It is never too late to start working on your fitness and toning up your body. In fact, many women over the age of 50 find that regular exercise and healthy eating habits help them to look and feel their best. There are a number of different ways to tone your body, depending on your specific goals.
A proven strength training program for building muscle after 50 is to lift two or three days per week, doing 10 sets per muscle and week, with about 8–15 reps per set. Eat a healthy high-protein diet. A protein supplement can help you increase your protein intake if you don't get enough from your regular meals.
Walking, jogging, swimming, and dance exercise are good ones to try. Aerobic exercise works the large muscles in your body, benefitting your cardiovascular system -- and your weight. Work up to getting 20 or more minutes per session, 3 or 4 days a week.
Muscular strength declines with age, so strength training is key for maintaining strength and preventing muscle atrophy at 50-plus. Strength training has also been shown to help with bone density,and which decreases the rate of bone breakdown, helping reduce the risk of fractures later in life. Get an exercise partner.
Walking, jogging and swimming are all examples of aerobic exercise. Stretching . Stretching exercises help improve or maintain flexibility, reducing the risk of injury to the muscles or joints. Yoga is a popular type of stretching exercise.
Instead of slowing down after you turn 50, you should keep cardio exercise a part of your lifestyle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults of any age get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, which equals about 30 minutes a day, five days each week.
Sass recommends eating a healthy, balanced, plant-based diet. “Plant foods rich in monounsaturated fat — avocado and avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, whole Mediterranean olives and olive tapenade, nuts and nut butter — as part of a healthy balanced diet may help reduce belly fat,” she says.
As you lose weight, your weight loss from walking may slow. In terms of how the type of walking you need to do to lose weight, a brisk pace is recommended. Walking for 30-90 minutes several days each week will help you to lose weight.
With Extra Effort, You Can Lose Belly Fat
You may think you can't lose belly fat after 50, but really it just takes more exercise and dietary diligence than it did when you were younger. As you age, your energy expenditure lowers because you naturally lose lean muscle mass, which burns more calories than fat.
When it comes to seeing the physical results of your strength training and diet regime, most fitness trainers agree that it will take a few weeks for results to show. If you train consistently, then you should notice an increase in your muscle size from six to nine weeks of strength training.
The National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends older adults perform strength training exercises 2 to 3 days a week.
Aerobic cardio one or two times per week for 30 to 45 minutes. Cardio interval work one time per week for 20 to 35 minutes. Resistance training intervals (lower weights, high volume) one time per week for 25 to 40 minutes. Resistance training with heavier weights one time per week for 30 to 40 minutes.
Regular strength training can help you reduce body fat, strengthen your muscles and burn calories more efficiently. Try weight machines, hand-held weights or resistance tubing. Choose a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 repetitions.
Walking for 45-60 minutes per day at a moderate intensity may support weight loss. Can I lose weight by just walking? Walking can be an effective way to lose weight. In order to shed pounds, you need to walk for about 45-60 minutes per day at a moderate intensity level.
A brisk 30-minute walk burns 200 calories. Over time, calories burned can lead to pounds dropped. Walking tones your leg and abdominal muscles – and even arm muscles if you pump them as you walk. This increases your range of motion, shifting the pressure and weight from your joints to your muscles.
"If you're looking for ways to lose weight, walking may be just the thing you need," says Elmardi. In a 2022 study published in Nutrients, overweight women who took a brisk, 30-minute walk five days a week lost nearly two pounds over 12 weeks — without changing their diets.
At menopause, many women experience weight gain, particularly around the abdomen. Contributors to weight gain at menopause include declining oestrogen levels, age-related loss of muscle tissue and lifestyle factors such as diet and lack of exercise.
You may notice weight gain during menopause changes your body in different ways—for example, your face looks fuller or your belly is softer than it used to be. The weight you've gained in your abdomen during menopause will usually feel fleshy and thick, and you might notice some "rolls" of fat.
Squats are a great exercise choice at any age, but especially for older individuals. This exercise activates both core and leg muscles, helps with posture and balance, and helps preserve bone density.
While there is no way to fully “stop the clock,” it's possible for many older adults to increase muscle strength with exercise, which can help maintain mobility and independence into later life.
Movements like squats, hip hinges, lunges, and pushups work larger groups of muscles while engaging your joints. They are particularly useful for people over the age of 50. Are you using weights or resistance bands? Try increasing the length of time that you perform an exercise or stretch the bands.
No matter what your age, you can improve your fitness.
If it's been a long time since you've exercised and you're feeling less than fit, you might think that it's too late to make a change. But you're wrong. You can improve your fitness at any age.