The 3 exercise practices women need over 40

In this blog, you will discover the 3 practices that you need to ensure your health and vitality. If you are a woman over the age of 40 you need to ensure that you get a good amount of cardio, weight-bearing as well as resistance training. Ensure that you are obtaining the type of exercise that helps you to revitalise, which means calming your thoughts and clearing your head.  This blog will cover exercise for women over 40. The type of exercise that makes you strong and healthy.  Women need to vary their exercise routines weekly to obtain the best weight loss and health results. This blog will show you three types of exercise you need to strong, healthy with more energy and vitality over the age of 40.

 

The 3 exercise disciplines women over 40 need

Up until you reach age 30 your muscles continue to grow larger and stronger. But as you approach 40 and beyond you begin to lose muscle mass, up to 3 to 5 per cent each decade if you are not active. Even if you are active, you continue to lose muscle mass, but at a much slower rate.

And of course, when you lose muscle, it’s generally replaced by fat.

“Over 40 you shouldn’t exercise more, you need to exercise smarter”

What prompted me to write this blog is because I see gorgeous girls specialising in one particular exercise, the one you adore.  You choose the exercise you enjoy the most and you do that, and only that.  Your muscles are strong, but only for that sport. I want you to love your exercise, get outside and feel that sunshine or wind upon your face and feel alive. But mixing it up is a requirement for women over 40.

 

If you’d like to read more about how to love your body and learn to work with it instead of against it then read my blog: Learn how to love your body

If you are sticking to the one exercise routine you are over-exercising those particular muscles which in turn leads to a loss of flexibility in those muscles and tendons. Muscles shorten and then they don’t function properly. That increases the risk of muscle cramps and pain, muscle damage, strains, joint pain, and even falling.

If you regularly attend the same class with the same routine you are not benefiting from the exercise anymore. Mixing it up will ensure you stay strong.  Variety is the spice of life and will improve your well being.

I talk a lot about this in my best-selling book, Gorgeous! If you want to make nutritional changes but feel overwhelmed and confused by conflicting information and you’re left bewildered where to start then pick up a copy of Gorgeous!

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1. Cardio

Let’s start with cardio, everybody knows you need cardio exercises to keep on top of your weight. But the type of cardio you choose is important.  Firstly you need to enjoy it.

Running:  Personally, I love running but believe me, I am not brilliant at it.  When you enter a race they give you a medal. The medal is for taking part not for coming first, second or even 203rd! I love it because it is spending time outdoors (which I would never have said aged 20) and then being able to get home and get on with my ‘to do’ list

HIIT: I’m not keen on HIIT for women over 40.  These workouts raise your cortisol levels and studies have shown that other exercises like running improve your brain function, however, research has shown that it is great at reducing weight. HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a training technique in which you give all-out, 100% effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods.  It keeps your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time.

I talk a lot about this in my best-selling book, Gorgeous! If you want to make nutritional changes but feel overwhelmed and confused by conflicting information and you’re left bewildered where to start then pick up a copy of Gorgeous!

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Why you need to know about HIIT workouts

Because HIIT is so high intensity your body’s need for oxygen during the effort means you create an oxygen shortage. Therefore your body needs more oxygen during your recovery time.   It is referred to as the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) effect.

Whilst HIIT requires just minutes of your time, it has reported to increase your growth hormone and help reduce your insulin resistance.I just don’t buy it, all exercise is going to make you more insulin resistance and resistance training will grow your muscles maybe not as effectively as HIIT.

However the issue with HIIT is that you have to be fit BEFORE you try HIIT, it is like squash or trying BodyPump out for the first time. If you haven’t got an ‘average’ level of fitness HIIT will kill you off. I am talking about the traditional type of HIIT – you know burpees on the floor then standing up. The type of exercise that makes you feel sick!

Is it the quickest route to get stronger or have a hernia? 

Saying that you can adapt the cardio you do to make a HIIT variation.  You simply speed walk as fast as you can, time yourself for 30 seconds and then rest by continuing to walk.

Aerobic/Hi-Lo/BodyCombat classes

There are so many and they are fun. Once you have gotten over the fact that nobody is watching you, everyone in the class is in their own private torment you can shake loose and let out your inner diva and shine. Try a variety of classes and let me know which ones you enjoy.

 

2. Resistance Training

I can’t ‘stress’ enough the importance of weight training or resistance training to women. Both my grandmothers had osteoporosis and weight-bearing exercise is THE best way to help to prevent it.

