Age can be a sensitive topic, whether you are 35 years old and are almost turning 21 again, or reaching your 50th birthday (in which case, congratulations already).
The need to modify food choices and the training routine due to age may not cross your mind until the day when you hear some terrifying comment on how to reduce wrinkles by consuming celery juice (which, already now, it’s a myth).
There is a wide variety of facts and statistics that address the issue of training and diet plans for older people – we are talking about people over 65 here – but we should also consider our choices in terms of exercise and food before 65 years old?
We did our research on the topic and we are here to present the concrete facts, in order to help you to perfect your training and achieve your goals.
How should I change my training routine according to age?
The bad news is that we cannot control our age. We age every day, every minute and every second. The good news is that we can control how we deal with aging by adjusting our routine.
Our bone density continues to increase almost until the age of 30. After this age, it starts to decrease. Weight lifting exercises can make all the difference to our bone density between 18 and 30. Reaching bone density as high as possible during this stage of life will leave your bones well prepared for the future.
Examples of beneficial training additions include running, jumping, skipping, dancing and trampoline exercises.
Once you have reached maximum bone density, managing bone strength is important to prevent injuries, which can impair your training. Nobody likes to have to wait for an injury to heal before they can start training again, so why not incorporate high-impact exercises into your training program at least twice a week? This is an excellent way to promote bone density and strength. Jumping onto a platform, climbing stairs, star jumping, knee elevations and running are good impact exercises to start with.
Let’s talk about muscles
Did you know that muscle inactivity can result in a reduction in muscle strength of up to 5% per decade?
The loss of muscle mass is a natural part of the aging process, although it is one that is especially prominent in people who do not train their muscles after approximately 50, although this process can be present from the age of 30 onwards The term given to this loss of muscle is sarcopenia.
It is vital to include muscle exercises focused on strength, whether you are 30 or 60. Not only will this reduce the risk of injury (everyone has heard that a strong core is essential to good posture), but it will prevent muscle loss.
Even though we all like to relax and watch TV, our muscles will not be stimulated by magic if we don’t work at it.
But it’s not just about strength – it’s easy to overlook the “power” factor. Adding resistance-based strength exercises has benefits to our day-to-day mobility. 2 Try using a resistance band to warm up, to activate your muscles and at the same time improve your reach in terms of power muscular.
What should I change in my nutrition?
Although the guidelines of Public Health England do not suggest any changes in nutrition based on aging for people aged between 19 and 50, there are some nutrients that can influence our training.
Calcium is one of those nutrients. This mineral is essential for bone maintenance, as a structural component that helps prevent fractures. That is why it is important to consume the recommended dose of 700 mg of calcium per day. 4 When our bodies lack calcium, it is taken away from the bones, resulting in weaker and more bones prone to injuries.
It is also important to note that calcium can only be absorbed by the body in the presence of vitamin D. 5 Therefore, in addition to being a good exercise and a recommended cardiovascular routine for strengthening bones, walking to the store instead of taking the car is a great way to get our daily dose of vitamin D through the sun.
Still, if you spend your winter days in the gloom of fog and rain, you can use a vitamin D supplement to ensure an adequate dose of it during the less sunny months of the year.
What about protein?
The question of protein and how it should or should not change with age may come to mind. The reality is that we don’t need to change protein intake as we age.
Our protein needs are influenced by the type and amount of exercise we do. Of course, if we incorporate strength training into our daily routine, adding more protein to our diet will bring benefits in terms of muscle mass gains. This, in turn, will benefit our overall well-being by reducing the risk of injury and overload.
Final Message
There are no official guidelines on changes to training and diet as a result of aging in general up to 50 years. We must do what we feel works best for our body.
If you suspect that you may be more susceptible to injury or have weaker muscles, gradually increase the number of impact exercises in your training routine and use a multivitamin supplement to ensure you are getting all the nutrients you need. needed for a balanced and healthy diet.
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