Although a lot of middle-aged individuals incorrectly assume that exercise is reserved only for people younger than 40, regular physical activity is in actual fact a lot more important as we get older.
A study has indicated that just 10 minutes of exercise every day in middle age helps to protect the brain against cognitive decline.1✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011375
Getting a minimum of 1 hour and 15 minutes or more every week of physical activity with a moderate to vigorous intensity throughout midlife can be important for preserving brain structure and promoting overall brain health during a lifetime.
In another study, researchers found that excessive belly fat seems to actively prevent the ability to think and react quickly in older individuals.2✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.09.008
Three easy and effective ways to maintain a healthy mind and body after 40
1. Yoga
One comprehensive study reports that older individuals regularly practicing yoga are in better all round shape, and have better leg strength, flexibility, and balance.3✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1186/s12966-019-0789-2
Another study followed a group of overweight or obese individuals as they tried out 2 unique kinds of yoga for 6 months. Irrespective of whether they were practicing vinyasa or hatha yoga, individuals experienced significant weight loss and improvements in cardiorespiratory health.4✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1002/oby.23089
2. Walking
Intense, vigorous exercise every single day isn’t essential. Simple, day-to-day activities such as walking are an easy and fun way to complement more intense exercise and help maintain a healthy mind and body.
Research reports that just a few 30-minute or longer walks several times every week can help reduce body fat as well as improve general fitness.5✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.05.005
Likewise, another study confirms that walking can help significantly to build up and then maintain muscle strength and size in older individuals.6✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1186/s11556-018-0201-2
3. Resistance training
No fitness program is complete without some strength training, especially after 40. A study confirms that a combination of a weightlifting program and clean eating is a better option compared to selecting cardio exercises only.
Aerobic exercise can burn important lean muscle, while resistance exercises such as push-ups or weight lifting help in maintaining and supporting lean muscle.7✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1002/oby.21977
Focusing on completing more repetitions per set is also effective. A weight lifting program focusing on more repetitions with lower weights instead of a few reps with heavier weights helps to promote a shorter recovery time.
Carrying out more reps per set helps to increase calorie expenditure and boost metabolism which will help to shed body fat more rapidly.
