Fitness, Health, Lifestyle by Maggie Callahan / June 2, 2015

Five Safe Workouts for Anyone Over 40 Staying Fit Without Pain

3.) Restorative yoga.


While quieting your mental noise, this workout combines gentle lengthening and strengthening poses and postures. This beneficial stretching has been shown to be valuable to spine health, which can’t be overemphasized as you age. Without a healthy back, your overall range of motion is going to suffer dramatically, making simple everyday movements painful and difficult. “Having a healthy, flexible spine is not just about maintain good posture,” Meghan Covington, owner of Mind Body Fitness NYC. “It’s about improving quality of life in the long run.” Yoga is also an ideal choice if you’re looking to reduce those aches and pains of aging. Newbies should try a class with a registered yoga teacher to get the full rewards of the poses. Instructors can offer important modifications to anyone with injuries to help strengthen and prevent future occurrences.

4.) Cycling.

Jumping on a bike is another low-impact exercise that can get you reaping you the benefits of a healthy heart and toned muscles. With a properly fitted bicycle, recreational riding is gentle on the joints and easier on the body than running, with less muscle damage and soreness.

It’s a great workout for your legs and butt, and you can choose to ride on some hills or mountains if you want to get your upper body in on the action, too.

Along with walking, cycling is easy to incorporate into your daily routine – an implementation that can very positively affect your mental state and mood. The University of Reading in England, with other institutions, is conducting a study looking at the positive impacts of cycling on the 50 + population’ independence, wellbeing, and health, as well as trying to find ways to make cycling more inviting to older populations.

You can try a group spin class, although these will be more impactful than a simple ride through the park; you can ride along a scenic bike path; or you can even use a stationary bike in your living room.

5.) Core stability exercises.

Everyone can benefit from a little core stability work. These exercises are ideal for not only strengthening and reducing your gut, but for keeping your back healthy.

Movements that focus on the core are often used in rehabilitation programs for people who have suffered from lower back pain and problems. These exercises, like crunches, lower back raises, or planks, for example, are perfect on their own or as part of a larger exercise routine.

Princeton University’s Health Services has an entire program designed to help people who want to reverse or prevent lower back pain. It’s divided into flexibility and strengthening exercises so you can choose the area that you need to focus on the most.