Sport and fitness after 45

When you do sport all the time, you don’t have to ask yourself if you want to continue exercising after the age of 45. The only thing to do is to reduce the workout load by adjusting it to the capabilities of your body at that age. It’s never too late to start, not only at forty-five, but also at 70.

When a person actively moves, it improves the cardiovascular system, lowers cholesterol, increases immunity to colds, strengthens the musculoskeletal system and increases life expectancy.

What kind of fitness activity can I do?

With age, the elasticity of joints, ligaments and tendons decreases, muscle mass decreases, bones become brittle and the risk of injury increases.

Therefore, before you start exercising you should talk to a trusted general practitioner. Even if you have no chronic diseases, your body gradually wears out: harmful substances accumulate and fatty deposits are added. A specialist can advise you on what kind of sport or fitness activity you should take up.

For example, walking is preferable to running, as running puts a lot of strain on your joints and you are at risk of strain injuries and sprains. Cycling and swimming are activities that are not too demanding but are beneficial at any age. They also burn a lot of calories.
For women, group exercise classes like pilates or yoga based on flowing movements and correct breathing are suitable. It strengthens joints and muscles and develops flexibility. We recommend alternating these exercises with aerobic exercise, which is important for the cardiovascular system.
If your back and joints ache, you can’t help but enjoy effective and fun exercise on a fitness ball. The unstable surface of the large, sturdy ball will help strengthen the muscles in your back and abs, chest, arms and hips.
Strength training exercises develop muscles and increase bone density, help burn calories and improve metabolism. Exercise should be supervised by a trainer. Once you get used to one weight, you can gradually increase the load.

Fitness Club Classes

A total of 3 to 5 aerobic exercise classes lasting 30 minutes and 2 to 3 strength-training sessions per week should be planned.

You should start with a warm-up to prepare your muscles and joints for the load, and after the workout you should do stretching exercises to prevent injuries.

Do not exert yourself too much and do not aim for the result. If your goal is to lose weight, you don’t have to get on the scale every day. It is not necessary to rush into all the exercises at once. Identify problem areas and work on them gradually: start by strengthening your back, then work on the flexibility of your ligaments and so on.

While doing strength training, rest between sets of exercises for 1-2 minutes. When doing yoga or pilates exercises you must not cause pain: all sensations must be comfortable in order to avoid injury.

An active lifestyle is good in any form

If you do not have time or financial possibilities to train in fitness clubs, you should use any kind of activity connected with movement.

Walking, cycling to the shops, jogging and exercising in the morning are to be enjoyed as much as possible. Even gardening and horticultural activities will do you good. Regular exercise will slow down the development of diseases related to the musculoskeletal system, such as osteochondrosis, osteoporosis and spinal hernia.