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Top 10 Exercise Options at 40
At 40, you have to realize that
your joints are also 40 years old, and you might need to modify your exercise
intensity and routine in keeping with the physical, physiological and hormonal
changes. Also, there is a tendency to gain about 10 pounds a decade after age
40, primarily due to loss in muscle mass ( If you gain 10 pounds after 40, the
net gain is from adding 15 pounds of fat and losing five pounds of muscle.). To
fight this weight gain, the natural reaction is dieting which further leads to
loss in muscle mass. Each lost pound of muscle depresses the body's metabolism
by about 40 calories a day. An aerobic routine coupled with strength
training,
a
healthy diet and
stretching
can replace the lost muscle, get the body's metabolism back up, and keep weight
off permanently. The focus needs to be on weight training and and to avoid
dieting.
While you're weight-train, add
new muscle mass and maintain your endurance, you need to be protective of easily
injured joints. A problematic knee or tennis elbow can keep an otherwise healthy
and active forty-something woman on the sidelines, which can lead to weight
gain, insomnia and depression, not to mention loss of flexibility.
Low-impact workouts are
recommended for women at forty to allow them to burn a high number of calories,
with exercises like biking or swimming. If you are bored out of your exercise
routine or have you stopped seeking results. Here are top 10 exercise options to
get your metabolism rolling.
 Walking-
It is easy, safe and inexpensive.
Walking
is an injury-free way for the 40+ to keep fit. It burns calories, and it�s
an ideal fat-burning activity. It conditions the heart, improves muscle tone
and strength, relieves stress, and can help with
back
pain,
osteoporosis,
respiratory problems,
diabetes,
arthritis,
cardiac rehabilitation and a variety of other health problems.
 Biking:
This is a good exercise options for women with
osteoarthritis
of the knees can engage in
stationary
cycling by
using a high seat adjustment, a low resistance setting, and toe clips.
 Swimming-
for women at 40
swimming
will help in strengthening the muscle, tendons and ligaments that supports
the joints, and thus improve stability and flexibility. Aim to exercise for
only 15 or 20 minutes at a time in the beginning.
 Low-impact
aerobics- This is no jarring,
jumping, or knee harming, heavy-duty swiveling, but rather stretching and
then sustained exercise. Aerobic conditioning, is the best way to
strengthen your heart rate, which will allow you to keep exercising at your
full capacity as you age and may protect you from heart disease later on.
This can include dancing, aerobic machines, light step aerobics, square
dancing- or any other exercise which fits the guideline of always having one
foot on the floor.
 Volleyball-
Playing a game of volleyball for
30-45 minutes can add a boost to your heart & lungs and help in reducing
the risks of developing coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer
and diabetes.
 Strength
training - Without regular
workouts, muscles shrink 1% to 2% each year. Muscle loss slows down your
metabolism; if you don't sweat on a regular basis, you'll probably gain 10
pounds between the ages of 40 and 50, even if your eating habits don't
change.20 minutes of
weight
training, three
times a week is a good start. Resistance training also helps in increasing
bone density.
 Horseback
riding - Perceived physical benefits of horse riding includes improved
balance, posture, strength, flexibility, stability and even walking. Other
personal benefits include improved self-esteem, self-concept and socialization.
There is still no data on the frequency or duration of riding that's needed to
gain these results, but it is a recreational and therapeutic activity which can
be enjoyed by women of all ages and abilities.
 Cross-country
skiing (rather than downhill or water)- In
terms of all-around aerobic benefits, cross-country skiing is
the
front runner. Using muscles in the shoulders, back, chest,
abdomen, buttocks, and legs, cross-country skiers can burn as many as six
hundred to nine hundred calories per hour. The kick and glide technique,
combined with the poling motion to propel you along, can provide a more complete
workout than running or cycling, both of which emphasize lower body muscles.
Using muscles in the shoulders, back, chest, abdomen, buttocks, and legs,
cross-country skiers can burn as many as six hundred to nine hundred calories
per hour.
If you are forty-five or over or not in good shape, check with your doctor
before you begin skiing. Gradually build up the amount of time you spend at it.
Otherwise you run the risk of overuse strains (such as tendinitis) of the
shoulder, knee, and arm.
 Hiking-is a great way to lose a
few excess pounds, thereby improving your physical appearance. The
results may not be as fast as people would like, but they will probably be
far more permanent and pleasurable than any diet or weight-loss scheme.
Hiking helps reverse the negative effects of
osteoporosis
by increasing the bone density and slowing the rate of calcium loss, thus
strengthening the bones and decreasing their susceptibility to break. A slower
one-hour hike, at least once a week can be a good workout.
 Water
aerobics- Running, jogging and
walking underwater in a pool not only strengthens the leg and hip muscles -
the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals - but helps to develop
cardio-respiratory fitness. Water aerobics has an added benefit -- it
enables you to burn up calories much more efficiently. Other benefits of
water aerobics include increasing strength, flexibility and aquatic
capacity. The key is to take it easy at the start. At first, lightly
exercise in the shallow end -- walking at this stage will be enough. As your
confidence improves, move gradually move to thigh-deep then chest deep
water, increasing your speed your speed as you do so. Once you have
developed a good technique which is comfortable for you, aim to walk or jog
underwater for between 20 to 40 minutes per exercise session.
Try to incorporate these
activities into you exercise routine for variety & to keep your body fit and
healthy as you move towards 40's. Make sure to take permission of your
doctor before starting on a cardiovascular routine.
Dated 07 May 2012
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