Exercise After Retirement For Men

Congratulations on Retiring!

So what now? Have you lived an active or inactive life or maybe you’ve fallen out of exercising within the last few years? Exercise after retirement is an excellent way to get active and healthy. Health problems and lifestyle disease, both physical and mental are sometimes exacerbated after retirement, for example;

• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Depression
• Frailty

However exercising is an excellent way to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle and the benefits are much more then just physical.

Benefits of exercise after retirement

There’s a plethora of benefits, a few include:

• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Increases muscular endurance – muscles are better able to resist fatigue
• Improve quality of sleep
• Boosting mood which has a positive impact for stress
• Boosting energy levels which transcends into all areas of life
• Decreases sedentary behaviour
• It can be meditating
• Its fun!

Choose something that you find fun, you’re more likely to stick with it and you will see the mental benefits much more then if you are dreading a workout that you don’t like doing. Forget about trying to motivate yourself with workouts you dread or doing exercises you hear are great but that don’t feel right. Just do what you enjoy.

Supplements

As we age we start to loose more of the minerals our body needs then we absorb from foods, these are vital to the overall health of our bodies especially when living an active lifestyle. An example of some of the vitamins and minerals we need to be conscious of when we age include (but are not limited to):

• Calcium: Helps your muscles, nerves, cells, and blood vessels work right.
• Vitamins B12: 30% of people over 50 have atrophic gastritis, which makes it harder for your body to absorb it
• Vitamin D: Your bad needs this to absorb calcium
• Magnesium: It helps your body make protein and bone, and keeps your blood sugar stable
• Zinc: Fights infections and inflammation

Come in and speak with us, or send us a message and we’ll be happy to help you navigate our vitamin range.

Don’t go overboard

Physical activity does not have to be strenuous. The level best suited for retired man is described as ‘moderate intensity’, practiced for at least 30 minutes on five or more days of every week. This should bring a little sweat to your brow and cause your heart to beat a little faster and your lungs to breathe deeper and faster, but not out of breath.

Activities could range from stretching, working in the garden or washing the car, to lifting weights and yoga. A combination of these could help improve strength, balance, flexibility and aerobic fitness.

Caution signs

Stop exercising if you develop any of the following:

• Chest or upper abdominal pain that may spread to the neck, jaw, upper back, shoulder, and arms
• Panting or extreme shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Persistent pain, joint discomfort, or muscle cramps.

If you are starting a new exercise routine, please check with your GP first.