don’t have to support your weight. The action gets your blood moving and builds muscles on both the front and back of your legs and hips. You use your abs for balance and your arms and shoulders to steer. Because there’s resistance, you’re strengthening your bones, too. Strengthening core muscles and joints prevents osteoporosis and serious falls.

Swimming

You can exercise for longer periods in the water than on land. The water offers necessary resistance to build muscles and bones. Swimming laps burns calories and elevates heart.

Yoga

Actively holding a series of poses stretches and strengthens your muscles, tendons, and ligaments that hold your bones together. Yoga lowers heart rate, blood pressure, anxiety and relieves depression.