At about age 40, your body begins to change. Muscle tone has a tendency to decrease. Your metabolism is ready to slow down. The natural deposits of fat cells beneath the skin can start to lose shape, leading to sagging and cellulite. However, these changes don’t have to take hold. You can slow them down, even reverse them. Key is finding the best workout when you are over 40.
First of all, you need to keep your muscles fit and toned. A toned muscle not only looks good, it works good too, keeping you healthy and free from injuries. At about age 40, there is a tendency to start losing the fast twitch muscle fibers. These are the muscle fibers that contract and expand as you exercise and lift weights.
The best way to keep the fast twitch fibers you have is to give them the kind of work they are meant to do: intense, short lasting exercises. This means quick bursts of running, high energy aerobics, or rapid weight lifting. Make sure, though, to ease into this kind of exercise to avoid overtaxing the muscles.
At about age 40, you also need to start thinking about taking care of your skin and the deposits of fat underneath. Keeping these fat cells in good shape prevents sagging skin and cellulite. Again, a good weight training program keeps these fat cells toned, the cells walls strong and firm. Exercises like aerobics and rebounding stimulate the skin, keeping it firm and smooth. Of course, burning off excess fat deposits beneath the skin is also necessary through a combination of these exercises and a good diet.
The last hurdle to face when designing the best workout when you are over 40 is one that will keep your metabolism running high. At about age 40, your metabolism tends to decrease, especially if you are spending a lot of time sitting at your desk working or taking it easy in front of the tv.
Once your body gets used to a certain level of activity, your metabolism stays slowed down or speeded up. An exercise routine that is varied and invigorating pumps the metabolism up and keeps it running high, even when you rest. Again, the combination of high intensity exercises and weight training that keeps the muscles, organs, and cardiovascular systems running efficiently will be most effective. No one kind of exercise will be as helpful as a steady, varied routine.
In other words, the changes that might be taking place in your body as you get a little older might require a few changes in your workout plan. Just lifting weights to build up muscle might not be enough. On the other hand, to keep the skin and muscles toned, you might have to add weight training to your cardio workout. This doesn’t mean you have to go overboard and spend all your energy working out, but rather devote a smaller amount of time to several activities. This is the best way to stay in shape after 40.
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