Should We Change Our Exercise Routine As We Get Older?
Our body changes in various ways as we get older. The exercises we do and how we exercise will change. By the time we’re in our 30s and 40s, our body has experienced wear and tear. Not only do our bodies change, but our lives change; work, kids, and pets can take up more time, etc.
Let’s talk about the five best exercises for women in their 30s and 40s
Low-Impact Workouts
An excellent low-impact exercise is swimming. Swimming is technically a cardio workout that’s not hard on our body. You see, water reduces the strain on us while it increases the resistance.
Low-impact cardio is essential for endurance and for maintaining good heart health. Swimming is only one of several excellent low-impact exercises to add to your routine. Here are a few more:
- Walking
- Rowing
- Indoor Cycling
- Stair Climbing
- Lunges
- Step Aerobics
- Pilates
Choose the exercises that work best for you and your body.
HIIT Workouts
HIIT is short for High-Intensity Interval Training. HIIT exercises are an excellent way to get a good cardio workout in less than an hour.
Let’s say you chose running as a form of HIITs; the idea is to spend between 30 seconds to a minute in a full-on run, followed by 30 seconds to a minute walking. The cycle repeats for around 10 minutes, or as long as you can.
Beginners new to HIIT can start with simple routines, following shorter intervals with longer periods of rest. If you go with 20 seconds on, 40 seconds rest, ten reps will do. However, going 30 seconds along with 60 seconds of rest should be done in eight reps.
Beginner Exercises
- Butt Kicks
- Mountain Climbers
- Jump Squats
Intermediate Exercises
- Push-ups
- Running
- Kettlebell Swings
Advanced Exercises
- Rowing Machines
- Dumbell Movements
- Spin Biking
HIIT workouts can be done alongside low-impact exercises and strength training. Take things at the speed and intensity that works best for your body without pushing too hard.
Strength Training Exercises
An excellent example of a strength training exercise is weighted lunges. This form of training is an essential aspect of a well-balanced routine. Training with weights will build muscle and protect our joints.
Strength Training Exercises
- Sit-ups
- Leg Presses
- Push-ups
- Leg Raises
- Weighted Squats
- Bicep Curls
How Often Should We Exercise As We Get Older?
Once we reach our 30s, our muscle mass starts to decline. We must include bone and muscle strengthening exercises or activities into our schedule at least twice a week.
Those of us between our 30s and 50s should get anywhere from 1 ½ to 3 hours of moderate-intensity cardio exercises every week. Or we could shoot for an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a ½ of vigorous cardio activities each week.
Let’s not forget the basics of physical activity. Our body does best when we are physically active for an hour or more each day. Little things like walking, climbing stairs, dancing, and whatever makes you move can significantly impact our overall health more than we might think.