What sports can you do at 40-45 years old for your health

For any person with age, it becomes more and more difficult to withstand physical activity. For people after forty years of age, the usual load becomes too much. This applies to both trained athletes and those who play sports from time to time. Even if you are in very good shape, age sooner or later makes itself felt. Therefore, over time, you have to change your usual sport, deciding what sport you can do at 40-45 for your health.

Why sports are important after 40

The heyday of the activity of all processes in the human body occurs at the age of about 30 years. With overcoming the forty-year age limit, all processes in the body occur more slowly:

• Significantly reduced muscle mass and nerve conduction.
• The person becomes less flexible.
• Decreased bone mass. Moreover, this figure in women decreases faster.
• Decreased kidney function.

In addition, with age, the mass of the fatty layer increases, visual acuity and hearing decrease. A person has an imbalance in the development of muscle tissue. A situation arises when some muscles weaken, while others remain strong. All this leads to the fact that the usual daily tasks, for example, walking up the stairs, turning, tilting, etc., become increasingly difficult to perform. Playing sports will help prevent these difficulties.

How to start exercising

Physical activity for people over 40 should be regular, only then they will be really useful. Therefore, first you need to draw up a regimen and decide how many times to practice. You can choose any time for training, but it is best to choose the morning hours. At this time, training will be most effective. Lessons should be at least one hour long. The optimal number of workouts is twice or thrice a week.

It is especially important for women to go in for sports at this age. As a result of hormonal changes in the female body, all processes slow down much faster than in men. Since women's bone mass is rapidly decreasing, the risk of developing dangerous diseases - arthritis, arthrosis, osteoporosis and others - increases.

In addition to mandatory training, it is necessary to change the usual diet. For the most part, the menu should include protein foods. They should make up at least 60% of the total diet. Complex carbohydrates should account for about 30% and fats should make up 10%.

If the amount of carbohydrates is too high, it is recommended to increase the intensity of training to prevent the formation of adipose tissue. Since at the initial stage, people over 40 cannot train intensively, it is better to change the diet, giving up sweets, fatty foods, flour products and pasta. These products are best replaced with bran, vegetables and cereals.

In addition, before starting training, it is necessary to conduct a complete examination of the body in order to identify possible contraindications to certain sports. An ECG will show the state of your heart, with the help of ultrasound you can make sure that there are no serious diseases of the internal organs. If you have problems with the spine, be sure to get an MRI to make sure that there is no intervertebral hernia or infringement.

Be sure to take urine and blood tests. This way you can control the level of hemoglobin, lymphocytes and ESR, as well as make sure that there is no inflammation that can be affected by training.

How not to hurt yourself

Many beginners suffer from the “excellent student syndrome” and decide to train beyond measure. This is a very big mistake. You should remember about age and start training gradually, without overdoing it. It is best to use the help of a fitness trainer.

You do not need to train on all the simulators in a row, otherwise you will only harm yourself. Your body should receive only a dosed load that affects certain muscle groups.

Don't take too long breaks between exercises. This will reduce the effectiveness of the workout.

Change your training program every three months.

What is the best sport to do after 40?

If you have firmly decided to take up your sports form and the medical examination did not reveal serious contraindications to this, then it's time to decide on the sport. As a rule, by the age of 40, all people have either been involved in some kind of sport in their youth, or have no sports experience in the past.

The first category of people usually in adulthood returns to the sport that they did in their youth or a sport similar to it, but with a lesser load. If you don’t have a sports past, then it’s better to start with simple and light workouts.

What sport should a man do

By and large, a man can do any sport, regardless of age. Of course, we are not talking about great sports victories. You will exercise to stay healthy. Let's look at the best options:

crossfit

CrossFit is a system of physical training consisting of various high-intensity exercises. It is necessary to start training with this sport gradually. To begin with, load your body minimally. Use light weights and do a few reps. At the same time, you can replace difficult exercises for you with easier options. To strengthen the heart muscle and vascular system, it will be enough to do just 20 minutes at least three times a week. After gaining a sufficient athletic form, the load can be gradually increased.

CrossFit should be started under the guidance of a trainer. An experienced trainer will help you create a workout program that is tailored to your age and fitness level. Having gained some experience, you will already be able to control your loads and create a training program for yourself.

• It doesn't take much time.
• You can work with free weights.
• The system includes a variety of exercises and can replace other types of physical training.

• Too high loads can harm the body.

