WORKOUTS THAT WORK FOR ALL AGES
It’s important to exercise at any time of life, but our fitness needs – and the things that benefit our health most – change with the passing decades, says JANE SYMONS
NO MATTER what age you are, making the effort to exercise will have a bigger impact on your health than many medicines. A lifetime of exercise delivers the greatest benefits – and can add years to your life.
It’s never too late to start getting fitter – and you can maximise the benefits by choosing workouts and activities that work for your age.
Studies show regular exercise cuts the risk of heart disease and stroke by 35 per cent, diabetes by 50 per cent and bowel and breast cancers by around 25 per cent. Active people are also less likely to suffer from conditions such as arthritis, dementia and depression, which erode our quality of life, particularly as we get older.
You will need to hit these targets to make a major difference to your health:
● Do strengthening exercises to work all the major muscle groups at least twice a week.This could be using weights, exercises which use your own bodyweight like squats and push-ups, yoga, tai chi, Pilates, or even digging the garden.
● Get 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week.This could be something as simple as a brisk walk. Or 75 minutes of vigorous activity such as running or an aerobics class.
Considering the benefits, these aren’t huge hurdles, yet official statistics show that across most of the UK, two out of five adults are not doing enough to stay healthy. And in Wales it’s even worse, with two-thirds of adults falling short of these goals.
Dr Martin Lindley, a lecturer in exercise physiology at Loughborough University, suggests: “If you don’t exercise regularly, look on these as targets to work towards, rather than what you should be doing today.
“It is preferable to exercise for a sustained period but, if you are just starting out, break it into smaller workouts to make it more manageable. If you have not been very active, just doing a little bit more can have a big impact.”
LATE TEENS AND 20s Most people reach their peak bone mass between 25 and 30, so this is the time to focus on high-impact weight-bearing activities that will build the bone-bank needed to minimise the risk of brittle bones in later life.
Osteoporosis affects around three million people in the UK and we have some of the worst fracture rates in Europe. One in three women and one in five men will break a bone because of osteoporosis.
Activities such as weight training and skipping, which stress the bones with additional weight or impact, are the best way to build bone density. Dr Katherine Brooke-Wavell, a senior lecturer in human biology at Loughborough University and an expert on bone health, adds: “Dynamic movements such as aerobics and dancing which put force through the bones in different directions are useful.”
Physiotherapist Sammy Margo says: “All the studies show that investment at this stage of life has a profound impact on what happens in your 50s and 60s. I am a big fan of running, but whatever you do, you want to push yourself to your limits and do as much as you can.”
Dr Lindley says for maximum aerobic benefits, you should aim to work at a pace where you can’t quite maintain a conversation.
Support these activities with a diet that is rich in bone-building vitamin D and calcium.
30s AND 40s
Many endurance athletes don’t reach peak performance levels until they are in their 30s, and this is the time for everyone to work on stamina and strength.
Focusing on activities to boost stamina slows the loss of muscle mass, which begins in our early 30s.As muscle burns more calories than fat, this decline makes it harder to maintain a healthy weight. As the heart is primarily muscle, this loss also increases the risk of heart failure.
Our lung capacity is also declining by now, though we have so much to spare most people won’t notice this until they are in their 50s or 60s. Dr Lindley says there is nothing we can do to prevent the changes within our lungs which reduce their capacity, but exercise will make them work more efficiently.
He explains: “The less oxygen our respiratory muscles use for breathing, the more oxygen there is available in the bloodstream for other exercise.And if you make the skeletal muscles more efficient, there’s more oxygen available, so you can work harder.”
Any activity that gets you to the point of breathlessness, and can be maintained at that level will boost respiratory function.
However, we are often juggling jobs and children at this time of life, so the key to keeping active is to build exercise into your day, and turn it into a habit. BJ Fogg, a behaviour scientist based at Stanford University and author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything, explains: “You create any habit you want by making it super-easy, finding where it fits naturally into your routine, and celebrating tiny victories.”
You might not have time for an exercise class, but you can do star jumps while you watch TV, lunges while you are on hold for a call centre, or squats as the kettle boils.
Celebrating such small steps may
sound silly, but Fogg explains: “By feeling good at the right moment, your brain recognises and encodes the sequence of behaviours you just performed, and this speeds up the habit-formation process.”
Build in more sustained activity too by finding activities such as cycling and ball games that the whole family enjoy. For optimal benefits in a limited time, Dr Brooke-Wavell recommends interval training – alternating bursts of high intensity exercise with slower recovery phases.And Sammy Margo adds: “Work on your legs and glutes as they are your biggest muscle groups.”
To maintain muscle and energy, eat a diet that includes iron and protein-rich foods such as red meat and leafy greens.
50s AND 60s
Muscle and bone loss accelerate at this time, especially in post-menopausal women. If you have always been active, you will notice a widening gap between yourself and friends and family who have not exercised regularly.
Dr Brooke-Wavell says: “Working on muscular strength becomes really important. Some women will lose up to a third of their bone mass and a third of their muscle strength over their lifetime.”
And it’s never too late to start. One of Dr Brooke-Wavell’s studies showed that just five minutes of exercise a day will improve bone density within six months.
She asked a group of postmenopausal women to do 50 hops a day – always on the same leg – and after six months bone density had improved in the hopping leg and deteriorated in the leg which hadn’t been exercised.
Balance becomes important and this relies on strength in the lower legs and core.
Exercises such as yoga and Pilates will build and strengthen these muscle groups and reduce the risk of falls.
A diet containing lots of protein, vitamin D and calcium will support muscle and bone strength. 70s AND OVER
“It’s all about strength training,” says Sammy Margo. “There has been a lot of research linking good muscle strength with a reduced risk of cognitive decline.”
Arthritis, old injuries and general aches can make exercise a challenge at this age. She suggests swimming and water aerobics, saying: “If the water is up to your waist, you are only carrying a third of your bodyweight, and if it is up to your shoulders, it’s only a fifth.”
This reduces the risk of injury and the load-bearing effect needed for muscle and bone strength.
Dr Lindley suggests: “Resistance training is helpful. Just hold a tin of beans in each hand and do some bicep curls as you watch TV.”
Tricks like not using your arms to push yourself up from a chair will also help maintain muscle in the legs and core.
Our ability to absorb nutrients decreases as we age, so take a multivitamin.
Whatever your age or fitness level, it’s important to set realistic goals. Start the day with stretches – it gently wakes up muscles, reducing the risk of aches and injuries, and can improve vascular function and circulation in just 12 weeks.
Aim to do something every day, but don’t make exercise a chore – you’re far more likely to stick with something you enjoy.