5 Great Ways to Stay in Shape Later in Life

As you get older, your metabolism naturally slows down. The cheeseburger you used to scarf down in your teenage years will stick to your hips in your 30s. It’s a tough pill to swallow at first. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can actively develop and maintain a great shape as you continue to age. Consider the following five ideas.

1. Add more color to your plate

If you take a look at most prepackaged food, it doesn’t have a ton of color to it. This is why it’s best to incorporate tons of healthy fruits and vegetables into every meal. This doesn’t mean that you can enjoy artificially flavored, sugar-filled breakfast options in the morning. Instead, add spoonfuls of strawberries and blueberries for your oatmeal. For lunch, keep it simple with a burger that’s topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and mustard. Add a side of guacamole to your fries for more color. For dinner, make vegetables the majority of your plate. Season some cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots. Add some olive oil, and throw it in the oven. Roasted vegetables are a hearty, comforting way to add more color, fiber, and nutrition to your last meal of the day.

If you have a hard time eating healthy due to time constraints, consider meal prepping for the week during the weekend so that you can easily grab your lunch and go. Meal prepping is a great way to stay on track with a healthy diet because everything is ready ahead of time. You can even freeze family meals for the week so that everyone is eating a little healthier.

2. Start swimming

As you get older, it’s very important to be mindful of your joints, muscles, and other parts of your body. Your body needs support as you do simple tasks like walk, run, or lift. If you lift something incorrectly, it can throw your back out of alignment or cause other issues. When it pertains to exercise, it’s wise to find exercises that will be gentle on your joints as you build physical strength. This is why swimming is an excellent exercise to bring into your regimen. Whether you do it twice a week or every day, swimming is both a strength-training exercise as well as a cardio workout. The water provides the perfect amount of resistance in order to tone muscles and gain more physical strength. Plus, it’s the perfect low-impact cardio workout.

3. Consume more fiber

If you’d like to stay in shape, it means you’ll need to figure out weight management skills as you age. One of the best ways to avoid weight gain or lose weight involves incorporating fiber into your diet. It’s especially wise to add soluble fiber to your diet. Soluble fiber is ideal because it makes you feel fuller for a longer period of time. It’s also excellent for digestive health as well. If you tend to feel constipated often, chances are you’ll need to increase your fiber intake. Some of the best sources of soluble fiber are legumes, oats, and brussel sprouts. Some berries and citrus fruits are great options as well. As you find ways to incorporate soluble fiber into every meal, it’ll be easier to digest your food and expel it in a timely manner. This will also help you as you look to keep your weight down.

You will also want to try and avoid overly processed foods as these can tend to make you feel bloated and constipated due to the high volumes of salt and sugar found in processed foods. If you notice that when you eat certain sugary drinks or when you eat chips that you get headaches or feel sick then chances are these foods are not helping your body.

4. Add outdoor workouts to the regimen

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with exercising indoors. This is especially true if the climate is too hot or too cold. However, try to incorporate some outdoor workouts into the regimen. They don’t have to be complicated. A jog in the neighborhood is different from a jog on the treadmill. Switching up terrain can change the way you workout and can help to give you a better workout. You might notice that your muscles feel more sore from running outside versus on the treadmill because you have to fire different muscles as your terrain changes. There’s nothing like hiking up a mountain or hilly terrain. Mountain biking or trail riding are also great ways to enjoy the great outdoors and get in plenty of exercise. Purchase some bike shoes to wear as you ride your bike around town or along a bike trail. There’s something more challenging about an outdoor workout. When you can challenge your body to conquer the outdoors, it decreases your chances of plateauing in your fitness regimen. Plus, fresh air is unmatched.

5. Incorporate more weights

As you age, your hormones can do some interesting things. When women complain about the hair growth in new places as they get older, hormones are the ones to thank for that. Thankfully, a good weight-training session can help regulate hormones. This is especially beneficial for women who are in menopause. Plus, lifting heavy weights will burn calories after the workout is over. For a compounded, impactful result, develop a weight-lifting regimen to work up to heavier weights. Make sure to seek help from a personal trainer or fitness expert on how to do exercises with weights if you have never done so before as using proper form is key to preventing injury.

As you focus on ways to actively stay in shape, don’t try to overhaul your entire life within a matter of days. Instead, make the change gradual. As you gradually add these tips into your regimen, they’ll be easier to commit to. If you take a close look at anyone who’s lost weight quickly, they tend to gain it back quickly. Instead of looking for a quick and easy way out, focus on developing a system for the long haul. Then, you’ll be able to gain the results that will make people look at you and know you’re aging like fine wine.

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