Fitness: It's Not Your Age but Your Ways

By Gloria Kamil

Many people over 50 believe they cannot achieve a fit and healthy body. Don't believe this myth! Fitness is not a matter of age but of choice and follow-through. Decide to be fit! We live in a society where growing older and years is not valued. We are told that the older you are the less you know, the less you can do and should do. I disagree! I tell my older clients the older you are the more you should and can do. How can you do more? By not believing you are supposed to do less.

Don't settle for less! It's never too late to build a relationship with exercise. It's never too late to build lean muscle mass. Many older adults accept a passive cardio and weight training routine, so they receive only minimal health benefits and barely improve their body image. The gyms are packed with seasoned adults that are exercising passively. Are you?

You are if you are watching television, reading a book, on the phone, or texting while exercising. When you exercise your focus should be on the exercise you are performing and the body parts that are at work.

As we grow older in years, it is extremely important to have a fitness routine that includes quality weight training to keep bones strong, muscle mass intact and build muscle. On average a person can lose 8-10% of muscle mass every 10 years. If you are between the ages of 50-60 and have not built a relationship with weight training or just flirted with weights occasionally you have a muscle loss deficit.

When an older adult adds weight training to his or her fitness routine these common woes of aging can be avoided: a loss of bone, loss of muscle, and the inability to maintain balance. Many older adults have difficulty in maintaining their balance, which leads to falling, breaking bones, and head injuries. These setbacks also rob older adults of their self-confidence.

Be the best you can be with proper weight training led by a qualified fitness professional. As an older adult and fitness professional, I am here to show you what you can achieve!

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