How To Get Fitter As You Age

As we get older it is generally considered that every aspect of our health and fitness will deteriorate. Whilst that is partly true there are examples to be found everywhere that remind us that age really is just a number.

A famous example of this is the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. He has recently had a medical at Italian giants Juventus following his £105 million transfer from Real Madrid and despite his age of 33 he has recorded fitness levels of a 20-year-old athlete, as well as a lower body fat percentage and higher muscle mass than most professional athletes. This is all following the record he set at the recent World Cup for the top speed recorded (21.1mph). How does he achieve all this?

Well depending on your fitness levels when you were at college, it is very possible to become even fitter at 30 years of age, or even 40 to 50 years of age. How is that possible? There are a lot of factors and your health and staying free of serious illness do play important roles in it but there are things you can do in your day to day life that will help you continue to improve as you age.

Exercise Regularly

Life can get in the way and prevent you from being as active as you’d like to be, but regular exercise has to be made a priority in order to become as fit and healthy as possible. Even if you have to train at the crack of dawn, make time to train and the regularly the better. Aim for 3 times per week on a slow week but 4-5 times would be more ideal.

Limit Bad Food/Drink

None of us are perfect. You can’t eat 100% healthily 100% of the time. It just doesn’t work and it isn’t sustainable. You might be able to do it when getting ready for a deadline like a competition or photo shoot, but other than that you need to regularly have things you enjoy that aren’t normally considered health, such as cheat meals, snacks and alcohol. You’ll get out what you put into your body, so the better the fuel, the better the results.

Be More Active

Not just great for burning calories but the more active you are, the fitter your body will become. On rest days from training you can use them as “active rest” and do things that involve a bit of walking, swimming, etc that will keep your muscles loose and flexible and will train your body to be more comfortable with increased amounts of exertion.

Lead A Healthier Lifestyle

Nowadays most top athletes follow strict diet and training plans to maintain their physiques and perform at optimum performance. Yes, they have budgets that most of us can only dream of but that’s not important as it can also be achieved on a similar level with much smaller budgets. What they have is the dedication to make it part of their lifestyle. To better yourself you need to live a lifestyle that supports your health and fitness goals.

Remove Daily Stressers

Stress is one of the biggest killers and can contribute to all kinds of illnesses. Remove triggers and aspects of your lifestyle that affect your health and happiness. Whether it’s work, people or things, everything that negatively impacts your life should be removed if possible. This will make a fundamental change to your lifestyle and positively impact your health and fitness goals along with your happiness.

Another positive example is 75-year-old Heinz Werner Bongard. This veteran bodybuilder from Germany is living proof that age is not an excuse for poor health and fitness. Living a lifestyle that supports your goals and gives you a better quality of life will make sure that you stay fitter and healthier well into old age!