Fitness Rules That Change After 50 (and in my case even in my 40's)

The rules of fitness are changing for those over 50!

Afterall, flexibility and strength have no age limits!

Certainly, fitness after 40 starts to get a bit challenging: Your body doesn’t recover quite as well, the fatigue sets in a bit earlier, the muscles and joints aches a bit more often and sometimes injuries seem to happen regardless of how carefully you train.

Unfortunately, these things continue to happen with more frequency as you age because many training programs are not built with a naturally aging bodies NEEDS in mind. This by no means you need to hang up your trainers and live your life wrapped in a bubble. It just means working with your body and finding a fitness routine that works for you!!!

The body just doesn't respond the same way to training as it used to. It's a fact!

It takes longer to burn fat and build muscle as we age.

I myself at nearly 44 have begun to experienced this shift and have tried to modify my food intake accordingly! I have also added in some training that focuses just on strength a few days a week to fight this harsh reality, especially of muscle loss. SAD FACE:(

That said my recovery time is longer and I know once I hit 50, will become even longer.

My advice - Be kind to your body. It's healthy to integrate strenuous exercise into your routine, but you need to space it out to allow for recovery. 

When we're young, it's easier to get away with skipping a workout here or there.  

• Not interested in cardio SKIP!
• Ew... strength training NOPE!
• Stretching is for suckers OUT I GO!

As we age it's important that we do all types of these training to maintain condition, stay strong, and avoid getting hurt while exercising. Which is exactly why every session of the MASTER CLASS has these three things, along with balance training, core strength and cognitive training.

So for those of you BOMBERS who are still kicking booty at 50, 60 and beyond.  

YOU'RE AWESOME! And I want to be you when I finally grow up.

P.S.

MASTER CLASS (55+) at Cherry Bomb 

This is semi-private training for “Mature adults” meaning over the age of fifty-five OR Those who require a more adaptive protocol.  These semi-private sessions are created with a better understanding of the changes that occur with aging or injury. (ONLY 5 people per session).

If you know of someone who is looking to maintain their independence and enhance their quality of life please have them BOOK a FREE 1 HOUR CONSULT > http://www.cherrybombgaragegym.com/complimentary-consultation-.html 

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Please enjoy this article I found which speaks to the NEW FITNESS FOR THE ACTIVE AGING ADULT.

"It happens to the best of us as a natural consequence of aging. In fact, some of the “standard” fitness rules no longer apply, at least not in the same way as they did in your 30s and even 40s. Here’s how the rules change after 50 and how to stay injury-free as you age.

Old rule: Stretch a few days a week
New rule: Stretch after every workout, and then some
Stretching is no longer an option after 50. Staying flexible becomes more important as you age, says Michele Olson, adjunct professor of exercise science at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala.

“Flexibility, because it’s related to the collagenous tendons, which is a part of our lean body mass, starts to decrease,” she says. “Since our tendons connect our muscles to our bones, the perfect time to stretch is after your weight training sessions.”

Warming up before a workout increases circulation, raises heart rate and body temperature, prepares muscles for exercise and increases joint range of motion.
Olson recommends a total body stretch, involving all major muscle groups, a minimum of two to three times a week. This would ideally be done after each workout when muscles are warm.

Old rule: Focus on cardio
New rule: Resistance training takes center stage

Bone density and muscle mass drops rapidly after 50, says Olson, making resistance training a crucial part of a complete exercise program. In addition to the link between muscle mass and metabolism — muscle burns more calories at rest than fat — increasing muscle and bone strength also prevents falls and fractures.

You still need cardio, of course, for reducing heart disease risk, which accelerates after 50, says Olson.

“And, as we increase lean mass — bones and muscle — the war against belly fat must also begin,” she says. Plus, a 2014 study shows a single 20-minute bout of weight training may enhance memory. Strive for eight to 12 repetitions per set, two to three times a week. If you can easily perform more than 12 reps, increase the resistance, says Olson.

Old rule: Slow and steady cardio works best
New rule: Use interval training to pump up the fat burn (OUR NEW REV CLASS)

Going for an easy stroll with a friend may be a good way to get fresh air, but it won’t do much for calorie burning, says Olson.

“Continue cardio for its heart health benefits, but focus on intervals since interval training for 30 minutes versus moderate, continuous exercise decreases belly fat,” she says. “Moderate, continuous cardio does not.”

Interval training involves alternate bouts of higher intensity cardio with “rest” or easier periods. Intervals create an “after burner” effect called EPOC, which stands for “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.” That’s a state in which your body continues to burn a higher rate of oxygen and calories after you’ve finished your workout. How many calories and for how long depends on the intensity of the intervals.

Old rule: Take one day in between each weight training workout
New rule: You may need longer than a day between workouts

Taking a day off in between workouts gives muscles time to recover, but you may need more recovery time after age 50, says Dr. David W. Kruse, a sports medicine specialist with Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, Calif.

“You need to focus more on recovery after 50. Tissue recovery takes more time and more effort to support that recovery,” he says. “The exact amount of time depends on your baseline fitness level.”

How do you know when you’ve had enough rest? “Look at trends,” says Kruse. “If you find soreness isn’t going away and is impacting your next workout this may indicate early signs of injury or not enough recovery time.” Being unable to decrease your time or improve whatever markers you’re using to gauge progress may also indicate you need to allow more recovery time, says Kruse.

Old rule: Warming up is an option
New rule: Always include a thorough warm-up

Warming up before a workout increases circulation, raises heart rate and body temperature, prepares muscles for exercise and increases joint range of motion. Warm-ups are particularly beneficial after 50 to mediate some of the changes that occur with aging, mainly decreased tendon elasticity, says Kruse.

“It’s best to warm up with a combination of light cardio and light stretching, although the specifics can vary,” he says. Although it’s best to warm up the specific muscles you’re about to use, a general lower body warm-up such as a light treadmill workout will benefit all muscles, including upper body.

“It will benefit you no matter what your workout,” says Kruse.

SOURCE
https://www.nextavenue.org/fitness-exercise-rules-change-50/