As women become older it can feel like exercise routines and workouts are less feasible. However, it is never too late to begin exercising even if you didn’t when you were younger- caring for your body at any age is so important! During menopause, many changes happen to a woman’s body including muscle loss, bone density loss and the development of abdominal fat. It can be easy to accept these with defeat- however there any many exercises and workouts older women can do to prevent or reduce these changes. These include strength training, aerobic/cardiovascular exercises, stretching and balance exercises.
We’ve got some strength training exercises you can try at home:
- Plank Pose. This will help to strengthen your core abdominal and lower back muscles, improve your balance and straighten your posture. Remember that your entire body needs to be completely parallel to the ground- keep your back straight and head up!
- Squats. These help strengthen your lower body and your balance. You can do this with a chair by squatting over it, getting close enough to the seat without touching it.
- Chest Fly. This will help strengthen chest muscles. Lay on your back, with your feet flat on the ground and knees bent. With dumbells you can hold, raise them above your heads and slowly open your arms out to the side and back up together.
Here at Back to Health Physiotherapy in Newport, we want to see you thrive and live pain free. For any pain, or tips in maintaining physical fitness as you age, come in to see one of our physios!
Reference: https://gwrymca.org/blog/best-exercises-women-over-50
