Staying Active as you Age - The Benefits and Reasons for Exercise

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Age and the Importance of Exercise

Staying active is significantly more important as we get older. Keeping mobile and energetic can help to prevent diseases such as chronic heart disease, hypertension and type II diabetes. As we age our bodies become weaker and we become more prone to injury and illness. All this can have a huge impact on our independent living and ability to thoroughly enjoy our latter years.

Some of the reasoning behind lack of exercise is actually insufficient knowledge on movement and mobility fitness. There is a lot of information out there on fitness but it's knowing where to look for exercise programmes or workouts that are fitting for our lifestyle and abilities. Social media is full of extraordinary athletes and agile sports people but we are not all capable of this sort of fitness routine. 

My job entails teaching various age groups about fitness, mobility and flexibility. I often hear the words "I am too old to start any exercise routines now". This makes me sad as fitness can be achieved by anyone as long as it's enjoyable and matches your capabilities. There is no point in trying to achieve the impossible but small steps, at a slower pace and being kind to your body will reap a huge amount of benefits



Water fitness is a fabulous way to stay in shape and improve your fitness levels. Not only is this a fun activity but water exercise will increase your strength due to the resistance of the water. There are many aqua classes available in leisure centres and gyms which are extremely popular due to the health benefits acquired. This low impact activity is also very kind and gentle on the joints plus, you will also find you can work incredibly hard in the water without dripping in sweat. Most aqua classes involve the use of equipment to enhance strength workouts such as foam dumbbells and foam noodles.



Cardio activity is essential for a good healthy heart. But there is more to this than first meets the eye. Cardio activities actually contribute to improving mental health. Cardio exercise, especially outdoors, stimulate hormone activity which can make you feel happier as well as healthier. Cardio activity burns calories which aids weight loss and helps with weight maintenance. This in turn makes you feel better about your appearance improving your confidence and boosting your self-esteem. Regular cardio exercise will increase your cardiovascular endurance making daily tasks a lot easier. Cardio endurance measures the amount of time you can actively participate in a task without needing to rest. The more endurance you have the more enjoyable your activities become.



There are most definitely many benefits from chair workouts. You can achieve most components of fitness seated in a chair. For example you can improve muscle strength and endurance, increase your cardio health, gain mobility and flexibility plus you can enhance your mental health with seated yoga and meditations. Health and exercise should be available to everyone whether you are young or older, fit and healthy or you are about to start a health conscious journey. There are various pieces of equipment you can add to your chair exercise to continue improving your fitness journey such as resistance bands, Pilates balls, tennis balls (for coordination) and household items such as towels and bottles of water. An added bonus with chair workouts is that they are low impact and gentle on your joints. Exercise from a chair - Videos



Functional movements improve our muscle strength, cardio health, agility, balance, flexibility and mobility creating a more effective and functional body. This type of workout boosts our ability to perform every day tasks and enhances our quality of life. Low impact means our joints and our muscles will not experience any stress during these workouts. I have worked in private health clubs and studios and always run these classes for the over 50's. They are my most popular classes because the health benefits and improved mobility are quite impressive. Functional circuits focus on mimicking our every day movements, so that daily tasks such as lifting, reaching and bending become easier and safer. In addition functional training increases our muscle endurance and mental wellness.



Yin Yoga is a passive form of yoga where the poses are held for a longer period of time. These long holds create a greater health and well-being within your body and create a greater range of movement due to the deeper stretching of the connective tissues, ligaments, tendons and fascia. These longer holds also allow for a deep meditative practice which enables you to benefit from a peaceful and calm environment. Yin yoga decompresses and lubricates the joints and helps fascia release and change. This is the reason why Yin yoga is known as the 'yoga for joints'. Click here for my little book of Yin yoga which explains all aspects of Yin yoga and the amazing results achieved with regular practice. Click here for a Yin Yoga Sequence for Digestion

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