Over 50’s Training: For Fitness and Weight Loss

By Luke Andrews –

“Training for increased fitness and a reduction in body fat has tremendous benefits for overall health no matter what age you are, because when training for such a goal you have to do exercise!” says Luke Andrews, YourPhysioPlan’s Strength and Conditioning Consultant.

Exercise can help improve your aerobic capacity, strengthen your muscles, enhance joint integrity and develop balance and co-ordination. This positive transformation can occur at any age, but is especially useful when one becomes older.

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When wanting to become healthier, it’s important to have a balance in your exercise programme, no matter what your goal may be. It also means that your training programme will incorporate a more varied array of exercises to keep it fresh and interesting.

New classes that you could try are 50+ Stretch & Tone, where one is put through their paces using light weights and mobility exercises. This is a great class to help stay limber and develop flexibility and strength. In addition Zumba Gold is excellent for cardiovascular fitness. It embodies the same Latin-based dance movements of Zumba but at a different pace to encompass those of various ages and abilities. Zumba is one of the most popular classes ever to hit the leisure industry, so why not see for yourself why!

One of the latest fitness classes to hit the gyms is Tabata Training. This is a high intensity interval training based fitness class / training protocol based on a study by Professor Izumi Tabata. Its key benefits are that it can be done in a short time (20 seconds hard activity followed by 10 seconds rest, repeated 8 times in succession) and promote positive aerobic, anaerobic and metabolic effects. By increasing your metabolism after exercise, your body is in-turn burning more calories to aid its recovery, thus facilitating the likelihood of increased fat burning. This type of training though is not recommended for beginners due to the intensity required, but the principles can be adapted for a more effective workout…

Luke suggests you could try and Adapted Treadmill Workout:

  • 5 minute warm up walk at Speed: 4 km / Incline: 0
  • Followed by 1 minute Walk at Speed: 5Km / Incline: 1
  • Then 30 second Walk at Speed: 5.5Km / Incline:
  • Repeat for a minimum of 8-10 minutes then cool down.

For those who like to incorporate technology into your fitness regime, Luke recommends to keep your eye out for these three products:

i)                    FITBIT ARIA Wifi Smart Scales:

These scales have an easy-to-read display that can accurately inform you of your weight, body fat and BMI. The smart thing about these scales is that they can automatically sync wirelessly to your Fitbit account, helping you keep an effortless track of your fitness statistics.

ii)                   Lumo Lift:

Currently beginning to be available in the US, this small device discreetly attaches underneath your clothing and tracks your daily activity, such as calories burned and number of steps taken. Easily linked to your smart phone too, the great thing about this little tech device is that it will also inconspicuously vibrate if it senses you’re starting to slouch, prompting you to get your posture back in check.

iii)                 TAO WellShell

Another device that’s making its way to the US market towards the end of the year is the TAO WellShell. The device is small enough to fit in your hand but strong enough to withstand 50+ isometric exercises that it demonstrates how to do. Again, designed to sync with other devices, it can help you keep a log of distance travelled; sleep duration and your diet.

Luke is available for live Q and A sessions on @yourphysioplan on twitter and you can contact him through www.yourphysioplan.com.   To ensure you get the most out of your body Luke advocates complimenting your work out with regular visits to the Physiotherapist for massage or treatment.  With YourPhysioPlan you could see an expert physiotherapist up to 6 times a year for 60p a day and for under £2 a day you could see them twice a month.

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Over 50’s Training: For Fitness and Weight Loss
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