For fitness, age is no bar

A lot of advice on healthy living these days seems to be directed at working professionals. Perhaps the assumption is that people in their fifties have slowed down on their own, with job stress reducing in the senior. Nothing, however, can be further than the truth.

People in their fifties should be conscious of what they eat and make an effort to exercise regularly. Women especially need to take care since their bodies undergo a lot of changes after menopause.

Fitness is the key to healthy ageing. Regular exercise along with healthy diet helps keep fit and thwart many ailments of old age. Exercise and diet can even overturn signs of ageing. It is not only good for the body but also boosts memory and uplifts the mood.

There are numerous ways to get livelier, energetic, active, and boost fitness levels. Here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Eat a low-calorie diet. Eat only when you feel hungry, avoid overeating, and aim for frequent small meals. This will be in sync with slowed metabolism and beneficial in ailments like diabetes.
2. An exercise routine of at least 30 minutes a day is very important. Add easy exercises like brisk walking, slow jogging, or yoga to your daily routine. Walking is the best exercise for osteoporosis, which is common in postmenopausal women.
3. Add 10 minutes of stretching session before exercising. This will improve flexibility.
4. Avoid junk food, and processed food with preservatives completely. Fruits and vegetables are vital for women in this age. They are full of antioxidants that help fight against ageing and a number of diseases. Add nutritional supplements to the diet. Women at this age mostly need calcium, vitamin D, and B12 supplements.
5. Do not fast. Fasting leads to low sugar and energy levels. This can leave women tired, fatigued, and sick.
6. Louise Hay, author of You Can Heal Your Life, learnt dancing at the age of 87. Learn new things, which you wished to do while you were younger but could not, like dancing, gardening, singing or painting. It is never too late. This adds happiness to life.
7. Exercise and correct diet will also help you manage any condition you may have such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension or osteoporosis.
8. Do consult your doctor before trying out any new diet or exercise. Get regular check-ups done. It would be amazing for all you lovely ladies to see yourselves getting more fit and awesome at every medical check-up.