How to start doing crossfit in a video clip:

Swimming

Swimming has a great effect on the body as a whole. It strengthens the body, tempers and heals. When swimming, the load goes to almost all muscle groups that support the body in the appropriate position. Overcoming the resistance of the aquatic environment, a person has a positive effect on the circulatory and respiratory system.

By swimming, you are protected from the risk of injury. In addition, due to the horizontal position of the body, the load on the heart is reduced and blood circulation improves. This allows you to train harder. Swimming is recommended for the treatment of diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lungs. This sport is good for the joints and the nervous system. It is best to swim crawl or breaststroke. These styles of swimming provide the most efficient exercise.

• Load on all muscle groups.
• Non-injurious sport.
• Useful for the treatment of many diseases.

• It is impossible to pump up muscles only by swimming.

About why you should go swimming in the video:

Run

Running is very good for training the heart muscle. By running, you will get results very quickly. For this sport, you do not need to sign up for a gym, you can train anywhere and in any weather. In addition, you can individually choose the load - run at high speed or at a slow pace. As a result of running, the cardiovascular system develops, more oxygen enters the lungs.The body becomes more enduring, extra calories are burned.

Before training, be sure to warm up, as running does not develop muscle flexibility and can enslave them. To keep the body in excellent shape, it is recommended to combine running with other sports.

• Development of the cardiovascular system.
• Quick results
• There is no need to go to the gym.

• Does not develop flexibility.
• Should be combined with other sports.

Video about what happens to the body while running:

What is the best sport for a woman

It is very important for the weaker sex to keep your body in shape after 40 years. This will help not only to prolong life, but also color it with new colors, make it happy and bright, and allow you to feel all the benefits of adulthood. All that is required of you is to try. In a month you will be able to evaluate the first results and enjoy your excellent health. It is better to take up one of the following sports:

Pilates

Pilates was created by Joseph Hubert Pilates. His goal was to solve his health problems. The result was a program that helped not only him, but millions of others. These classes are slow, so they are not suitable for a girl who loves active movement. But women over 40 usually like such calm activities, they can also be recommended for pregnant women and as a means to improve the figure after childbirth. During the workout, you will be able to feel all the muscles of the body. As a result, you can significantly improve your spine, which is especially important at this age.After a few months of regular exercise, your posture will straighten up, your stomach will disappear, your joints and ligaments will become flexible.

• Improvement of the spine and strengthening of the muscles.
• The development of the respiratory system.
• Development of flexibility.
• Weight loss and recovery.
• Normalization of the nervous system.
• Non-injurious sport.

• Large loads on the ligaments

Bike

Bicycling is a great cardio workout. According to recent studies conducted at a US university, regular cycling reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases by half. In addition, the bike is an excellent prevention of stress. Of course, it is best to ride a bike outdoors in a park or in a forest, but in the absence of such an opportunity, a bike ride can be replaced by training on an exercise bike. If you decide to choose this sport, then start with small loads, take short bike rides over time, gradually increasing the load.

• Development of the cardiovascular system.
• Fight stress.
• Slimming.
• The development of the respiratory system.
• Prevention of varicose veins.

• May be traumatic.

Bicycle for weight loss:

Stretching

Stretching is a special exercise that improves stretching. As a result of these exercises, a lot of oxygen enters the muscles, metabolism and the work of internal organs are activated. Stretching makes the body flexible, elastic and graceful. This is especially useful for a beautiful figure for women. To get a good result, you need to train three times a week for at least half an hour.

• Development of flexibility and plasticity.
• Suitable for weight loss.
• Posture improvement.
• Development of the circulatory system.
• Slowing down the aging process.

• With a sharp increase in load, injury is possible.
• People with joint problems need special care.

Stretching complex for beginners in a video clip:

nordic walking

Nordic walking is now becoming more and more popular. The peculiarity of this type of walking is that while walking you use special sticks. This simple device allows you to include in the training process almost all the muscles of the body. In addition, sticks also allow you to increase the rate of fat burning. The undoubted advantage of this sport is that it has no age restrictions. Nordic walking can be practiced not only after forty years, but also in old age. This type of physical activity is especially popular among European pensioners.

• No age limit
• weight loss
• Improving muscle tone.
• Normalization of blood circulation.
• Reduced stress on joints.
• There are no contraindications.

• Not detected.

About the main mistakes in Nordic walking:

In conclusion, I would like to note that age should not be taken as a sentence. Do not take joint pain and other discomfort as a natural state of affairs. Always remember that sports will help you stay healthy and active for a long time. Going in for sports, you will make your life brighter and more interesting. And your age will remain just a number in your passport.