Each cumulative effort represents a quantity of movements essential for health.
Over time, we tend to move less and be more sedentary, especially at the start of retirement.We often hear the phrase “yes but at my age, I’m not going to do this or that” or “I feel rusty”. When in fact, sport is recommended for all ages. Over the age of sixty also and above all“insists in the preamble Saliha Hioul, certified professional coach, mental trainer & sophrologist-therapist. Physical activity acts on all levels: cardiovascular health, muscles, joints, bones, ligaments, tendons, but also on overall longevity and on a mental level It can be a real moment of sharing with your partner, your children, your grandchildren. It is also a vector of socialization and meetings, for example at the gym or in an association. sporty.
“The ideal in your sixties is to either continue doing sport if you already did, or to start physical activity. The goal is to get moving again without putting too much pressure on yourself.“, recommends our expert. Some people will aim for “pleasure sport”, others will like to set themselves challenges or competitive challenges (long races, marathons, etc.) which will push them beyond their limits. In any case, each cumulative effort represents a quantity of movement essential for health. A person who is not used to doing sport will perhaps have less endurance than a person who has practiced sport all their life. ‘act in stages.
To start, the person can set a goal of moving at least 30 minutes a day, for example 15 minutes of yoga or stretching in the morning and 15 minutes of walking after lunch. If you can and depending on your physical condition, you can increase the intensity or speed of walking with the use of poles by doing, for example, the equivalent of 45 minutes/1 hour. Alternating with brisk walking, she can do other cardio activities such as cycling, aquagym/aquabike.to create a little shortness of breath and make the heart work“. If she feels well and has no contraindications, she can add 2 or 3 gentle gym sessions (yoga, pilates, tai chi, etc.) of 15-20 minutes to the daily walk. per week.
Bodybuilding is also often forgotten or “The older we get, the more muscle we lose, especially postmenopausal women. Strength training is as important or more important for women than men as they age“, points out the professional coach. Bodybuilding can be done at the gym or at home, with your body weight or the use of weights (0.5 l water bottles for example) or elastics. You should also do stretching or flexibility exercises from time to time (stretching, body balance) which maintain the body’s balance, flexibility and mobility. Ultimately, the ideal is to walk 30 minutes a day. which is combined with 3 to 5 sessions (15-20 minutes) per week of cardio, gentle gym, weight training and flexibility.