For many people however, the main reason for doing fitness activities is to ensure they can continue to live life to the full and undertake any tasks they are given. This is known as functional fitness. By integrating functional fitness exercises into your work out, you are ensuring a full range of muscles are being worked, which will give you greater stability and fitness for everyday life.
Taking a different approach when you are short of time is key to ensuring that you remain fit and healthy in body and mind. The ideas we have outlined below will not replace the satisfaction and results you will achieve from regular 40-60 minute exercise sessions but at least they will keep things ticking over when you are chronically short of time.
Whatever age or ability level you are at, it is never too late to take up martial arts. Whether it is the striking and stand-up styles of Karate, Kickboxing or Kung Fu; the grappling and ground-fighting of Jujutsu and wrestling; the throwing or takedown style of Aikido and Judo; the weapons-based Kendo or the more mediative styles of Tai Chi – there is something for everyone.
The benefits of continuing to do exercise into your 50+ years are well documented and yet people shy away from exercise. It has been estimated that well over half of 50+ people in the UK do little or no exercise – it is a trend that seriously needs reversing. Exercise for people in the 50+ bracket will improve joint mobility, increase physical strength, raise energy levels, enhance sleep and cognitive function and prevent illness.
Bouldering is rock climbing stripped back. There are no ropes or harnesses, just a wall with a safety mat below. The challenge is to climb short but tricky bouldering “problems” (a route, or sequence of moves) using balance, technique, strength, and your brain. The climbs are high enough to be exciting, but not so high that they’re hugely intimidating. Using safety mats means that the risks of falling off can be managed, and leaving the ropes behind means that you are free to concentrate on the climbing, not the equipment.
Strength, speed, power and endurance are all essential to people who play a team sport. If you have good levels of each of these fitness components, then you could be the difference between your team winning and losing. You could certainly be last man or woman standing if your fitness levels and resistance to training are at a high level.
The next few months are torturous for anyone wanting to maintain or lose weight. Firstly there is the colder temperatures and darker mornings and evenings. Somehow, it is just easier to eat salads when the sun is shining and the weather is warm. Cold weather equals comfort food. And comfort food equals more calories. One way to keep your mind focused on staying trim, fit and healthy over the prolonged festive period is to set some goals along the way.
Good mental wellbeing does not mean that you never experience feelings or situations that you find difficult,” she adds. “But it does mean that you feel you have the resilience to cope when times are tougher than usual.”
Exercising your muscles is the only way to make then stronger. Cardio vascular activity such as running, cycling and swimming are the best ways to get fitter. However, it is not during the actual exercise workout that improvement occurs. The workout will break down muscle tissue, it is the recovery process that is critical to becoming fitter.
There are still a few days left before you have to abandon your outdoor activities and move your fitness regime into the gym, so let’s take a look at a Autumn exercises that you can do outside while there is still enough light and the temperature is above freezing.
