{"id":3173,"date":"2020-02-09T13:47:22","date_gmt":"2020-02-09T13:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hitzoneglobal.com\/?p=1668"},"modified":"2023-07-28T18:14:56","modified_gmt":"2023-07-28T17:14:56","slug":"its-never-too-late-to-start-exercising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hitsona.com\/blog\/its-never-too-late-to-start-exercising\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s never too late to start exercising"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exercise has benefits no matter what age you start at, and you don\u2019t need to be spending hours in the gym in order to make a positive difference.\u00a0 As you can see from the photograph above, HITZone members range from the young in body to the young at heart!<\/p>\n

The NHS state that \u2018older adults should do some type of physical activity every day\u2019 and \u2018at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active.\u2019<\/p>\n

75 minutes of vigorous activity is 3 HITZone sessions per week, which is exactly what we recommend to our members.<\/p>\n

Exercise can help you manage health conditions, reduce stress, improve stamina and balance. However, it is not all health and fitness, there is also a social side to exercise and many friendships have formed as a result of people training together in group sessions.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, many people believe that they are too old to start something new or feel that they are too frail to be active.\u00a0 At HITZone we disagree. Low impact workouts that are carefully monitored by professional physical trainers (PTs) can be designed to push each individual to their own limit and not beyond \u2013 no matter your current physical ability.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at some myths around age and exercise.<\/p>\n

Myth 1 \u2013 I am too frail to be active<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Cambridge Dictionary defines frailty as \u2018physically weak or easily damaged.\u2019 There is no doubt that getting older can lead to weakness which in turn can lead to being more prone to injury. However, the NHS state that inactivity accelerates the frailty process resulting in more muscle loss, especially in the legs, chest and heart muscles. The advice given \u2013 keep active!<\/p>\n

Older people are the least active of all the age groups and it is estimated that 20-30% of people over 75 are frail – these facts are related. The benefits of exercise are clear with regard to improving health. As you age, remaining physically active has a profound effect on your psychosocial and psychological wellbeing, it is the best way to reduce frailty and maintain independence.<\/p>\n

Myth 2 \u2013 I am too old to make a start<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exercise should be a part of your lifestyle at any age and it is never too late to enhance your health and fitness. A number of studies show that people in their 80\u2019s and 90\u2019s can still make improvements to their strength, cardiovascular fitness and balance. \u00a0In fact, even if you have never worked out before, a study published by Frontiers in Physiology<\/em> has found that untrained older individuals still have the same ability to build muscle as endurance-trained master athletes. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Myth 3<\/strong> \u2013 I am unable to exercise due to chronic pain<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chronic pain can be caused by multiple factors. These can vary from normal aging (wear and tear) which can affect the bones and joints, to other common triggers such as disease or damage from injuries that fail to heal correctly.<\/p>\n

MedicalNewsToday have stated that aerobic exercise, resistance training and group exercise are all helpful in the treatment of chronic pain.<\/p>\n