Archive

Posts Tagged ‘over 50’

Learn How To Have More Energy Through Fitness After 50

December 9th, 2009

Too many people suffer from tiredness and aches after work. The long commutes, strict deadlines, office politics, and overtime can take a toll on your body you never expected. Now that you are over 50, you probably have noticed this fatigue more often than not.

There are two major problems with work fatigue after 50. First, your tiredness takes a serious toll on your quality of life. If you return home from work fatigued, then you are probably missing out on family activities. Furthermore, you are probably staying sedentary for the rest of the evening. Missing out of this important time may make you feel depressed. You may try to comfort yourself with unhealthy foods and other substances but these will actually increase the fatigue.

There are also major health concerns associated with this kind of fatigue. If it causes you to become sedentary then you are very likely to gain a lot of weight. This weight unnecessarily strains your cardiovascular and endocrine systems as well as your joints. This increases your likelihood of age-related illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, or cancer. If you already have a health concern, you are putting your health at a greater risk. Ongoing fatigue is also associated with the onset of serious health problems. Fortunately, many of these issues can be relieved or reversed through fitness over 50.

No matter what your age, becoming fit has an amazing influence on your health, happiness, and energy levels. People who are physically fit find that they are able to prevent the negative effects of a stressful work environment. Most have found that fitness gave them a positive outlook on life that helps them stay motivated throughout the day and perform better. More importantly, this motivation carried over to their time spent after work. They were able to engage in and enjoy the recreation they want, instead of slumping down on the couch until bedtime.

Exercise gives you energy because it increases adrenalin and blood flow. This energy can last for hours. This is why many suffering from after work fatigue over 50 exercise very early in the morning. They use this early morning burst of energy to carry them through the rest of the day. They also often get a “second wind” at the end of the day, enabling them to engage in activities with loved ones.

There is more to fitness over 50 than just exercise. Good nutrition is a vital part of maintaining energy levels. Fats make your body feel lethargic and gain weight. Sugary foods can give you a quick burst of energy that is followed by a steep and severe crash. However, foods that are high protein, lean, non-sugary, and non-starchy can give you continued energy and support your over 50 exercise program.

You may also find that certain lifestyle changes will meet your fitness over 50 goals and give you energy after work. For example, having a glass of wine or beer after work may comfort you temporarily. However, these slow down your metabolism and dramatically reduce your energy levels. Also, you should address issues at work that are highly stressful. Any issues, such as office politics, that can be avoided should be eliminated from your life. Finally, it is a good idea to make a regular habit of a physical activity you can do with friends or family after work. For example, anticipating a friendly game of tennis that always occurs on a set week night will keep you motivated all day.

People over 50 who are fit enjoy increased energy levels. They have less sick days and age-related discomfort. The best gift you can give yourself is to get off the couch, exercise, eat right, and shake off that after work fatigue for good.

Scott Fisher is a regular writer on fitness over fifty. Check out his website for more tips and articles on exercise for over 50.

Scott Fisher Fat Loss , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Find Out About Immune System Health Over 50 and Bodybuilding

November 8th, 2009

As you have gotten older, you may be taking more and more sick days. You probably have found that you contract colds and flu more often than when you were younger. You might also have noticed that it is now harder to recover from these bugs.

In fact, the average person over 50 is likely to catch 2 to 4 more colds each year than men and women between 20 and 40. These bugs often escalate into sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, or worse. Seniors represent more than 60% of the 36,000 annual flu related deaths. Long waits, inaccurate formulas, and shortages mean that you cannot always count on a vaccine to save you.

If you do not want to become one of these statistics, it is important that you boost your immune system. Fitness over 50 is one of the best natural ways to improve your immune health. In fact, many fitness experts recommend bodybuilding as a method to improve your overall health and increase your immune system.

Bodybuilding increases muscle mass which promotes immune health in many ways. Muscle burns more calories than fat and helps prevent weight gain. Doctors have found that overweight people have poor immune health and get sick more frequently. Bodybuilding boosts your circulation, which strengthens your heart and lungs. It also thickens blood vessels. This means that it is easier for antibodies and nutrients to travel through your body to fight colds, flu, infections, and other ailments. This means that you are able to resist illness and can recover more quickly.

Rest is an essential part of bodybuilding over 50 and boosting your immune system. There are opponents to bodybuilding who claim that it hurts your immune system. However, it is really overtraining that can hurt your immune system, as well as the rest of your body. Those who perform high intensity training in shorter cycles do not allow time for proper rest. They typically get sick more frequently and have longer healing times. This is because their short rest period forces the body to repair muscle and ignore the immune system.

Bodybuilders using low intensity training have the opposite experience and substantially decrease their number of sick days each year. This is because their training schedule allows for both muscle improvement and total body renewal, including your immune system. When you get older, you require more time for rest and renewal. It is ideal for you to have a longer training cycle that includes one day of rest to each day of training.

You also should eat a diet that supports your bodybuilding goals and boosts your immune system. Proteins and complex carbohydrates are preferred. You will also want to include foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and mineral. If you do not get these in your diets, then you should take supplements to give yourself a boost while training.

No one can totally avoid ever catching a cold or flu. However, you can control how often you suffer and the length of your recovery. If you are over 50 catching the common cold can have serious repercussions. If you want to stay healthy throughout cold and flu season, now is the time to start focusing on fitness.

For more information on over 50 bodybuilding, visit Scott Fishers website in the previously mentioned link. Scott Fisher writes frequently on themes related to fitness over 50.

Scott Fisher Fitness , , , , , , , , , ,