Getting fit after 50 may seem like an impossible task. Well it isn’t and we’re going to provide you a list of ways to get back into shape.
Why getting in shape after 50 is important
It can be quite overwhelming when you’re at the beginning stages of getting in shape. Just thinking about health, diet, exercise, aches & pains…it’s why many people never get started.
However, once you get started you will quickly receive the benefits of getting in shape. More energy, better sleep, renewed health, and many more benefits including the opportunity to save big on your life insurance policy.
You have to begin this journey 1 step at a time. This article is your 1st step and your guide on how to get in shape after age 50!
One of the great benefits when you improve your health is savings. If you’re buying life insurance in your 50s, you have a great opportunity to save big on your premiums!
One of the biggest surprises is how expensive life insurance can be if you’re overweight or unhealthy. If you lose some weight, improve your blood pressure levels, or lower your cholesterol you’ll potentially lower your premiums by as much as 25%!
You read that correctly! Even the top 10 life insurance companies look at more than just your age. Insurers want to see your overall health and rate you accordingly. Every health class rating equals to around a 25% premium increase. Get healthier; get a better health class rating; get big savings!
Now that you know all of the health and money saving benefits of getting back into shape, we’re going to show you how. Here are our 19 tips on getting fit after 50.
Let’s get started!
20 Tips On Getting Fit After 50
Tip 1: Your Motivation
Start by asking yourself what is the purpose of getting back into shape? Is it to look better, feel better, reduce health issues… you need to write down your major motivation. Make sure you start off with a practical goal initially and adjust or add to it over time.
Tip 2: Meet with Your Doctor
Your next step is to make an appointment with your doctor. Your physician can give you your baseline health status and provide some needed feedback with your overall health plan. You need to start off safely and make sure you’re not doing anything you shouldn’t be doing.
Tip 3: Lifestyle Assessment
Get a notebook, lifestyle or diet app for your phone. Take notes on what you’re putting into your body for the next 2-4 weeks. Sometimes you’ll be shocked when you see the amount and frequency of things that are considered unhealthy. This can be a powerful motivator as well as a wake up call as to why you’re out of shape or unhealthy.
Tip 4: Address your Diet
One of the biggest and fastest gains you can make is by focusing on your diet. Weight reduction, energy, metabolism, and overall health are all linked to your diet. Increase your intake of healthy vegetables, fruits, nuts, and proteins. Decrease your processed food intake, sugars, sodas, and fruit juices.
Tip 5: Work with a Fitness Expert
There are many excellent and affordable fitness trainers and experts available. They will be able to provide you specific workouts & goals for your specific needs. They’re also great for motivation and accountability!
Tip 6: Walk This Way
Walking can help you lose weight, lower your blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and reduce stress. It also has one of the lowest injury rates of any form of exercise. Remember it’s fine to start slowly. You might start with five minutes a day then increase by five minutes each week until you reach at least 30 minutes. Your goal should be to reach for at least 1 hour of physical activity most days of the week.
Tip 7: Cardiovascular Exercise
Start slow and steady. If you can’t even jog 1 mile – don’t worry. Just walk for the 1st week like we mentioned previously and build on it. Make small measurable goals and increase them slowly. The key is consistency. Your baseline cardio goal should be a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.
Tip 8: Cross Training
If you do the same exercises every week, you’re going to eventually get bored – and possibly injured. Cross training various types of exercises is a great way to avoid both of these problems.
Tip 9: Recovery Time
This is an easy one. If something is sore, hurt or injured – you need to rest it. This doesn’t always mean that you have to stop exercising entirely. For example, if your hips hurt from a previous run – then maybe swim or yoga until your hip feels ok.
Tip 10: Functional Balance Skills
Falling and the inability to get back up is a major health issue when you get older. Functional balance training is very important to avoid and minimize the chance of falling and getting hurt. Yoga is a great way to improve these skills
Tip 11: Stretching Time
Stretching is often recommended, but sometimes ingnored. The benefits of stretching are vast. It increases flexibility, range of motion, performance with physical activities, blood flow to muscles, your posture. It’s great for preventing back pain and for reducing stress and anxiety.
Tip 12: Increase Muscle Mass
Build those muscles! Increasing muscle mass will help with several of your goals. More muscle mass will naturally help with burning more fat when you rest. Building muscle will make you stronger and more muscle will give you more energy and stamina. Work on compound exercises that incorporate many muscle groups. Start with some basics like squats, pulldowns, and pushups.
Tip 13: Your Core!
Strengthening your core is great for back pain, balance, and overall health. Some of the best core exercises are Planks, Crunches, and Hanging Knee Raises.
Tip 14: Sleep
Are you getting 8 hours of sleep? You should because it plays an important role in your immune function as well as your metabolism, memory, learning, and other health functions. Did you know that sleep deprivation can mess with our hormones? The hormones leptin and ghrelin control appetite – sleep more and be less hungry!
Tip 15: Meditate
There are new and exciting studies that are showing the incredible benefits of meditation. Reducing stress and anxiety is one of the most common reasons people meditate. It’s also been shown to improve sleep and reduce blood pressure.
Tip 16: Get a Hobby
Having a hobby can bring about Eustress or “Good Stress.” This good stress helps you view the other stresses in our lives as a challenge instead of a threat. These positive stresses keeps us excited about life. Learn how to paint, play guitar, build furniture or martial arts. Find a hobby you can enjoy!
Tip 17: Volunteer
Volunteering is great for your mind and body. It can be fun a fun and fulfilling activity that connects you to others. Being a volunteer can combat depression and just makes you a happier person.
Tip 18: Drink Water
Drinking the appropriate amount of water daily is important for overall good health because water aids in digestion, circulation, absorption and, if you’re constipated – excretion. Water intake needs vary base on several factors, but getting eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day is a good guide.
Tip 19: Push Your Limits
By the time you’ve reached this tip you’ve been working hard for some time now. Part of next major phase of getting in shape is to push your limits and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. You’re past the stage of a “routine”…now you’re putting some extra challenges in front of you and pushing a little harder.
Tip 20: Consistency is Key!
The last and possibly the most important tip is consistency. You’re going to get in shape even if you stay consistent with only a handful of these tips. Your consistency will manifest into a better and healthier you!
Save Money on Life Insurance
Don’t overspend on your life insurance. It’s really easy to spend way more if you don’t shop with an expert like Life Insurance Blog. We love helping people save money on what they pay for life insurance.
If you want to know how you could be rated or how much money you can save on your life insurance policy give us a call today. No matter if you’re in 50’s, 60’s, 70’s or 80’s – we’ll find you the best deal available.
We’re here to answer all of your life insurance questions!
