Muscle mass decreases, joint problems, bone problems and more health complications appear. Although at that age one usually has less energy and motivation, training at 40 is mandatory to prevent various health problems and feel better.
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“The improvement of the quality of life is the common denominator and is reflected in the attitudinal and motivational, regarding the predisposition to find enjoyment and learning in the bonds, tasks, responsibilities and in those moments of introspection and reflection with oneself. . Training is a habit and an optimal resource for preventing the deterioration of the physical and cognitive functions that are typical of the growth of human beings”, says Sofía Coria, a psychologist specializing in sports and physical activity.
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A study conducted at the School of Health and Environmental Sciences at Auckland University of Technology states that approximately 3.2 million people die every year from causes related to physical inactivity. The same research concluded that although life expectancy in older adults increased, chronic diseases also increased and levels of physical activity decreased.
Training is a habit and an optimal resource for the prevention of the deterioration of the physical and cognitive functions of the growth of human beings
For Coria, when beginning the regular practice of physical activity, one must first ask oneself: how am I doing? How I feel? How would I feel if I did this? What’s the worst that could happen? Then set goals that are difficult, but realistic; within a given period, but also appealing to flexibility. She explains to the professional that it could also be a good resource to start training accompanied by someone.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adults should engage in moderate aerobic physical activity for at least 150 to 300 minutes per week or vigorous physical activity for at least 75 to 150 minutes per week.
Regarding what intensity of exercise to do and what activities to practice, the sports doctor and member of the Board of Directors of the Argentine Association of Sports Doctors, Alejandra Hintze, points out: “The first thing to keep in mind is that the activity they choose is fun. , excite them and they can sustain it over time with desire. From that, you have to see what the frequency and intensity of training sessions are according to how fit you are physically to do that exercise. Finally, short-term objectives must be set; For example, if you start walking because you can’t run, then the goal is to walk for an hour and then move on to more ambitious goals.”
Hintze clarifies that in cases of people who go to consultations with professionals to see how to train and what physical conditions they are in, yes or yes, there should be an interdisciplinary communication with the coach, the sports doctor, kinesiologist, nutritionist and with diagnostic imaging. “When you have that team in place, you get any sudden situations that come up identified and treated, and you can also prevent future injuries,” she says.
The first thing to keep in mind is that the activity they choose amuses them, excites them and can sustain it over time with desire.
On the other hand, there is the possibility that at that age one is more inhibited to go to a gym or start training if in recent years they have become accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle, but fear has to be put aside and think about all the benefits that exercise will bring.
“There are people who overcome fear and come to the gym to change their lives. I try to teach them because it is never too late to learn. And in those cases I have to carry them as if they were going to crawl, I am aware that with them you have to go little by little, ”says Piperatta.
And he adds: “Here the fundamental thing is that you train to improve your quality of life, not for a physical reason. Today older people are taking great care of themselves; they take the training with more respect and consideration and know that it is a ’50 and 50′ compromise between the teacher and them”.
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Being so, For professionals, there are three types of physical abilities that have to be trained after the age of 40. In this article we explain what they are.
strength capacity
It can be defined as the ability to overcome external resistance through muscular effort or to exert tension against resistance. There is a wide variety of exercises and activities that can be done with your own body weight, without the need to use any accessories, and there are others to which weights or elements can be added.
For Francisco Piperatta –trainer, better known as ‘Oso Trainer’–, after 40 you have to work a lot on the core, which are the abdominal, lumbar, pelvic muscles, the gluteal muscles and the deep muscles of the spine. For this, he assures that strength work with repetitions is fundamental and avoid reaching the limit of exhausting yourself or injuring yourself.
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Common strength training activities include pilates, functional training, and weight training in the gym. As for specific exercises, you can do planks, push-ups, and biceps curls.
Aerobic resistance
It is the one that allows you to perform an activity or exercise for as long as possible. It specifically refers to breathing and the internal oxygen balance of the human body, as well as the different endurance rhythms that a person is capable of.
The best activities to train this ability are: walking, jogging, swimming, biking, and using a stair climber or elliptical machine.
Flexibility
It supposes the union of the concepts of articular mobility (possibility of movement of the joints) and muscular extensibility (capacity of elongation before traction forces). It allows movements of greater amplitude and, worked constantly, reduces the risk of injury and relieves muscle pain.
“The most important thing for older people is stretching (also known as ‘stretching’); it is key, because if you don’t cut back on movements, muscles and versatility is lost,” says Piperatta. Some activities to work on it are yoga or stretching.
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And to do specific exercises, the most common are: ankle movements, hip rotations, the bridge (yoga posture that consists of lying on your back on the floor with your knees bent) and abductor stretching (sitting on the floor, stretching your legs as far as possible and leaning your torso forward, without bending your knees) .
VICTORIA VERA ZICCARDI
THE NATION (ARGENTINA) – GDA
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