Best Exercise for Women Over 50
There are several types of exercise suitable for women over 50 years that they can perform alone or with aid. Based on the type of exercises, they can be carried out when an individual is seated on the floor, on a bench, and even standing or bending (Sinaki et al., 2002). Medical workout officers recommend that women over 50 avoid working themselves too hard and if possible, for various exercises, do 8-12 repetitions per workout and rest between exercises for 30-60 seconds. Slow progression through each workout, focusing on the right shape and steady breathing are additional tips that work very perfectly for this group of individuals as well (Grabara & Szopa, 2015; Sinaki et al., 2002).
Some of the best exercises include:
- Yoga
Yoga is the safest, easiest, and most rewarding exercise for an individual over 50. According to a recent US survey, nearly 40 per cent of yoga practitioners in the U.S. are over 50 years of age and most women over the age of 50 have been practicing yoga for years, if not decades. The trend has been catching up very quickly and other women below 50 are currently joining in as the number of enrolment for yoga programs increase daily worldwide (Grabara & Szopa, 2015).
There are different types of yoga and while all have the best results for women over 50, some forms of yoga can be too fast-paced, strenuous or physically demanding, irrespective of their age for some individuals. Other models can have different results as they are intended to be relaxing and gentle. Therefore, a woman over 50 can practice yoga seasonal or regularly. For seasoned yogi, it is typically safer and advisable for them to stick to the gentler types of yoga, which generally concentrate on relaxing and flexibility than developing muscle and power (Grabara & Szopa, 2015).
- Cardiovascular/aerobic exercises
Aerobic or cardiovascular workouts are often referred to as endurance workouts, they are the simplest and safer for women over 50 because they can perform them for at least 10 minutes. The heart rate and breathing should increase during aerobic exercise but they should still be able to chat with a workout buddy. Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, jogging and swimming (Andreyeva et al., 2007; Ortiz et al., 2015). Cardiovascular/aerobics strength training provides the benefits that keep the body younger, stronger and more functional with each year, which is vital for heart and lung performance. This strength training routine will help women over 50 stay healthy and confident for several more years. Aerobics/ Cardiovascular training exercises not only strengthening your cardiovascular system, but building the body muscles. Walking and jogging will mostly strengthen the leg muscles, swimming will work out the belly and hand muscles as well as the legs. The exercises could also help improve the body balance (Andreyeva et al., 2007; Judge et al., 1993; Ortiz et al., 2015).
- Plank Pose exercise
When a woman is 50, their body is aging and the core muscle fibers begin to contract and become less supple. The doctors explain that this situation places more pressure on the back. Therefore, to help prevent their bodies from deforming, back bending and experience of serious backaches, it is advisable for these women over 50 to carry out plank pose exercise. Planks are one of the strongest exercises for holding the core muscles tight (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2006; Sinaki et al., 2002).
How to do it: – Put your forearms on the floor with your elbows placed beneath your neck with your arms parallel to your shoulder-width apart. Close your mouth to the pucks. Drive your heels into the floor and contract your glutes to hold the lower half of your body secure. Be mindful of closing your ankles. Neutralize your neck and spine by gazing in front of your hands to the floor about a foot. Your head will stick to your back. Start keeping the spot for 20 seconds. Hold the plank for as long as possible without losing shape or air, as you get more relaxed and your heart grows stronger (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2006).
- Squats with Chair exercise
Squats are a perfect way for women over 50 to exercise all of the thighs, glutes, and core muscles in one session. Doctors and scholars have revealed that in performing squats regularly, an individual succeeds in avoiding age-related crashes through coordination and durability. For a woman over 50, squats with chair exercises are safe, less stressful and convenient (Andreyeva et al., 2007; Judge et al., 1993).
How to do it: Stand flat on the concrete, on your feet. Push back your butt and fold your legs down into a sit, no more than 90 degrees apart. Push your arms up as you fall. Your glutes should be back at your lowest point, as if you were sitting down in a chair and your weight should be on your heels. When you’re in the best place you will be able to lift your feet off the floor and see your feet. Switch to the beginning spot when your weapons are dropped to your hands (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2006; Ortiz et al., 2015).
- Chair Dip
The chair dip exercise will help a woman over 50 strain weak and flabby triceps. This is necessary to help them remain on top of their game, feeling confident, and sexy.
How to do it: Sit on a robust chair. Place your hands on the chair seat next to your knees and scooter your ass upwards until it falls off the chair and with your arms and legs you are protecting your body weight. Bend the knees to an angle of 90 degrees. Bend your elbows backwards and lower your ass slowly toward the floor. Hold it hidden in your elbows. Your body also has to clear the place. Move back up until you stretch your arms straight, just don’t use your foot for support. Do reps 8 to 15 (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2006; Ortiz et al., 2015).
- Chest Fly
As the body of a woman ages, muscles relax and their chest muscles are likely to appear low or underdeveloped. Due to hormonal imbalances and age issues, this situation can easily affect their self-esteem and hence, fly of the chest is a good exercise meant to help them remain in shape. It involves weightlifting exercise which helps to strengthen those muscles (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2006; Ortiz et al., 2015).
How to do it: One will need a pair of hand weights to do the exercise. Sit on the board, or a pad, flat on your back, legs bent, and foot flat on the wall. Take 1 weight in each hand and put your arms above your chest. Little by little, open your arms to the side, lower your arms and wrists toward the floor — but do not actually touch the ground. Hold a slight bend in your elbows, so you won’t lock your arms out. Lift your arms up and repeat (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2006; Ortiz et al., 2015).
- Stability Ball exercises
A woman over 50 is still young enough to walk straight without losing balance but without proper exercises, some might need assistance to walk with a stick as they approach 65. There are several stability ball exercises including stability ball chest fly, stability ball triceps kick back, stability ball overhead pull and stability ball side leg lift that doctors recommend for these women to do alone or with aid depending on their present condition. Stability ball motions are deliberately incorporated, both decreasing with age, in order to help improve balance and coordination. After 50 years, an individual need to remain well coordinated, and with their feet on the group. A pair of 3-8 pounds hand weights and a stability ball are sufficient for this (drive to heavier weights as you get stronger) (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2006; Ortiz et al., 2015).
