How to start an exercise program over 50

This gives your body a chance to get familiar with the different types of physical stress induced by exercise. During the beginning stages, experiment with different types of aerobic exercise , such as walking, hiking, biking, dancing and swimming, to find what you enjoy the most , Dr. Gardner stresses. Yoga, Pilates and tai chi are also excellent for building strength and developing balance to prevent falls.

As you get started with exercise, make sure to also include stretching and mobility exercises to improve flexibility and joint range of motion. After building up a solid fitness base with aerobic cardio, stretching and balance exercises, you can start to introduce resistance training to your workout plan, Rizzo says. Start with light weights and higher reps, taking as much time as you need to rest in between sets.

Hold off on intense anaerobic interval-style workouts until you've developed a good base level of fitness and feel comfortable moving quickly while maintaining food form. Read more: The best home exercise equipment in When you're just starting out, don't do too much too soon. Just 10 to 15 minutes of exercise each day is a good start. The general recommendation is that all adults should strive for to minutes of exercise each week, Dr.

Gardner says -- minutes if the exercise is intense or vigorous, and minutes if the exercise is moderate. Gardner says, "[but] really the goal should be to move, even if just for 10 to 15 minutes every day. Rizzo recommends starting with just five to 10 minutes of light exercise per day, gradually working your way up to 20 to 30 minutes, focusing on the basics: light cardio, bodyweight exercises and stretching.

As for how many days you should complete full workouts, Rizzo says it's best to start with just one or two, in addition to focusing on small increases in your daily movement.

Hiring a personal or group trainer is a great way to learn proper form for different exercises and prevent injury. Hiring a personal trainer can certainly provide extra benefits when starting a workout regimen, Frankel says, as can attending group fitness classes. Happy training. Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Love what you're reading? Type keyword s to search.

Today's Top Stories. Violence Against Women is a Men's Issue. Stretching is a must-do exercise for a year-old female. It's often an understated aspect of fitness, but adequate flexibility allows you to have greater range of motion, freedom of movement and relaxed muscles. Stretching corrects imbalances, decreases soreness, reduces risk of injury and improves posture. Before engaging in static stretching, do about five minutes of movement to warm-up the muscles, which can include walking, cycling, or just large dynamic joint movements like arm circles and trunk rotations.

The American Council on Exercise suggests stretching each major muscle group and holding each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Do not bounce, strain, or hold your breath. Train each major muscle group at least twice per week on non-consecutive days. Do either two days of total body, or three days intermixing upper and lower body. After weight training, sit and stretch your muscles. Aim for 30 minutes of flexibility training three days per week; however, even five minutes will elicit benefits.

The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website. August 13, Share on facebook. Share on google. Share on twitter. Share on linkedin. Written by: Coach Todd For individuals turning 50 — or those who have seen 50 come and go already — it can be intimidating to start a fitness routine.

Here are Just a Few Benefits of Physical Activity Weight Control For those struggling to gain or lose weight, incorporating various exercises into our daily routine can help us overcome those obstacles. Combat Health Conditions Diseases such as stroke, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, depression, cancer, arthritis, and more may be mitigated with the inclusion of daily exercise.

Energy Boosts Even light activities such as walking have been shown to release chemicals to the brain that help to increase alertness and energy without the caffeine withdrawals. Better Sleep In some cases, exercise may reduce insomnia by decreasing arousal, anxiety, and depressive symptoms as well as helping individuals fall asleep faster.

Top 3 Tips for Starting an Exercise Routine for Beginners Over 50 Not knowing where to start is a common struggle for all fitness levels. Aim for 5 Days of Minute Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Activities Aerobic activities include any activity that raises your heart rate for an extended period of time. Repeat this movement 5 times. Lying Hip Bridges on the Bed Lie face-up on the bed, with your knees bent and feet flat on the mattress.

Sit to Stand with Overhead Reach Sitting on the chair or couch, walk your feet forward until your hips are up to the edge of the chair. Try to stand up without using your hands. Repeat this exercise 5 times. Tuesdays and Thursdays : Single Limb Stance Stand next to a steady, solid chair not one with wheels , and hold on to the backrest with one hand.

Repeat two times per leg. Walking Heel to Toe Put your right foot in front of your left foot so that the heel of your right foot touches the top of the toes of your left foot. Walk this way for 20 steps. Clock Reach Imagine that you are standing in the center of a clock with a chair in front of you.

Look straight ahead the whole time. Repeat this exercise twice per side.