Even if you’re not at your prime anymore, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take part in physical activities and sporting events. When you’re in your middle ages, it’s even more important to stay fit and active, especially since your body will be facing a variety of drastic changes.
In one study done by the NHS, most adults over the age of 65 are usually spending most of their years at home, sitting down and lying on their beds. While there’s no problem in resting your body after working out for a while, having a sedentary lifestyle can have serious consequences to the body, especially for older people.
Exercise and simple activities such as standing up, are great ways of reducing body aches and pains related to poor posture. When it comes to overall health, individuals that remain active have a lower risk of getting heart disease, strokes, and even dementia.
So what are some wholesome and engaging means of keeping your body on its feet, even at an older age? Here are some “official” sports and fitness activities endorsed by the UK’s National Health Service.
Golf
By far, this is one of the most iconic and most classy sport out there that can be played by any age group. Most might think that golf is a slow sport, but it’s actually a sport that takes a lot of focus, flexibility, and patience. This makes it a sport for professionals that want something to do during their spare time while also getting some fresh air.
Not only is this a game for professionals, but it’s also known for having a variety of benefits to the body and can improve motor function, flexibility, and brain function. Some recent studies have shown that most male golfers can quickly burn around 720 calories from just playing around nine holes and carrying around equipment bags.
The wide array of strokes and angles means that you can quickly improve balance, muscle strength, and flexibility as you keep playing. The different sets of movements are beneficial to the body, especially for older individuals who need good stretching. Even the process of carrying your golf clubs and equipment is already working out your muscles.
The need for good hand-to-eye coordination also means that most individuals will need a reasonable degree of focus. Being aware of your surroundings and keeping in mind each hole’s location can keep the mind active, helping stop dementia.
Again, golf is a sport of luxury and class, and you’ll need to invest time and effort in honing your skills for the game. But just like in business, if you’ve already been placing time and energy into it, why not also invest some classy equipment that will go together with your personality? You might want to consider getting some golf ball marker poker chips that can spice up your golf games. Why settle for ordinary golf markers when there are high-quality and versatile golf markers that can upgrade your game to the next level?
Swimming
Whether you’re at the beach, by the pool, or in any body of water, swimming is one of the best ways of working out every muscle in the body. Not only will this increase your cardiovascular stamina and muscular tone, but it’s also known for being a fun social activity that everyone of all ages can do.
Most older adults will have trouble doing high-intensity workouts, especially since this can easily stress out joints and bones. Swimming is ideal for most older individuals that might be suffering from arthritis.
Cycling
In Europe, cycling is one of the most popular sports. Around 2 million individuals in the United Kingdom alone use their bikes around three times every seven days. Cycling is probably one of the most wholesome ways of keeping in shape while covering a good amount of distance. This means that if you want to get to work while still exercising, cycling is the best way of doing it.
Compared to jogging and hiking, there’s less pressure on your knees and joints, which can lessen injuries and effects of impacts while still burning even more calories. Just like swimming and golfing, you’re using a variety of different muscles in your body, which makes it an excellent choice for working out outdoors.
The NHS would suggest cycling for around 2 hours and 30 minutes a day as a means of keeping cardiovascular diseases at bay. There’s also bound to be a variety of cycling clubs around the area, which is great for combating loneliness.
There are various ways to keep the body fit and healthy, even during middle age. Still, it’s important to know which type of exercise works well with our body, especially since high-impact and intense exercises can sometimes be detrimental to older adults’ bone structure. The bottom line? Just take it easy and have a good time! You don’t necessarily have to push yourself too hard in working out when you have to get your body conditioned for physical activities.
