Exercise should be an integral part of our daily lives as it positively benefits our physical, cognitive and psychological health while also increasing our lifespan. This is common knowledge, and we have also covered this in earlier articles. People who have been exercising every week since their youth and till date can continue to do so in their 50s, probably with minor changes to the routine, as per present health conditions and fitness goals.
As any Doctor will tell them, the benefits of exercise are tangible at every age and decade of our life. However, those who have not been exercising much either at their young ages or recently have several concerns while starting an exercise regimen at 50 plus. The first doubt pertains to whether it’s late to start exercising now and will there be any benefit? The second doubt pertains to which exercises to do and what to avoid, as not getting this right can expose the person to injury and harm. This article is aimed at addressing these concerns.
Before starting an exercise regimen, it’s important to have a full-body health checkup. This will give a clear picture of the internal organs as well as the skeletomuscular system. Women in their early 50s may have had their menopause or approaching the same. So they should additionally get a bone density test done. All these have a bearing on what exercises you can do and what you must avoid.
For example, people with early-stage arthritis and women with osteoporosis may be advised against heavy cardio exercises or heavy weight-lifting. So also, people with chronic illnesses of the heart, kidneys, liver, or lungs may be advised against exercise of any kind or maybe recommended light activities. All such people need to follow their doctor’s instructions around exercise strictly. No gym or fitness trainer will take responsibility for any eventuality brought about by not following the doctor’s advice.
Walking: Walking is the universal favorite recommended by doctors and fitness trainers alike. Walking requires no equipment, and further, no exclusive time has to be set aside for walking. You can walk for shopping, walk to work, walk your dog, walk to complete various activities and walk at home. A little resistance added can increase the benefit of walking, for example – carrying the grocery bags, walking uphill, and walking up the stairs.If you are not doing any other form of exercise, it’s good to walk 20-30 minutes every day at a medium pace (not slow or fast).
Cardios: As the name implies, cardio-vascular exercises increase the heart rate, cause heavy breathing and sweating. These include jogging on the treadmill, running outdoors, swimming, cycling, aerobics, dance, water-aerobics, and jumping ropes. In general, people above 50 years of age must get 150 minutes of exercise per week if it’s intense and 300 minutes a week if it is light or moderate.
Strength training: This helps strengthen the core, key muscles, and joints of the body. At a gym, you can use a variety of weights. These either use external weights or the body weight to provide resistance, which aids in muscle growth, muscle strengthening, and bone strengthening. If you do not want to enroll in a gym, you can do free-hand exercises at home. It’s OK to do 20-30 minutes of weight training if you are not doing the heavy lifting. Take the help of a trainer and ensure they continuously monitor your routine.
Sports: Tennis, Badminton, Cricket, and Squash are all cardio exercises. At the same time, they help improve balance, so the risk of falling and sustaining a fracture is reduced. One can play 20-30 mins of these games, 4-5 days a week. Do not overdo, as you may injure specific joints or muscle groups.
Yoga: Yoga is one of the best wellness disciplines, with comprehensive benefits. Yoga strengthens the core, revitalizes internal organs, improves posture, gait, and balance. Yoga also emphasizes a calm state of mind while exercising, which helps improve cognitive and psychological health. One can safely do 1 hour of Yoga every day, 5 days a week.
Pilates: A low-impact exercise that helps strengthen the core, strengthen muscles, improve posture, alignment and flexibility. It offers the benefits of both cardio and Yoga. One can do 30 minutes of Pilates, every day, 5 days a week.
Gyrotonic / Gyrokinesis: One of the new-age wellness practices which are still rare to find in India. Gyrotonic includes movement principles borrowed from tai chi, swimming, yoga, dance, and gymnastics. This requires a unique apparatus called Gyrotonic Expansion System (GXS). Gyrokinesis involves flowing and rhythmic movement sequences that help improve functional strength and range of motion while also stimulating the nervous system.
Household chores: If you are one of those people who delight in gardening work, or cleaning the house, or washing the car, or spending time on a hobby, you can safely indulge in them for up to 45 minutes a day or 5 hours a week. Ensure you take safety precautions like wearing gloves, face-mask, using stools and ladders that are stable, and the right equipment so that you don’t strain your body in an unhealthy way.
Plyometrics: This is a form of exercise that involves frequent jumping, explosive movements. rapid stretching and contracting of muscles. These have been glorified in movies and fitness videos. Unfortunately, this is misleading. Plyometrics can injure vital joints like the knee, ankle, and hip while increasing blood pressure enormously. Not to mention the risk of fractures, sprains, muscle pulls, and ligament tears. While youngsters can still get away with these risks,this is a strict no-no for those above 50 years!
Sprinting: As mentioned earlier, jogging or running at a steady, moderate pace, either outdoors on the treadmill, is a beneficial exercise at any age, as long as you don’t overdo it. In contrast, sprinting, which involves short bursts of high-speed running, can harm the joints. Again, while youngsters can still get away with these risks, for those above 50 years, this is a strict no-no! These should only be undertaken by professional sports persons focused on this activity.
Heavy lifting: Strength Training involving weights is a good exercise at any age. However, the quantum of weight lifted should factor one’s age, bone strength, bone density, muscle mass, and the presence of any other health condition such as hypertension. Professional weight-lifters and bodybuilders receive special training and diet for heavy lifting. Anybody else should avoid lifting weights far above their comfort level (a slight increase is still OK and desirable). This will expose them to severe injuries, hypertension, and risks that come with hypertension.
Some leg exercises: Leg extension machines are very popular in the gym for building one’s legs. However, if overdone, they can injure the kneecap by putting enormous strain on it. People above 50 years can do this exercise just once a week on a moderate load, with no more than 25 iterations.
From the above, it’s evident that staying fit after 50 is not very difficult. It just requires a little commitment and discipline initially till it becomes a habit. A positive pattern that one will enjoy over time. Rest assured, an exercise regimen will not only increase your lifespan or add years to your life. But it will also add life to your years, improving your quality of life and overall life experience.
The Do’s and Don’ts of exercise for people who are 50 years and above.
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