Fitness At Any Age ................................................................................................................................. 1

50 Fitness Tips ....................................................................................................................................... 2

Disclaimer: This publication is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical

advice. You should always consult a medical professional before starting any exercise program.

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Are you catching up to 50? Turning 50? 60? 65? Have you lived a sedentary lifestyle or maybe

not exercised as much as you should have?

Think it’s too late to start? Or need a push?

Many myths exist in regards to exercise for the older generation. It’s funny how many people

think that once we hit some age, like 45, 50 or 60 that somehow we have to stop or cannot do

the things the younger generation does.

Don’t Fall For The Hype!

Older people are active, vibrant, and energetic and

many do more than their younger counterparts do.

Jack La Lane, who lived almost 100 years (1914 -

2011), one of the most famous and prolific fitness gurus of all time is the perfect example of

what one can do no matter one’s age:

When he was 42 years old, he set the pushups world record by doing 1,000 pushups in 23

minutes.

La Lane swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, CA while

handcuffed and towing a 1,000-pound boat at the age of 60!

On his 70th birthday, La Lane swam 1.5 miles while handcuffed, shackled, AND towing 70

rowboats holding 70 people!

Impressed?

Now, most of us will not nor do we need to achieve such feats, the point is that age is just a

number, and La Lane was able to achieve these feats and others because he spent his life

committed to fitness.

Imagine what we can do if we just workout a fraction of the time that La Lane did!

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1. Regular exercise not only helps the body, it also improves mood and brain function.

Therefore, it’s not just about prolonging life; it’s also about improving its quality.

2. Some may believe that with age comes the need to save strength by resting. However,

studies show that a sedentary lifestyle is very unhealthy for both the young and older

generations, as it can lead to more doctor visits, chronic disease, obesity, and overweight,

heart disease, premature death from heart attack, and more hospitalizations.

3. A study published in the Archives in

Internal Medicine showed these

important statistics of exercise for

people over 50: men who exercised

moderately extended their lives by 1.3

years and men who were very active

added 3.7 years. Women with

moderately active lifestyles added 1.1

years to their lives and highly active

women lived 3.2 years longer.

4. Some believe that exercise increases risk for falling. In fact, regular workouts build

endurance, strengthen muscle, bone, and build stability that reduces risks for falls.

5. You are never too old to start working out. It is a common misconception that older people

should not workout; in reality, exercise at any age boosts physical health and emotional

wellbeing. Thinking that you are too old and what’s the point of exercise is just not realistic.

The truth is that exercise improves the aging process and can prolong life. It makes people

more active, energetic, and better able to face the day. It also lowers risk for chronic

disease, no matter how old you are when you start.

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6. Ask your doctor before starting any type of fitness program, to be sure that it is safe for you.

7. Commit to a regular routine, and stick with it. Your ongoing commitment is half the battle.

8. Decide for yourself what motivates you to exercise. This is key in sticking with a long-term

plan.

9. Start slow, especially if you are new to exercise or

it’s been a long time since you have worked out.

Build up your fitness in levels, and don’t start with

a very strenuous workout. This will support safety

and also will not set up you for self-sabotage so

you give up too soon because it’s too hard. Start

with a low impact aerobics class two times a

week, and two days of strength training and build

up from there.

10. Do proper warmup and cool down exercises

before the main event.

11. Don’t get discouraged if you cannot do what

others at the gym are doing, everyone has a fitness level, and all levels of exercise are

beneficial.

12. Hire a personal trainer that can develop a specialized fitness plan to meet your needs. He or

she can also teach you how to perform the exercise correctly for best results and safety.

This is especially important for those who are new to exercise.

13. The four main types of workouts to add to your schedule are cardio, strength, flexibility, and

balance.

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14. Cardio works the heart, promotes heart health, builds endurance and lung health and

makes you sweat, it includes, cycling, walking, aerobics, water aerobics, swimming, stair

steppers, rowing, dancing, sports, elliptical training, running, and even hiking.

15. Strength training builds lean muscle mass, promotes bone health, boosts balance and builds

strength. Strength training includes resistance training, free weights, resistance bands,

bodyweight exercises, and the use of exercise machines.

16. Flexibility training promotes joint health and improves the body’s range of motion to

improve daily functioning and performance in everyday tasks. Flexibility training includes,

stretching and exercise programs like yoga.

17. Balance training helps train the body to

maintain stability while standing or

moving. Balance training reduces risk of

falls as we age. Various posture exercises

are available, along with yoga, Pilates,

and Tai chi that improve balance.

18. When doing weight training use slow,

controlled movements.

19. Never lift more than you can handle when working with free weights or weight machines,

this is where professional advice, like that from a personal trainer is key.

20. If you have, stiff, hot, or inflamed joints make sure they are healed before working out.

21. With age, the metabolism begins to slow, and exercise helps to boost it to promote healthy

weight management, which is so important for overall health and disease prevention.

