You don’t have to feel as if time is catching up with you once you hit your fifties. Your body might not be exactly as it looked like when you were in your sprightly twenties. You might also start putting more emphasis on how you can get back in good shape and maintain it. Don’t worry. You are not alone in this dilemma. You can still take control of your body by actively maintaining a healthy lifestyle and sticking with a fitness plan that can help you lose weight. Consider these health tips and advice.
- Having six to eight hours of sleep is still a golden piece of advice. Remember when you were little, when they used to tell you that six to eight hours of sleep is needed to build up a healthy and strong body? Well, that is a golden piece of advice since it still applies to adults even well over their fifties. To lose weight doesn’t mean you need to cut out on sleep. It’s inevitable for you to get tired easily in your age, so it’s more advisable to get as much rest and sleep as you can within a day. Take naps whenever you feel tired. Having enough rest and sleep helps your body to regenerate and to gather enough new strength for the day ahead.
- Be vigilant about maintaining a healthy diet. A healthy diet is always important in achieving a trim and healthy body. One helpful tip is to eat a meal half of which is vegetables, ¼ of lean meat, and the rest with starch and carbohydrates. Infuse your diet with grains and beans that give you proteins. Proteins are essential to almost all kinds of bodily functions. Do not let your body store unnecessary and unhealthy fat. Make sure the kind of fat your body takes in is polyunsaturated fat, the kind that can be found in vegetable oil. Don’t forget to store up on calcium to keep your bones healthy and strong. If you’re lactose intolerant, go for soy products or a calcium supplement. In the morning or the evening you can opt for a light meal with fruits and grains. Don’t underestimate this combination, since grains and fruits make you feel full easily and they last longer in your stomach. Almonds in particular, are effective in satisfying cravings. You won’t feel the need to grab an impromptu snack. Also take note of those kinds of food your doctor has advised you to avoid. Follow the diet your physician or nutritionist recommended for you.
- Keep those limbs active and supple. Schedule daily walks or jogs in your neighborhood. Fifteen to thirty minutes a day will do. Cardiovascular exercises like this keeps your heart and lungs strong by enhancing circulation. It also strengthens muscles and limbs, keeping them agile and flexible enough for your daily activities.
- Establish a manageable and practical exercise routine. Ask your doctor for advice on what kind of exercise would suit you best, particularly if one of your goals were to lose weight. It’s better to be sure than to be pressured into doing more complicated and strenuous exercise routines that may do more damage to your body instead of keeping it fit. Listen to what your body tells you and don’t push it to the limit. If you’re tired and can’t take too much strain stop to rest and focus instead on simple exercises. Consider what time works best for you and establish a schedule. Doing thirty minutes’ worth of simple stretching exercises interposed with breathing techniques is sufficient. Stretching and proper breathing also contribute to proper circulation and relieving body pains. Having at least three hours’ worth of exercise a week can do wonders to your body.
- Take up weight training. You can choose to add weight training to your exercise routine. Weight training helps in making metabolism faster and increasing muscle mass. Thirty-minute routines three times a week is sufficient. You will see and feel the results if you religiously maintain this regimen.
- Engage in additional activities that would complement your fitness and weight loss plans. Whether you’re retired or still working, making time to do other physical activities that can enhance your fitness and weight loss goals would help a lot. Maybe you can take up cycling, gardening, tennis, tai chi, or even ballroom dancing. Whatever it is, do something that interests you, makes you feel great, and allows you to be physically active.
Men and women in their fifties need not feel insecure about their bodies. You can take action and control of your own body and still attain your ideal shape and weight. You should have discipline and faithfully follow a sound fitness plan. Eventually, you will lose weight, feel fit, and ready to take on anything.