As you age, you lose muscle mass. Strength training builds it back and regular strength training will help you feel more confident and help you stay gorgeous.

Strengthening your muscles not only makes you stronger, but also stimulates your bone growth (osteogenic effect), lowers your blood sugar, assists with weight control, improves balance and posture, and reduces stress and pain in the lower back and joints.

“Walking is a great form of exercise, and a valuable way to increase physical activity on a daily basis, BUT it is not enough of a stimulus for maintaining your bone density (Martyn-St James & Carroll, 2008).

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3. Mind and Body exercise 

Your mind/body connection is important to your health. Pilates like Yoga or Tai Chi doesn’t only sculpt your body but it also clears your mind and gives you energy and inner serenity.

“What your mind thinks your body believes and determines your future health”

A mindful exercise class that includes stretching will help your well being and calm your senses. Slow flowing movement is a gateway to mindfulness and meditation.  For me, Pilates is the perfect distraction to my busy schedule.

“Concentrating on one thing –  is, in essence, the definition of meditation”

Stretching helps maintain your flexibility and give your muscles a longer, leaner shape.  It also increases your range of motion and reduces pain and your risk of injury.  Reducing your stress with mind-body exercise improves your nervous system and a healthy nervous system means better communication between your brain and other parts of your body as well as the release of stress-fighting and mood-boosting hormones. If you are interested in improving your nutrition then you will like my blog post The FIVE massive food myths that simply aren’t true anymore

Research has shown that clients have a significantly superior brain function after a mindful movement practice like Pilates or Yoga.

Your Exercise Timetable

One of the things I spend when working with my gorgeous clients is how they can add 3 x different types of exercise into their daily routine.

Aim for: 3 x 1/2 hour sessions per week as a minimum PLUS 10k steps a day

Variety: Mix up revitalising exercises like Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi with strength training and your cardio.

Reality & Practicality: Mixing your exercise up so you can incorporate two elements in one is great. For instance, Pilates with weights will satisfy 2 criteria, walking at varying speeds with hand weights will aid with your strength and cardio.

 

What’s next?

It is difficult to know what to do next especially as there is so much conflicting information. Working with a coach will help you to create a clearer path to a clearer mindset, together with a healthy nutritional plan and exercise that works for you. If you are ready for change and want a focused goal then find out more about my group coaching programme: The Gentle Reset

This programme is for you if you know that you are looking to improve your nutrition and nourish your body by adding in great nutritional and exercise habits without burnout.

Instead, you will feel energised so that you can take on all those ‘life’ tasks that previously you found so draining.

Or you are looking to increase your mental agility, enhance your creativity and problem-solving abilities. to tackle the next stage in your career and life then jump into the Group Programme

If you want to feel emotionally and physically stronger so that the stress of life doesn’t send you into a spin of negative coping strategies and behaviours then join us for the next round. If you are looking to read more before you decide then read more about my Group Coaching programme click here: The Gentle Reset 

The next round of Gentle Reset begins in January 2021 Get your mindset ready and join today to get started on your first habit, then join in  Click here to read more about The Gentle Reset

BE QUICK this programme, along with all my programmes will be increasing in price very soon > Click here to find out why I am raising my prices But you’ll also discover how you can grab a place before my prices go up, you need to be fast.

 

PS. If you have read enough and want to jump in click here to get started

 

Find out what other clients have to say…

Rachel Dawson Therapist 23rd November 2017

6 responses to “The 3 exercise practices women need over 40”

  1. […] Having begun the process of edging in a new nutritional habit you will start to feel better and more energised then you can move onto to tackle more activity. Generally working towards 10,000 steps a day is a great way to begin to get more active.  Then moving onto to other types of exercise which will keep you strong read about the 3 types of exercise women need for ultimate health […]

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  5. Jo Parker says:

    You havent mentioned cycling as a good cardio exercise. I know some women find roads and traffic intimdating but there are lots of places you can ride a bike now off road and it’s SUCH fun. There are lots of women only sportives – cycle rides of 30 miles upwards. There are also training initiatives for women. I went on a beginners mountain bike course at the age of 64. The coach was brilliant and it was so much fun. I was also the slowest and wimped out of some steep hills (both down and up) but no one criticised me. I live next door to a country park and now go on the mountain bike there regularly. Finally try using a bike for popping to the shops or the post – exercises and you get the chores done!

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