Guro Faldli, 50 years old, hometown — Oslo, retired
About lifestyle
I believe it is never late to become healthy and improve the quality of life. Many older people now believe the older you are, the bigger the weight. Up to 40 years I never thought about my health and extra pounds. After 50 years, I do not go to the main job, earn money remotely. I began not to move so much and noticed it was hard to be on my feet for a long time, I became sicker. Then I paid attention to the global trend of proper nutrition and fitness.
In social networks a lot of personal trainers who talk about training for the elderly. So I found a program of exercises and set a goal to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Elderly people have special rules that must be taken into account. Totally changing the lifestyle also will be wrong. It is necessary to approach training gradually, otherwise, health problems will get worse. The very first step is to determine the goal, then consult with a doctor who will tell you about the level of training.
About diet
Fashionable diets for young people are not always suitable for fifty years. At our age, important to maintain muscle mass, find a nutrition plan. If you are taking medication, then better to discuss the program with your doctor. There may be contraindications. Therefore, important to choose a safe and effective way. For example, I had hypertension and was not allowed to take a lot of products containing sodium.
If you haven't thought about health in advance, then after 50 years it will be hard but not impossible. The first rule is to drink more water and eat foods that contain a lot of protein. For example, you can often include eggs, fish and chicken in the diet. Foods containing fibre will help regulate digestion. It can be fruits, vegetables, beans.
Three important rules — food, breath and sleep
Three important rules — food, breath and sleep. These are forgotten habits that we turn to at a later age.
About training
I picked up exercises on my own by trial and error. The body must be strong and mobile because I always want to feel good. I began to approach training more seriously only when I became older. But you can't overwork yourself. If you have been in great shape since youth, it will be a little easier. But your efforts at 20 are different from the ones you put in at 50. It will take more time to recover after training.
At our age, people are sedentary. I like to walk a lot. You can go for a walk twice a day, just to stretch the joints. A great exercise is swimming. And we must not forget about stretching. Overall I do my best to move my joints every day.
You just need to take your age and body and not lose interest in life, to active rest. But if you build a solid foundation over the years, it wouldn't be difficult to maintain it.
Elizabeth Ribas, 52 years old, the city of residence — Los Angeles, designer
About lifestyle
There are many ways to stay active even after 50 years. I realized I had missed the important thing to take care of myself only when I retired three years ago. And at this age, the fun is just beginning. More free time that can be spent usefully. I began to move more, and I had a lot of things to do around the house. Even this help to develop muscles.
I advise everyone to find an interesting hobby. I liked yoga. I tried to get in shape to feel more confident with my children. I started going to classes, fell in love with fitness and breathing exercises. And I always tell all my friends how cool it is to feel young and healthy even after 50 years.
Then I set a goal to focus on proper nutrition. Just removed from the diet of fatty foods and fast food. I began to eat more healthy food, natural products, I watch what we cook at home.
About health and training
One of the advantages of yoga at this age is that each achievement becomes the first. The first time I learned about some technique, the first time stood on the bridge or sat on the twine. It keeps you motivated.
I also started going to fitness with my daughter. Six weeks later, I felt my body change, and I lost a few pounds. I feel more confident and happier when I know that nothing hurts. To do this, you just have to try and pull yourself together. Do not think that old age is the limit of human capabilities. Mentally and physically, I feel better than ever after yoga. And every time I want to do more.
Do not think that old age is the limit of human capabilities
My advice is to find a sport or activity that you will love. Now a lot of options to spend leisure time. You can find a talent to swim or ride a bike, go hiking, run a distance or just engage with a coach in the gym. But do not force yourself to do anything. If it is hard and does not work, then find another way.
Sergio Herera, hometown — Santiago, Ironman
About lifestyle
I have always loved sports and an active lifestyle. In a young age, I ran for the school team, then played football. A little later strength training attracted me. But age began to affect even me, a sports person. It became hard for me to lose weight. Sometimes the lower back hurts and even morning workouts are not so pleasant because of the rapid fatigue. But it was important for me to focus on the goal.
At this age, it seems that you can only lie on the couch, watch TV, occasionally leaving the house. Perhaps, such rest will seem to someone tempting, but it didn't suit me. I began to train even more often than when I was 30. It's not even a question of beauty and toned body — it's a question of health. You will feel better, be able to move freely, lead an active lifestyle if you think about it in advance. We need to change our attitude and find like-minded people.It's not even a question of beauty and toned body — it's a question of health
About health and training
Health problems become more common after 60 years. Therefore, before the active class is better to undergo a medical examination. At my age, it's hard for me to do frequent training and harder to breathe. So I do the exercises moderately but often. Also, many joints need to be worked out longer than it was before. With age, muscle mass decreases due to slow metabolism. I added more strength training to my regimen. Try to walk more every day. Walking strengthens legs, burns calories and has a positive effect.
I was attracted to a new popular activity and became Ironman. I talked to the personal trainer, and we made the plan of training. I'm have involved in races at different distances for a couple of years.
I ran my first half marathon with a finish time of two hours and forty-four minutes. Running long distances gives a great load on the knees, joints, so I do not risk running a full marathon. But I am proud of myself, as it is one of the achievements of my long list.
I keep a system of reporting, record the time of classes and what I have achieved. It helps to move forward. I try to occupy my free time with something useful.
