Do you remember how your body felt in your 40s? The freedom of fitness may feel lost in the past, but a life where you don’t have to worry about aching muscles or brittle bones is closer than you think.
Staying fit in your 60s and beyond doesn’t require hours in the gym or restrictive diets which suck the joy from your retirement. Through regular exercise and some small changes to your diet, you’ll be able to keep up with your children and grandchildren for years to come!
Grab your walking shoes
The first step to boosting your fitness is to start exercising regularly.
As you get older,the risk of health problems increases. However, just 30 minutes of moderateexercise a day can ward off issues such as heart disease and strokes.
Moderate exercisecan be anything from pushing a lawnmower to dancing. But the most accessibleform of exercise is walking – all you need is a pair of shoes and a route toenjoy.
A brisk walk everyday can do wonders for your health, including:
- Reducing your risk of dementia
- Boosting your mood
- Strengthening your bones
- Improving your immune system.
Walking is also an easy activity to incorporate into your routine. Choosing to walk to the shop or parking a few minutes away from your destination can add a few minutes of exercise to your day-to-day life without inconveniencing you.
Pick up a golfclub
Golf is perfect for anyone who wants to take a gentle approach back into their fitness journey.
The sport trains important parts of your body, helping to enhance your flexibility as well as your health. Swinging your club improves your hand-eye coordination and balance, and an 18-hole course usually involves a four- to eight-mile walk.
As well as strengthening your physical health, golf is also excellent for your mental health. Adapting your strategy with every swing provides a mental puzzle that can keep your mind sharp into your retirement. Plus, it provides the perfect excuse to catch up with your friends.
Start stretching
Yoga and Pilates are both fantastic ways to develop your muscles.
When practised correctly, yoga can:
- Strengthen joints
- Reduce anxiety and stress
- Help with chronic pain
- Improve the quality of your sleep
- Increase lung capacity.
It can be particularly beneficial to women as it can help to increase bone density after menopause.
Yoga is the perfect way to ensure you stay mobile as you age. Stronger muscles and better flexibility reduce your risk of falling and mean you are less likely to need joint surgery, such as hip or knee replacements.
When practising yoga, start slowly and work with a certified instructor to make sure you are reaping all the benefits without causing yourself any harm or exacerbating old injuries.
Take a dip in your local pool
Swimming offers afull-body workout while also being a low-impact sport. This means you are lesslikely to injure yourself and you can exercise everything at once, withoutputting undue stress on your joints.
Although a peaceful swim by yourself can be relaxing, you could also try taking part in adult swim sessions at your local health centre or gym. These classes can improve your confidence in the water as well as allowing you to make friends with the other swimmers.
You can also try signing up to a water aerobics class. Sessions are usually run by trained instructors who can help you set fitness goals and do their best to make the classes friendly and fun for everyone.
Switch up your diet
What you eat has a huge impact on how fit you feel. Although there are hundreds of changes you can make to your usual meal plan to improve your health, start slowly and only switch out one thing at a time.
One way you can improve your diet is by drinking more water. Switching out a cup of coffee or a glass of juice for water will help keep you hydrated and give you more energy. It’s especially important to remember to drink water when exercising, as you need to replace the fluids you sweat out.
Opting to eat natural foods instead of processed versions can also improve your health. For example, you could eat an apple instead of drinking apple juice. This will help you get in your “five a day” and goes a long way in boosting your fitness.
If you want to make significant changes to what you eat, you could try the Mediterranean diet. This prioritises nutrient-rich foods such as fish, beans, and fruit and vegetables over meat and dairy products. These natural, healthy foods can reduce your blood pressure, and have even been linked to longer lifespans.
Read 5 scientifically proven habits that could help you stay sharp in retirement to find out more about how changes to your diet can help make a positive difference to your mind and body.
