Exercise Beyond Your Fifties. What You'll Need to Know. - By Tamilee Webb (BUNS OF STEEL)

Regardless of one's fitness level, exercise for women beyond their forties is somewhat different than for women in their twenties and thirties. As women age, their hormones change, causing a slowing metabolic rate, which is why it takes longer to get the results we used to see in our twenties and thirties.

By the time we reach fifty, most likely we have already gone through menopause or toward the end of it. I've yet to hear any of my fifty-plus clients say, "I want Abs of Steel," a more common request is, "I want to gain strength, balance and have more energy."

Now, let's get to the good stuff.

Exercise is a crucial component of feeling confident as we age, which can help us prevent injuries or falls. Strengthening muscles, including our hearts, and stretching more is a must. The current recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine is to get at least 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity. The guidance includes aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, biking, swimming, or dancing. And 2-3 days a week fo total body stretching for 60 seconds per muscle group.

Here are my top tips:

Find an activity that gets your heart pumping that you enjoy! Focus on getting two or three days a week of moderate-intensity exercise, and at least one higher intensity session each week. For example:

Sample Week

Monday- 30-60 minute brisk walk

Wednesday- 30-60 minute total-body strength session

Friday- 30 minutes of outdoor or indoor cardio like cycling with intervals

Building strong bones through cardiovascular exercise and strength training is essential since our bone density decreases during this time. One of the reasons I love working with women in their prime age is that I too am there and understand that our joints aren't like they were in our earlier days. It takes the body longer to recover from certain types of activities. Taking into consideration joint mobility or lack of is included in all my training for my clients and myself. Integrating balance and agility exercises will also help with coordination. For example, tossing a ball from one hand to the other while balancing on one leg helps with the eye, hand coordination, and balance.

My goals for my clients is to build strength, bring back alignment for proper posture, and improve motor skills that will help maintain independence for longevity. As the saying goes, "move it or lose it," as long as we keep our body in motion, the longer it will keep working for us. Take care of your body, and your body will take care of you! ~Tamilee Webb aka BUNS OF STEEL