Fitness Myths Women Over 50 Shouldn’t Believe

As the population of bright, beautiful women ages, there are a plethora of experts touting one opinion or another about why their book on fitness is better than another or why the exercise program that one expert backs are supreme to all others. The truth is far more convoluted than most experts would lead you to believe. In fact, much of what you have probably been told your whole life is more opinion than fact when it comes to fitness, exercise, and health as you age. To help you differentiate between fitness fact and fiction, here are some fitness myths women over 50 shouldn’t believe.

1. Don’t Run After 50 – Myth

The myth couldn’t be further from the truth, although if you have never run, you may not want to attempt a marathon next weekend. If you feel good running down the block, do it, but start slowly to make sure your body becomes familiar with the stress and strain you are putting on your muscles if the exercise is new to you. If you have always been a runner, don’t stop. Running is an excellent metal and cardiovascular exercise, although you may have to cut back on the intensity of your runs and the long distances as you age.

2. Aging Means Becoming Inflexible – Myth

Although it is true that your body becomes less flexible as you age, it doesn’t mean you will become inflexible. You may never become as elastic as you were when you were 15 years old, but you can keep stretching your muscles as you work out and improve our range of motion. Genetics does play an active role in how much range you can potentially lose, but you can fight back by participating in yoga and stretching each day. Every time you stretch, you are helping your body maintain its flexibility.

3. Old Age Hurts – Myth

Although it was once thought that pain and old age were associated, research has found that less than 40 percent of those tested had any type of chronic daily pain. Chronic pain is not a natural part of aging, though there are some natural aches and pains reported after age 65. The pain perception may be due to the frequency of pain medication passed out freely by medical doctors and the addiction problems that have been associated. If you find yourself on a pain medication regimen you want to free yourself from, contact an Austin drug rehab to see what they can do to clear your system.

4. If You Have Arthritis You Can’t Exercise – Myth

Arthritis is still being studied because everything doctors believed about the disease has been countered several times in the past two decades. One thing that is known is that it is a natural part of the aging process, and some people that have it have associated pain, while others do not. If you have arthritis and feel well enough to exercise, do it. You can stretch, walk, or pull weights – even with arthritis. Another myth you may want to disregard is the one about exercising causing arthritis. That simply isn’t true.

As you age, the one thing you need to understand is yourself. No matter which expert claims to know about what diet, exercise, or fitness plan is best for you, you are unique, and everything about you is different than many other people. Just because one program works for one person, it may not work for you. If you listen to your body, understand the myths listed above, and ease into a fitness regimen that your body can tolerate, you may be surprised at the growth of flexibility, strength, and mental clarity your body develops within a few weeks. You don’t have to run a marathon after age 50, but if you want to, you can, because it is just another myth that people over 50 should be marathon runners – don’t believe it.