No matter how active we have been in our lives we get to a point where our body no longer wants very much to do with strenuous exercise, in many cases the mind may be more than willing but the joints and the body certainly is not. This can create a problem for us as we get older as I'm sure that we all know that the less exercise the more unfit we get and even at an older age this can be a major issue. In fact in many cases it is more important to keep a base level of fitness as you reach your older years as it has been proved that by taking part in a small amount of exercise as we grow older not only helps keep our mind and body feeling fit and fresh but it can also reduce the risks of developing such bones diseases as osteoporosis, which is where your bones become porous and very weak. So we need to keep up some form of fitness level as we grow older, if you are lucky enough to be able to still go running marathons at 70 years of age then you are in the lucky few per cent but for the millions of others who are not, and never have been capable of running marathons what options are open to us?
As we get older our joints become weaker, it does not matter how much sport we have done in our life it is just that the general wear and tear of life catches up with us eventually. That time you banged your knee when you were 5 years old may one day come back to haunt you. So finding an exercise that fits in with your capabilities as well as your level of fitness is important, as well as being something that you can enjoy.
Swimming is fantastically popular with older people because of the reason that it is so kind to your body and joints as well as working nearly every major muscle group in the body as well as giving a good cardiovascular workout. The beauty of swimming is that it is a low impact exercise as your body weight is supported by the water and there is mo pounding on your knees and ankles, which for many older people are problem areas. Swimming is an exercise routine that you can slowly get into and build up over a period of time, swimming at a steady pace for half an hour to an hour every other day will greatly improve fitness levels and improve general well being.
Cycling is also another popular pastime for older people, although not as popular as swimming. Cycling will achieve better fitness levels than swimming over a period of time but you will have to push yourself to achieve these levels. Where swimming is generally quite therapeutic and relaxing cycling is not always so, pushing your self to go harder, further and faster at any age on a bicycle can be strenuous. But for those of you who have a grounding in cycling and where doing the miles is not an issue cycling is a fantastic sport to keep up your fitness. Although not as easy on your joints as swimming the impact on knees and ankles is minimal compared with many other types of exercise.
Another sport that is popular with the older generations who are trying to keep fit is golf. Golfing as exercise is great for the older generation, it is slow with very minimal impact on joints and the body and when playing it is possible to walk up to seven or eight miles on one round of golf. Golfing as exercise is also good as can help to create social links and bonds with other older people in the same situation who have chosen golfing as exercise; in many cases the social side can be as important as the physical side. Another very important aspect of choosing golfing as exercise is that you can take your exercise away on vacation with you, why not look at going on a golfing vacation when the weather gets bad at home and go to somewhere warmer? By choosing golfing as exercise you could even find yourself getting fitter than when you were 20 years younger!
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