Those baby boomers—born between the years of 1946 and 1964—have certainly gone through some life changes and experienced many body changes as well.
Because many of these baby boomers want to go back to the body they had when they were younger, they are going right back to exercising.
Maybe they want to lose a bit of weight, get in better shape, or follow their doctors’ recommendations and shed a few pounds.
Regardless of the reasons, you want to get on a program that is in line with your age, lifestyle and the level of fitness that you can handle—that way, you won’t be injured or get burnt out too fast.
Below we will touch on 5 components of an exercise program that works for the baby boomers.
Balance
As we age, our balance will not be as good as it used to be. Many accidents and injuries that occur to older people are related to balance issues. Balance exercises help to give a person better stability, they promote more power to the body and they prevent many injuries from happening. What better time than now to begin working on the brain to help improve our balance?
Core Training
The core of your body is everything. Every exercise program should include some core exercises. The core is located around the mid section. Core strengthening is done with a goal to condition the abdominal muscles, the lower muscles in the back and the postural muscles as well. The outcome of core exercises is to help improve the posture, balance and physical performance as well. It will also help to prevent back injuries by toning the muscles in the back and help reduce lower back pain.
Flexibility
Another thing that we compromise as we age is our flexibility. Lifting things and bending down can become a bit more difficult. Our bodies aren’t quite as resilient as they were before, and that suppleness is gone. Exercising to help improve that flexibility again will help you to be able to find more range of motion as well as enhancing your energy levels. It will help prevent injuries and take away from any muscle tension.
Weight Training
Training for strength is important for everyone, but it is especially important for women. Women are far more prone to osteoporosis and other bone disorders that cause the back bone to weaken. The benefit of a good exercise program that includes strength training is increased muscle mass, lower body fat, increased strength and better range of motion. Strength training also helps to lower blood pressure and improve insulin and blood sugar levels.
The Heart
Everyone needs to take care of their heart. Conditioning the heart doesn’t mean that you have to run for an hour. You can work your heart significantly by exercising for about 20 to 30 minutes per day. You can do this by jumping rope, jogging, walking or even climbing steps. This type of exercise will really help to strengthen your heart and lungs and lower your body weight; it will also give you energy and help to prevent diseases.
Baby boomer or not, everyone should always check with their own doctor before starting a vigorous exercise program. Remember that you are not the young gun you were before, and you need to start slowly and take your time in order to learn the proper techniques.
Jeffrey Dereks writes about fitness and health at healthinsurancequotes.org.