We’re all going to grow old one day, sooner or later. Instead of trying to worry about the inevitable, why not work toward staying healthy and keeping your mind and body sharp and fit as you age.
Practicing living a healthy lifestyle from a young age can help you prevent the onset of various diseases and illnesses and can also fight illnesses related to aging.
As we grow older, it is important to maintain a regular exercise routine and focus on two types of exercises in particular: cardio and strength training.
Cardio and Strength Training
Cardio or aerobic exercises include running, cycling or anything that gets your heart rate up. Engaging in cardio workouts can help build a stronger heart that can protect you from strokes, heart attacks and heart disease in the future.
Cardio exercise examples:
- Swimming
- Brisk walking
- Jumping jacks
- Jump rope
- Dancing
- Rowing
- Hiking
- Hula-hooping
Strength training workouts that incorporate weights or exercises such as squats and lunges promote overall strength and keeps your muscles strong and healthy to support us when we are older. While you can use equipment such as free weights, it is not always necessary.
Strength training exercise examples:
- Planks
- Lunges
- Squats
- Weight training exercises
- Push-ups
- Deadlifts
- Crunches
- Rissian twists
Why You Need Both Types of Exercise as You Age
While exercising regularly is necessary to incorporate it into your routine as much as you can, cardio and strength training are both recommended to do in order to promote overall health and fitness.
1. Cardio exercises could help reverse heart damage
It’s common to reduce our level of activity as we age and this can lead to the muscles in our heart to stiffen. These muscles are usually the ones responsible for blood circulation and supplying the body with oxygenated blood.
A study conducted on participants who engaged in different types of exercise showed that those who engaged in higher intensity workouts improved their heart’s performance and even reduced the stiffness of their heart muscles.
2. Tai chi to preserve muscles from age-related decline
We tend to lose our balance as we age. Balance is extremely important for our overall fitness as it helps us withstand slips and falls and prevent injury as we move.
Tai chi incorporates strength training movements that require focus and alignment of breath in order to promote strength and maintain overall balance. Tai chi is also an effective workout to reduce stress and induce relaxation.
3. Cardio exercises like cycling may lower the risk of dementia
There are many studies that link exercise with brain health.
While there is no guaranteed proof that specific exercises are better than others in preventing dementia, some studies have shown that cardio can help in reducing the chances of individuals who might be at risk of dementia.
4. Cardio workouts can improve skin health
A research study from McMaster University found that individuals over 40 who engaged in cardio workouts regularly had healthier skin than their peers who lived sedentary lifestyles. This healthy skin can be compared to those of 20 to 30-year-olds, which is pretty impressive.
Research that found increased levels of IL-15, a substance related to boosting skin health among these individuals, suggested cardio could help to improve the look and feel of our skin. While this is not 100 percent clear, there has been some findings regarding this phenomenon.
The Bottom Line
Cardio and strength training together can be the power tools of your routine that can help you stay strong and protect you from developing diseases.
Maintaining a healthy routine with regular exercise and clean eating can help you fight signs of aging and boost overall fitness.
