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Business News/ News / Business Of Life/  Fighting fit at 40
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Fighting fit at 40

The body of a 40-plus person needs a smarter level of attention to stay fit

Always end a workout with lengthening stretches to prevent muscle strain and stiffness.Premium
Always end a workout with lengthening stretches to prevent muscle strain and stiffness.

OTHERS :

There is a lot you can do to improve your fitness even after you have hit 40. As far as health is concerned, you are clearly in a much better and more experienced place and ideally should be better aware of your fitness capabilities.

Some of you might have maintained your health so well that you can still play competitive tennis, or have struck off climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania from your bucket list. Most of you would have by now a fair idea and a strong sense, for instance, of the nutritional practices you can follow to keep trim and fit, and those that just don’t suit your health and make you gain weight easily. Some of you might have realized by now that if you stick to regular meal timings and have breakfast every day, you have more energy to play football with your six-year-old, while others might have figured out that if you limit the intake of fries, chips and desserts, and increase the intake of high-fibre foods like oats, brown rice, vegetable salads, almonds and broccoli, you will improve your blood cholesterol profiles.

Many of you might have come to terms with the fact that unless you get 6-8 hours of undisturbed sleep, it’s difficult for you to focus well at work and not binge-eat. Sleep deprivation can increase appetite.

After you reach 40, your body is a different entity. Let’s face it, the body of a 40-plus person would have gone through its fair share of wear and tear. Vital organs like the liver, heart, spinal structures, knee and elbow joints have all been working 24x7, day in and day out, and now need a smarter level of attention to stay fit.

Here are five things you can do to stall wear and tear and continue to stay healthy and fit.

u First things first, strengthen your posture and spine. Maintain a strong, sturdy and symmetrical body alignment when you exercise, sit to work on your computer, and walk. Avoid slouching. If you have been sloppy, chances are that you could experience muscle cramps, the odd back or knee niggle, now and again. Asymmetrical postures stress one side more than the other and lead to pains and strains on the side that is stressed. Try Pilates or balance training and yoga to improve your posture.

u Stay hydrated. Drink a glass of water every hour that you are awake to maximize nutrient intake and maintain peak kidney function. Make no mistake, vegetable juice, green tea and other beverages are not to be counted as contributing to hydration status.

u Ensure that your diet has a high intake of superfoods like broccoli, mushroom, pomegranate, eggs, fish, purple cabbage, tomatoes, almonds and flaxseed. Have eggs at least four times a week and fish like mackerel, rawas or Indian salmon, at least three times a week, to improve heart health. Include two-three servings of vegetables daily for antioxidant protection and to regulate blood pressure.

u Focus on building muscles as they keep the bones strong and prevent you from storing fat. Excess fat does much more than affect heart health; it stores toxins, strains liver and kidney function, upsets insulin metabolism, and increases the risk of diabetes. Take up a basic programme of weight training at least three times per week or, if you prefer, cardio. Then look at some high-intensity Interval Training to preserve muscle as you build endurance levels. Always end workouts with some lengthening stretches to prevent muscle strain and stiffness.

u Use a pedometer and take at least 10,000-15,000 steps a day to stay active. Learn the best technique for walking athletically. Walking is something you can do even if you travel frequently.

Madhuri Ruia is a nutritionist and Pilates expert. She runs InteGym in Mumbai, which advocates workouts with healthy diets.

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Published: 23 Mar 2015, 06:20 PM IST
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