"I'm too old to exercise!"
And so what if you consider yourself as “old” you think less movement is going to help?
Rather than a ranting article I figured I’d give you “old people” some suggestions as to what you can do to help you get started ;)
1. A Brisk Walk!
THEE most simple type of exercise you can possibly do with a lot of benefits such as:
Cardio with barely any impact
Good for mental health – shown to have positive benefits especially for those who suffer with depression
Good for your brain health
Fresh air
If done on a sunny day can help you get enough sunlight to meet your Vitamin D requirements
Can seriously aid with back pain – Dr. Stuart Mcgill (back pain expert)
Can help with fat loss
Can help with recovery from resistance training
It costs a whopping £00.00! Nothing! It's FREE!
And the more frequent you do it, the further you walk and the faster you walk the better the benefits!
It also doesn’t have to take you hours! 10-15minutes a day have shown to offer a great benefit especially when done after a meal which can also improve digestion & nutrient absorption!
2. Swimming
Once again another great form of exercise but this gives you more of a choice of how hard you want to make it. You can do sprints, long swims, use extra equipment in the pool to do non-weight baring resistance, it can be used for rehab/prehab if anything is ideal for most injuries (given you have the right guidance on what to/not to do) etc.
With similar benefits to those above and can be quite a cheap start to getting you exercising and moving again.
3. Resistance Training
This one NEEDS more popularity when it comes to… well… everyone! I feel strongly that most people can benefit from doing resistance training in its many forms!
One of my favourite quotes is “Strength is never a weakness, weakness is never a strength.” by a guy called Mark Bell.
Whether you’re old, frail, have had an injury etc. being weaker won’t necessarily make it better. Obviously when it comes to injuries it heightens the complications on what you can do, what you can’t do, the rate of which you can progress etc.
Just be sure to learn the movements correctly, start slow, high reps to really ingrain the movement into your muscle memory and if you’re unsure DO NOT HESITATE and get someone *COUGH COUGH* to help you *HINT HINT* or any professionals you have available to you :)
If you have any questions or are...
Interested in some Powerlifting Coaching, Personal Training, Intrinsic Biomechanics Screenings or Advice on nutrition?