Being active in your 40s and 50s can be challenging. Along with the pressures of your peak career years in a sedentary office, you will have family responsibilities, taking kids to their activities, and even taking care of your elderly parents. Generation Squeeze life can certainly squeeze your time for exercise. .

Good news is, you don’t have to always hit the gym hard for being active in your 40s and 50s. Here are some other creative ways to stay active and fit.

Running is one of the best choices to keep yourself more functional and active in your middle age. Running can be fun with the best pair of running shoes. In fact, people in their 60s, 70s and yes even 80s still enjoy running. Where to run the best way possible? Choose anywhere near home. Make sure the track is flat, and you are not running without proper footwear.

Choose the best pair of shoes with a good shock absorber. That prevents any potential damage to your feet and knees. Before you head out to run, make sure you stretch. Also, try to incorporate running into a routine of other types of exercise to balance your workout plan.. Make sure you don’t over stretch though – that can cause injuries too.

How Much Physical Activities Are Needed?

Experts suggest 75 minutes to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activities will be enough for a week. On the other hand, if you go after moderate-intensity workouts, then 150 minutes to 300 minutes is standard for a week.

If you exclusively focus on running. Then you can choose a 10K running plan for a week. This plan has shown proven benefits with millions of runners.

10k Running Plan

  • Monday- 3-mile run.
  • Tuesday- 30-minutes tempo run.
  • Wednesday- 6 x 400 meters at mile pace.
  • Thursday- 3-mile run.
  • Friday- Rest or 3-mile run.
  • Saturday- 5-mile run.
  • Sunday- 6-mile run.

Tips For More Moving

You can scale up your activity by following some simple techniques. Here are a few handy tips to follow for being active in your 40s and 50s.

1. Avoid long hours of sitting

Most of us spend our 40s and 50s in careers that require sedentary work involving long hours at the desk.

Make those sitting tasks more active. Switching up those desk tasks with activities like walking meetings, active commutes, taking stairs instead of elevators, walking during phone calls, etc. can help make you more active. Even choosing the coffee shop that is a few blocks away from your office gives you a chance to move your body and burn a few extra calories.

2. Plan Active Holidays

Plan a holiday that involves physical activities like going for long walks cycling, hiking, skiing, or any water sports. There are some exciting water sports that can make your vacation a more effective one. These include boarding, stand up paddle, snorkeling, and many more. Holidays activities not only make you fit but also refreshes your mind. Try to plan such holidays at least twice a year.

3. Make your Family Time Effective

Along with other workout schedules, you can make your family time more physically active. Go for family walks, swimming, biking, or some low impact sports activities.  Go out and play with your kids in the backyard.

Family time activities can improve your fitness, physically, emotionally and mentally. Besides, don’t forget to play with your pets and go for walks with your dogs. That adds more recreation and activities to your list.

4. Try Trifecta

Trifecta is a modern exercise plan for being active in your 40s and 50’s. This program has three main components:

  • Strength training: This prevents the loss of muscle mass.
  • Aerobic or Cardio activity: For active Heart function.
  • Flexibility workouts: Maintains balance and posture.

5. Find Something Enjoyable

There are a lot of different strategies to keep yourself fit and active. But, the most effective one is a plan you enjoy following.. It can be pilates, salsa dancing, swimming laps, one-on-one training, boxing, and any number of activities. You should focus on the activities that motivates you the most.. That will help you run the extra mile.

6. Try a Personal Trainer

For some people, it is important to customize their training plan. They can have pre-existing health conditions or injury issues. In that case, it would be really helpful if you register for professional guidance.

A professional trainer can customize a safe, progressive, and effective training plan for you. A trainer will teach you how to carry out the exercise plan, and demonstrate how to carry out the actions safely, and tailor the training program to a targeted goal. Though this method can be expensive, it does have a great impact on your fitness level.

7. Don’t forget to Warm-up

In the 40s and 50s, your body is not adapted to certain stress quickly. So, make sure you give a small warm-up before every start. A 10 minutes pre-session cardio workout with a few stretches makes you more flexible to your workout.

In case of running, try 5 to 10 minutes of jogging before. Putting sudden strains can be harmful to your body. Also, do not try long workout sessions. Take intermittent breaks in between.

Importance of Being Active in the 40s and 50s

Staying physically active in your 40s and 50s have a number of good benefits. These include-

1. Less aches and pain

Being active in your 40s and 50s allows you to maintain strong core muscles. That brings more flexibility to your body. Because of high mobility, there are fewer chances of muscle aches and pain. You can say goodbye to the chronic back pain.

2. Maintains body weight and BMI

Our body metabolism slows in midlife. As a result, we gain nearly 2 pounds  in weight every year during our 40s and 50s. But, if you can maintain your physical activities, then you can avoid this weight gain.

3. Maintain Healthy Bones

Bone density decreases beyond the 40s. It is also a major concern for women after menopause. The lack of bone density enhances the chance of osteoporosis and possible bone fracture. Regular exercise increases bone strength and helps maintain a healthy bone density level

4. Extends Lifespan

Physical activities can ward off chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Research shows when people aged between the 40s and 60s regularly exercise, they reduce their mortality rate by 35%.

Being active in your 40s and 50s improve your lifestyle and cut stress. You have less chances of getting sick and extending your overall lifespan. Getting into an active lifestyle requires discipline and motivation. It can start to become fun. Follow the tips above and get moving!