How to stay fit and healthy at any age – in body and mind
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Staying fit and healthy as we age is so important. It’s what builds you long-lasting healthy habits in your 20s, and handling day-to-day movement with ease later on in life – and it also helps you to stay mentally healthy too, with feel-good endorphins released during exercise and a routine of getting out of the house helping hugely with the depression and anxiety that so many of us can face. But how you workout and what your body needs to stay healthy changes as you get older. From when to push hard to when to take it easier, read our guide on how to stay fit and healthy at any age.
How to stay fit… in your 20s
Ever heard ‘I can’t stay up/party/drink/have fun like I used to in my 20s?’ There’s a reason for it – this is when your body can take more stress in its stride. Now, we’re not suggesting you start drinking hard and partying harder. But when you’re in your 20s, you can handle harder, tougher workouts without worrying about injuries so much – so now’s the time to push yourself.
Work your whole body to feel amazing both mentally and physically and build a great level of fitness, with high-intensity exercises and complex movements that cover all your muscles. As you build up your fitness, you’ll find that you can train harder without feeling as tired. And while taking on harder challenges, you’ll also learn how to exercise properly – meaning you’ll have great squat form later in life when things get a bit tougher. Try lots of different sports too, and find one that you really enjoy. It’ll make carrying it on through life easier.
But make sure that you’re taking care of your muscles a and stress levels after all this hard work. Try a magnesium supplement or magnesium flakes to help them rest, recover, and leave you ready to go again week after week.
Try this exercise:
All of them! Push yourself and find one that you really love, such as running, cycling, swimming or weights.
Try this supplement:
Magnesium supports healthy bones and muscles. Try a supplement such as Higher Nature Super Magnesium 90 Capsules, or OsiMagnesium Bath Flakes for a soothing muscle soak.
How to stay fit… in your 30s
Here’s where you start to train smarter, not harder (put that big brain to work). In your 30s, your body will still be resilient (which is good to know) – but this is also probably when life starts to get in the way a bit. That doesn’t mean you have to put your family or career aside just to stay fit and healthy. Just start to optimise your time. When you don’t have hours to spend working out, work in a HIIT workout instead – circuits of 30-60 seconds of high-intensity exercises, followed by a short rest. You can do them at home, following a class online, or at a local gym or park when group exercising is back on the menu.
Have set times of when you work out every week. It’ll help you set good habits, which will follow you throughout the years. And when you exercise more, you’re more likely to build other healthy habits, such as skipping the lift for the stairs. Don't stress if you miss a workout here and there though – you really don't want to make working out a punishment and missing it a failure. Life is busy!
Speaking of: when you’re busy and trying to fit in workouts, make sure you’re not sacrificing sleep. Sleep is really important for a happy body and mind. If you find you’re struggling, try a supplement that helps you to switch off easier, sort out stress and wake up more rested.
Try this exercise:
HIIT workouts, for a hard workout that keeps you healthy when you’re limited on time.
Try this supplement:
Theanine, such as Higher Nature Theanine 30 Capsules. Theanine is an amino acid that helps you to feel relaxed and restful, which can help improve your sleep quality and ability to fall asleep.
How to stay fit… in your 40s
This is the time where your body needs a little more TLC as things take a bit of a downturn (but it’s not all bad, we promise). Your metabolism starts to slow down, and bone density and muscle mass start to decrease. You might run a bit more risk of injury, too – so focus on staying injury-free and keeping mobile.
Shift from high-intensity training to a plan that keeps you consistent. Focusing less on HIIT classes (which is a lot of exercise in one go) and more on how much you exercise throughout the day can do your body the world of good. With the drop in metabolism, it’s also important to keep your cholesterol and weight in check. And if you’re a woman, this is also the time where menopause can start to set in, which can affect your health – including an increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. Not to worry, though; just make sure you’re doing consistent workouts and listening to your body.
Try this exercise:
Swimming – it’s a great way to work a lot of muscles without much risk of injury.
Try this supplement:
Omega 3, for heart health. Terranova Organic Omega 3 - 6 - 7 - 9 Oil Blend 250ml is a mix of incredible omega 3 fatty acids, which will help support your heart through these changes. Omega-3 is also great for brain function support, keeping you mentally healthy in the most literal sense.
How to stay fit… in your 50s
Does it feel a bit more challenging to do workouts that you used to find easy? That’s natural. it should be all about how you were yesterday – not how you were ten years ago. Pay attention to areas of your body that are feeling sluggish or giving you niggles. It could be that you’re feeling a few issues with your flexibility, or your muscular imbalances.
Swap out high-intensity exercises, as they can add stress onto your ligaments and joints. Swap in more steady, consistent training, and low-impact exercises such as yoga, cycling or swimming. If you’re happy to wear an activity tracker, that can help you to stay on course, too. The added bonus of low-impact activities? They're a real time for meditation and relaxation, too – perfect for your mind.
As you get older, it can also be harder to absorb vitamin B12 from your diet (it’s found in foods like meat, cod, salmon, milk, cheese and eggs). Vitamin B is essential for red cell production, immunity, and making sure that your nervous system stays healthy. So a Vitamin B12 supplement might be an added extra that keeps you feeling fit and strong.
Try this exercise:
Yoga and Pilates, to help develop strength, mobility and flexibility in a safe, low impact way. Yoga and pilates are also great for helping you unwind and manage stress, so you'll get two benefits in one.
Try this supplement:
Lindens Vitamin B12 1000mcg Sublingual 365 Tablets will give you a vitamin B boost if you need it – and with 365 tablets, there’s one for every day of the year.
How to stay fit… in your 60s (and beyond)
There’s no reason to stop working out in your 60s and beyond. In fact, there’s every reason to keep going. Exercise is still essential, even if you’re not breaking any records (and who knows?). Keep doing the same exercises as before, just adjust them slightly to account for how your body has changed. For instance, don’t go as low in a squat, and up your resistance exercises rather than high impact ones.
Bone density starts to decrease and muscle atrophy comes into effect as we get older. So it’s really important to start doing these resistance exercises – and to make sure that you’re getting essential vitamins and minerals that keep your bones and muscles healthy. Vitamin D and calcium is what keeps your bones and muscles strong, so taking a supplement can be handy.
Leading a lifestyle of sitting down and not moving can have a real effect on your heart, body and mind as you get older – so get up and out, whether that’s walking the dog or taking a gentle group gym class. Being sedentary can also have a big impact on your mental health, in both happiness levels and brain function, so make sure you get striding and get out of the house as much as you can.
Try this exercise:
Resistance workouts, designed for over 60s – you’ll probably find a few group classes at your local gym or online.
Try this supplement:
Solgar Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D3 240 Tablets will make sure that you’re absorbing a good amount of calcium with the added benefit of vitamin D, helping to keep your bones healthy as you age.
Ready to get fit at any age? Order the supplements you need to stay healthy and strong today, delivered to your door tomorrow.
