Fitness can help you feel and look younger as you age. When you care for your body, you may also notice your mental state change. Fortunately, though it could only help you, you don't need to be an expert to start exercising.
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The Many Benefits of Regular Fitness
Some people think they should only work out if they want to look a certain way. However, regular exercise can benefit your mind and body in several ways. Here are just a few benefits you can reap from regular exercise — especially as you get older and transition into a new stage of your life.
1. Ease Stress
Stress symptoms can be silent killers. It sometimes — but not always — goes hand in hand with anxiety and depression. One of the best ways to feel better naturally is to exercise.
Exercising can activate endorphins that urge you to keep going when you feel like giving up. These can make you feel good, alleviating some severe symptoms of mental health struggles. Getting movement in regularly can help you manage your stress levels over the long term.
2. Healthier Choices Overall
When you get more active, you might make healthier choices. Some start craving nutrient-rich foods rather than greasy fast food. You may take the stairs to work more often instead of relying on the elevator. Living a healthier life is easier than ever when you prioritize movement.
3. Improve Mobility
Regular exercise can improve your range of motion as you age. Getting 150 minutes of exercise per week can improve your mobility and decrease your risk of falling through the years. Make sure you make time for daily activity, no matter what kind of movement it is.
4. New Experiences
Committing to activity means you'll try out something new at some point. If you've never gone hiking, you have the opportunity to hike a trail near you. You might take up a new sport you've always been interested in but have yet to try. When you're committed to getting active by any means possible, you'll naturally gravitate to new experiences that may end up being one of your favorite things.
5. Prevents Loss of Muscle Mass
As you get older, you may become more stationary. You might work an office job that keeps you sitting or standing in one place for hours on end, not allowing you to get the movement you need or want. You can start to lose up to 8% of your muscle mass every decade after you hit 30, meaning exercise is more important than ever as you settle into your adult life. Routine activity can help you maintain your muscle mass.
Easy Ways to Begin a Fitness Routine
You don't have to create an intensive schedule to benefit from regular movement. You can start at your comfort level and build it up over time. Here are a few ways to jumpstart a fitness routine that feels manageable.
1. Walking
Walking might be the simplest exercise to take up. Many people think you need over 10,000 steps a day to see the benefits of walking, but you can see changes and health benefits at around 4,000 a day instead. Also, walking at least four times a week might lower your high blood pressure and risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. You don't necessarily need to challenge yourself — just walk often.
2. Make Time for Dance
Dancing is a fun way to get moving and active. Have you ever noticed time seems to fly by too fast when you hear your favorite song? Turn on that tune and dance to it. Three or so minutes will be over before you know it, and you'll have put in a good workout of jumping around and enjoying yourself. You can make a whole playlist of songs and eventually, you'll have a good cardio session completed.
3. Follow YouTube Tutorials
If you only have 15 minutes to work out, turn on a YouTube video. You can find plenty of them by certified personal trainers that will take you less than half an hour to complete. Over 40% of internet users under 45 use online videos for learning, so you can join them by learning more about your body and limits with online workouts. The best part is you can try something new every day.
4. Make Active Plans Every Weekend
One of the easiest ways to ensure you adhere to your movement schedule is to plan to move every weekend. Rain or shine, you can find something fun and active to do with your loved ones.
On a sunny weekend, you may go on a hike that poses some challenges. On a rainy weekend, you might opt for a trampoline park for your whole family. Once you make some plans, you can stick to them and find a way to incorporate a fun activity you and everyone in your household will love.
5. Start With Stretches
Practicing yoga can challenge you in the best way possible. You can stretch out your muscles and improve your mobility just by holding each stretch for around 30 seconds. Practicing yoga for 12 weeks can lower your blood pressure and increase your blood flow, allowing your arteries to function better. You should continue a steady stretching routine, even after switching to more active forms of movement.
Incorporate Movement Into Your Routine
Even if it's only for 15 minutes, you can make time for movement in your daily life. Little chunks of time add up and you never know how a bit of exercise will affect your life. Make the time for activity — you won't regret the benefits you'll reap as you age.
