A couple of years ago, reaching 40 meant entering a time of great uncertainty and fear because you were approaching a decade that was far away. Today, thanks to technological advances, lifestyle changes and even social networks, everything has changed and we can see that turning 40 means just a number more because you can continue to have a good physical condition, a lot of energy and keep yourself in the best possible shape.
We are often told that to achieve something you have to pay a price. In this case, if you want to be well, you must make substantial changes such as starting an exercise routine and improving your diet, because after the age of 30 you will lose muscle mass and strength.
¨After a brief period of our life, in which muscular strength increases, we enter a longer stage in which everything gradually decreases. It is estimated that we lose between 3 and 8 percent of muscle mass per decade”, he assures Carlos Lopez Grazioso, Personal Coach and who provides webinars on physical exercise on our platform BMI online. Follow Carlos on Facebook.
According to López, after the age of 40, what we often consider normal -as part of the aging process- turns out to be the consequence of a lack of physical activity and exercises. The body begins to lose strength, but it is something that you can counteract just by exercising it at least three times a week and in periods of 30 to 60 minutes.
But what exercises should I include? What kind of cardio is best at this age? Should I start a routine with weights or do mobility exercises? There are many concerns that can arise, but everything is relative and largely depends on your lifestyle.
At this age it is normal for you to experience some physical changes such as loss of strength and muscle mass, as well as decreased bone density. Therefore, if you have decided to start exercising, the first thing you can do is start with a light cardio and include mobility exercises, but if you are worried because your diet is not the best, you have high triglycerides and cholesterol, the ideal would be that start running or swimming.
This specialist also stands out that with age, metabolic activity and hormonal secretion decrease (we burn about 300 calories less per day than at age 20). These changes condition many physical and psychological processes of the body, therefore, it is important to incorporate physical exercise into your lifestyle.
Practicing regular exercise will help you improve cardiorespiratory, muscular, joint, neurological and cognitive functions. But most importantly, it helps to reduce the risk of certain diseases, as well as changes in your mood, especially anxiety and depression.
It is important to keep in mind that age should not be an impediment to maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. If you are a person who exercises or has exercised, you can perform high-intensity exercises such as:
1.Burpees: what has to be done is push-up and then jump up, bringing arms as high as possible to return to do another push-up, then the cycle must be repeated.
2.Battle rope: it is quite simple, you have to take the rope by both ends flex and extend the shoulder very intensely while keeping the knees semi-flexed to stay on the site.
3.Squats: with them the entire lower train is worked, that is, quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. It is very important that you do it the right way because being an exercise that involves a lot of muscle mass, there is some risk of injury.
López's recommendation is that each exercise should be performed until the local exhaustion of the muscles involved and you should be guided by the exercise time. If you can perform the exercise for more than 90 seconds, you should increase the weight by 5% for the next session and if you cannot reach 60 seconds, reduce the weight by 5% the next time.
Now, if what you are looking for is to have a balance between your physical and mental state through body movements, the most appropriate options are Yoga and Pilates. The first seeks mental and physical relaxation by integrating three very important aspects for the human being (mind, body and spirit), while the second strengthens muscle tone and strength.
Experts recommend practicing Yoga because it has multiple benefits including: strengthening bones, correct breathing, helps muscle flexibility, reduces stress, improves sleep quality and helps achieve balance in the nervous system.
On the other hand, the practice of Pilates requires a little more since you start doing it because it is an exercise whose purpose is strengthen the body emphasizing the core, helps performance and well-being in general, but also strengthens your muscles, reduces back pain, aligns your posture and bone health.
Although all the exercises mentioned above provide great benefits, there is one in particular that both doctors and fitness specialists recommend and it is the swimming because it is one of the most complete that you can practice at any age and that will always bring great benefits to your physical and mental health.
Swimming will help you work on strengthening, stretching, and aerobic conditioning. By practicing it you will use arms, legs and other intermediate muscle groups that will allow you to improve the strength and flexibility of the muscles. In addition, it can help you lose weight, control your blood pressure, have more energy, improve your mood, and is great for your heart, lungs, and blood vessels.
Finally, as we mentioned at the beginning of this blog, age should not be an impediment to having a healthy life, therefore, we recommend that you exercise if you have not started yet and if you already do, you must maintain that perseverance because you are on the way. correct. The 40s are an intermediate point and it is one of the best stages in the life of the human being, that is why you should enjoy it and accompany it with a lot of exercise because that will help you have a better quality of life in your old age.