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22. With age we begin to lose about 1% of lean muscle mass each year, the quality of muscle

also degrades with age, meaning that we lose strength. Strength training helps to build

muscle tone and promote strength that serves you in everyday performance and allows for

more effective fat burning even when the body is at rest. There is a wide variety of free

weights, weight machines, and bodyweight exercise to choose from.

23. Your general wellness is greatly improved by exercise. It promotes natural energy, boosts

mood and greatly reduces stress. Stress is key in a

variety of health conditions and accounts for more than

60% of doctor visits. Keeping stress at bay not only

reduces physical health it also greatly improves

emotional and mental health.

24. Exercise boosts immunity and helps to prevent serious

chronic disease, including heart disease, osteoporosis,

cancer, diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease.

25. Digestive health is improved by exercise, something of

special concern to the aging population.

26. Bending, reaching and rising are all elements of what is

called functional fitness. These are activities people do

every day, and with age these may become more difficult when we are not training the

muscles to work together to achieve these tasks. Functional movement exercises greatly

improve our ability to perform in life.

27. Flexibility is important to ensure optimal aging. It improves mobility, and posture in older

adults. Flexibility training also reduces the risk of falls, one of the leading causes of injury in

aging adults.

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28. Strength training with weights or bodyweight exercises helps to alleviate symptoms of

arthritis, and also helps to strengthen joints for improved performance.

29. Aerobic and cardiovascular exercises promote endurance and stamina, which allows for

improved functioning throughout the older years.

30. Take care when exercising, if you feel significant pain or shortness of breath, feel dizzy or

short of breath, experience chest pain, feel immense joint pain, or break out in a cold sweat,

stop, see your doctor as needed and reevaluate your fitness plan.

31. Muscle burn is expected when working out, and post workout muscle soreness simply

comes with the territory. Warm baths and massage help.

32. If you experience excessive fatigue or pain two or more days after exercise, evaluate your

workout schedule and cut back on exertion within individual workouts, but don't stop

completely.

33. Water exercises are ideal for older seniors, those with mobility issues and the very

overweight and obese. The buoyancy of the water supports gentle movement and provides

a safe and effective aerobic workout.

34. Local community centers offer senior fitness classes, which are not only great for health and

wellness, they also allow you to meet like-minded people and improve your social life.

35. Tai Chi is a form of alternative exercise that promotes wellbeing, stress reduction, mood

enhancement, mindfulness, and physical health. It also supports flexibility, improves range

of motion, and supports heart health. It is a premier form of slow meditative movement

that is ideal for anyone at any fitness level. It is also an exercise that can be done by the

disabled and those in a wheelchair.

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36. Those in wheelchairs can get their exercise by lifting free weights, stretching, chair yoga,

and chair aerobics and there are also water exercise classes for the disabled. Many disabled

people play basketball in wheelchairs.

37. Regular exercise promotes healthy sleep, which often suffers as a consequence of aging.

Quality sleep promotes health, wellness, and

brain function. When you do cardio training you

sleep better and more deeply and awake more

refreshed for more energy throughout the day.

38. Exercise promotes the release of mood boosting

chemicals in the brain. Endorphins help reduce

stress, depression, anxiety and sadness.

39. Regular strength and cardio training workouts build confidence, not only do they make you

feel strong, able and sure of yourself, they promote feelings of personal success and the

“yes I can” attitude, which spills over into all parts of your life.

40. Doing brain building puzzles like crosswords or Sudoku helps keep the brain active and

working at its best. These activities help to boost memory, and prevent cognitive decline,

and dementia.

41. Do regular cardio exercise that studies show to help slow the progression of brain disorders

such as Alzheimer’s disease.

42. Yoga is a powerhouse of health benefits for the mind, body, and spirit. Yoga combines poses

with breathing and mindfulness. It has more than 60 benefits for physical, mental, and

emotional health. It is also low impact, and there are many different schools that are ideal

for any level of fitness.

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43. If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it is important to plan an exercise schedule in

accordance with meals and timing of medicine. Ask your doctor.

44. Evaluate your progress and upgrade workouts as your fitness levels grow.

45. Brisk walking is one of the most effective and

recommended exercises for anyone. It is low impact,

and can be easily done anywhere at any time

without the need for any equipment.

46. Mix up your workouts to not only challenge the body

that progresses fitness levels, but to keep it

interesting for continued motivation. Take different

fitness classes, walk, run, do yoga, tai chi, use free

weights and weight machines, use an exercise bike,

treadmill or elliptical. There are so many choices that

exercise should never be boring.

47. Stick with activities you enjoy, this will keep you

motivated and ensure that you stick with an exercise program for the long term.

48. Recruit friends and family, as working out is much more fun with friends.

49. Take exercise one day at a time. Don’t worry about next week or a year’s worth of workouts,

just do some exercise today.

50. Accept your limitations! Never focus on what you can’t do, instead do what you can! Stay

positive and rest assured that any exercise you do is benefiting the health of your mind,

body, and spirit!