Adapting Your Workout for Long Term Health and Mobility as You Age

How to Adapt Your Workout Routine as You Age

As we move through midlife, it's essential to adapt our fitness habits and mindset for long-term mobility with less pn. The key is envisioning your future self-a seasoned athlete capable of enjoying activities like hiking in Hawi or playing tennis- and trning accordingly now.

From the age of 30 onwards, you lose about 3 to 8 of muscle mass each decade, a process that accelerates after turning 60. Bone mineral density decreases during middle age, making fractures more likely and osteoporosis common. Your VO2 max-the capacity for your heart and lungs to use oxygen-also starts to diminish.

Implementing changes early can mitigate these declines and set you up for decades of physical activity:

1. Assess Your Fitness: Begin by evaluating your body's strength, stability, mobility, and cardiorespiratory fitness. This will highlight potential weaknesses that may lead to injuries.

   • Strength and Stability: Engage in exercises like single-leg stands or weight shifts, or join classes such as t chi or Pilates.

   • Mobility: Consider activities like yoga or dynamic stretches for flexibility improvements.

   • Cardiorespiratory Fitness: Measure your VO2 max with a professional assessment. Wearable fitness trackers can also offer an estimate.

2. Vary Your Workouts: Focus on a balanced routine that includes:

   • Moderate-to-vigorous aerobic workouts totaling 150 minutes weekly.

   • Two strength trning sessions lasting about 15-20 minutes each, which not only boost longevity but improve quality of life too.

   , consistency is key. Your body adapts well to changes when presented with new challenges on a regular basis:

   • Introduce Variety: If you usually do lunges, try doing them in different directions or combine them with overhead dumbbell presses. For walkers, vary your route by walking up hills or increasing speed.

3. Focus Beyond Aesthetics:

   Strength trning for longevity goes beyond toned muscles-it's about the interconnectedness of our body systems. m to prioritize compound movements that engage multiple joints and muscle groups, such as deadlifts and squats, alongside core exercises like planks and pelvic floor strengthening.

   By challenging your body regularly with progressive resistance increasing weight or rep count, you're preparing for future eavors:

   • Challenge Yourself: Don't settle for easy workouts. As we age, intentional challenges will build the strength needed for any physical activity our future selves might enjoy.

By incorporating these strategies into your routine today, you ensure a healthier and more active tomorrow.
This article is reproduced from: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/01/well/move/workout-fitness-over-40.html

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