5 activities to fall back in love with staying active in your 50s
Do you feel stiff and feel like you are losing your energy levels? Don’t worry, it is not a sign of you getting older, but just your body telling you: I need more movement!
Scientists have been investigating the reason behind a long and healthy life in several regions of the world, where people live until their 100s and longer. Guess what is one of the main common factors?
You guessed it: it’s movement! They keep moving from morning until dawn, for most days in their lives.
Here’s why that helps them live longer:
Our DNA has an X shape and at the end of each strand, we have a cap, similar to one on a shoelace.
This protection cap is formed by telomeres.
What are telomeres and how do they contribute to staying strong and healthy?
Telomeres are key to our healthy or not so healthy aging process.They have the ability to regenerate and shrink. They shrink when we are experiencing stress and an unhealthy lifestyle, but they regenerate back to normal when we are in balance, moving and eating healthily.
If telomeres shrink to zero, this is a point with no return: your aging starts to accelerate and the illness phase starts.
At this point you have no way back.
It is so important to keep moving, so your telomeres keep regenerating and so you can have loads of energy and joy! Moving helps to keep stress levels low, so it’s another benefit towards the health of telomeres(and ourselves!).
How to start moving as a beginner?
I would recommend 5 easy to follow exercises, where you can adjust your levels of activity to your physical ability:
Swimming
This is a gentle and easy way to start to exercise, even if you have moving difficulties. Water resistance keeps our muscles working hard, calms your nerves down and burns calories.
Walking
This is the quickest and cheapest way to healthy telomeres, but it also gives your body and skin a boost of oxygen. You can adjust speed, difficulty level and distance to your ability. Start with short, easy distances and slowly add length and start to use small hills to change gears! Ask your friend or partner to join you or simply play your favorite music to make it a fun experience! Don’t forget your water bottle!
Cycling
You must think I am crazy! No, I meant cycling because today you can purchase an electric bicycle and use it to make your journey easy and enjoyable! Simply find a cyclist route or empty country lane and enjoy the smells and views of beautiful nature. It will work to make your lean muscles stronger, and endurance will grow within time!
Yoga
No,no no: I am not telling you to stand on your head on day 1! Start with shorter stretching classes and accept your level of stiffness. Find a piece of music you enjoy to accompany you in this journey and keep doing it!
I am not a flexible one, but as I know the benefits of yoga in all levels, I keep doing it. Stretching poses help to keep your joints more flexible and deliver blood and nutrients straight to your pain points. They also help to deliver collagen and elastin to joints.
Of course yoga is known as calming exercise too, so stress levels will drop and telomeres will regenerate!
Dance like nobody’s watching
Another free but enjoyable movement! You don’t need to be perfect: simply move with the flow of music and be one with it! You can fly with the wind, or flow with the rivers. You can become a bird, or a lion or a monkey: just go with your intuition and abilities and enjoy it.
Bonus: A restoring morning exercise routine
This is up to you, but I found it to be a very good way to wake up my body. I start with some stretching, some back and shoulder exercises, then lymph drainage massage and shoulder and head massage. Honestly, it gives me extra energy and I feel so ready for a new day. Full of energy and young!
Probably there are so many more opportunities to move, but these are my favorite ones. Apart from cycling! I have a normal bicycle, so I’m really working on my endurance when cycling up hills. I also enjoy tennis and some weight exercises, but it is next level! It’s always an opportunity to grow and achieve more!
I hope I inspired you to change your lifestyle, even with one simple routine or walk per day. Start with small changes and incorporate them in your lifestyle but most importantly – enjoy them!
Life is too short so let’s move, be young and full of joy!
Loads of love to you ,
Zane