Fitness

Getting Fit After 50 – or at any time of your life – has many benefits. For those of us over 50, the benefits include improved weight management ability, reduction of age-related diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular, some cancers, Alzheimer’s and metabolic syndrome, stronger bones and muscles, and a higher quality of life with a better mood, less chance of falling, better recovery if you do fall, and improved chances of living longer.

With all these benefits, the question is, are you doing anything to keep fit? Are you getting the minimum 30 minutes, 5 times per week? If not, why?

The research clearly shows that you should be working out, and that the best workout program for people over 50 includes both cardiovascular and resistance training. Your strength training program should include diverse exercises including push and pull exercises and functional fitness exercises.

The bottom line is that fitness enables you to live life to the fullest extent. So what are you doing about it?

Proper nutrition for older adults can be summed up as follows: eat fresh, whole foods, mostly plants. Doing so will help you live a longer, more productive life. One of the most important things you can do to slow aging is to optimize your insulin levels, as insulin effects your aging more than anything else. To keep your insulin levels stable, it’s critically important to reduce or eliminate grains and sugars from your diet.

Beyond that, including anti-aging foods in your diet dramatically improves your health and longevity. Foods to focus on include raw organic eggs, dark green vegetables, blueberries, garlic, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, and healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados, and omega-3 fats, along with modest amounts of lean animal protein. This is commonly known as a Mediterranean diet. Remember, a diet of fresh, whole food, mostly plants is the key, and get this: it should be prepared in your kitchen, not a factory.

Fitness for older adults – and for that matter, anyone, includes a strategy to keep your weight under control. Fortunately, weight management for older adults actually incorporates just a few simple strategies.

1. Begin by reducing starches and sugars from your diet. Especially focus on eliminating grains. The reason is that these foods raise insulin levels the most, and insulin is the primary fat storage hormone in your body.
2. Focus your foods on whole, fresh foods, mostly plants. Include protein, healthy fats and low-carb vegetables with each meal. Feel free to load your plate with low-carb vegetables – they fill you up and prevent feelings of hunger. It’s best to eat 3 meals per day with small snacks between. Also, it’s okay to eat healthy fats like olive and coconut oil, as studies show that these don’t increase your heart of disease risk.
3. The final component of effective weight loss is to exercise regularly – at least 3 times per week, but ideally 5 days per week, for a minimum of 30 minutes. Lifting weights is best, because it helps you burn more calories, prevents your metabolism from slowing down, and adds muscle mass. As your muscles are what burn calories, more muscle equals more calories burned.