THE 5 BEST GYMNASTICS EXERCISES FOR SENIORS

THE 5 BEST GYMNASTICS EXERCISES FOR SENIORS

 

When it comes to training, most experts agree that it is important to be active, regardless of age; and even more especially for those entering their fifties.

Indeed, the more we advance in age, the more the body tends to lose its vigor or to deteriorate if it is not correctly stimulated. The flower of physiological age is considered to be between 25 and 30 years. After that, the body gradually begins to lose its capabilities. Muscles that atrophy, joints that become more and more fragile and progressive weight gain are just some of the consequences of advancing age.

However, it is possible to outsmart time and maintain good overall health by adopting a healthy, active lifestyle. Besides good nutrition, regular physical activity, like weight training, will have more than beneficial effects on your health. However, in order to avoid injury, it is important to have an exercise program that is right for you.

Here is a bodybuilding program specially designed for people over 50.

Caution

Note that this program is designed for a person who is not struggling with health problems (heart, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, etc.) If you have any contraindications, be sure to consult your doctor before undertaking a whatever program.

Cardiovascular training

What is important to remember is that the older you get, the more fragile your joints become. It will therefore be essential to resume physical activity gradually, and with sports that have little impact on your joints and will not stimulate your muscles excessively. Favor activities such as:

Walking

This activity can be practiced everywhere. If you want to add more rhythm and stability to your movements, get a set of walking sticks. These could save you from an ugly fall. Also, if you leave the house, always remember to bring your cell phone in case any discomfort occurs.

Swimming

Today, most municipalities offer aquafitness courses for seniors. These workouts will allow you to work on both your cardiovascular capacity and your muscle tone. In addition, when you are in a swimming pool, your body burns more calories: 10% more on average, which is not nothing!

Yoga

This activity is excellent for the body, the soul and your joints, so I highly recommend it! Like swimming, several senior level courses are now offered in certain municipalities or fitness centers. The first step is to pick up the phone and call for information.

Bodybuilding program

As a physical educator, I advise you to start the program by following this planning.

Week 1 and 2: once a week

Week 3 and 4: twice a week

Week 5 and 6: three times a week

How to read the program?

In order to optimize the results, I advise you to follow the exercises in the proposed order. For each exercise, you will need to perform:

- Repetitions: this is the number of contractions that you must perform before taking a break.

- Sets: this is the number of times you will have to perform blocks of repetitions before moving on to the next exercise.

Example: 3 sets of 15 repetitions

This involves performing the exercise 15 times, taking a break, and repeating it two more times.

Progression

If you feel that the exercises are getting easier, you can increase the number of repetitions, sets, and / or increase the load.

SOME ADVICE BEFORE YOU BEGIN

 

The practice of senior gymnastics is very simple and accessible. These exercises can be done at home or in a club. At home, ten minutes a day is enough to keep fit. Ideally, you should stand in front of a mirror to check your movements, or have someone else correct them if necessary. During a senior gymnastic exercise, breathing is essential: we breathe in on the effort and we breathe out on relaxation. It should also be borne in mind that a senior needs more recovery time than exercise time. And that warming up is essential!

 

5 SENIOR GYMNASTICS EXERCISES

 

Here is a selection of the 5 best senior gymnastics exercises for body and mind:

• strengthening the back muscles: lying on your back, legs bent, bring your right knee to your chest and pull until your thigh comes into contact with your abdomen, if necessary using your hands; we do the same on the left side. We stay 15 seconds in position and repeat 2 to 3 times;

• buttock strengthening: lying on the floor, on the side, leg on the floor bent, the other leg stretched; we take off the leg, tiptoe turned inwards, we lift at small amplitude, feeling his hip well. We do 2 sets of 15 repetitions;

• strengthening of the pecs: lying on your back, take two small dumbbells (or failing that two bottles of water), spread your arms and then tighten by contracting under the chest; inspiration comes on the descent, exhalation on the ascent. We do 2 sets of 15 repetitions;

• strengthening of the shoulders: lying down, grab a light dumbbell between the hands and stretch the arms behind the head as far as possible, opening the rib cage; then we bring the dumbbell back by contracting the abdominals. We do 2 sets of 15 repetitions, gently;

• muscle strengthening and reflex: in pairs, each sitting on a chair facing each other, at a distance of 1 meter; person A makes gestures to which person B will respond: if A raises his right hand, B hits the right side with his fist; if A drops his right hand, K kicks; if A raises his right hand above the head, B stands up to punch; etc. We can find a multitude of variations. After 10 rehearsals, we switch roles.

 

EXERCISES GOOD FOR THE BODY AND THE MIND

 

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