Aging is a normal and healthy process in life. Getting older means gaining experience, appreciation, and most importantly that you are still able to enjoy life and your loved ones. But for as many great qualities come with age, several doubts surface as well.
Menopause does change your body, and it can often disrupt your self-confidence. Slowed metabolism, weight gain, and reduced muscle mass are all symptoms associated with menopause that can make you lose sight of the Superwoman that you truly are.
The end result is a huge myth surrounding fitness for older women.
The Myth: You’re Too Old to Exercise
As we age, we lose muscle mass and can often feel that our physical abilities are not as they once were. This leads many people to think that you can get too old for exercise. Unfortunately, society falsely believes that older people, especially women, should no longer exercise.
A lot of the misconceptions surround injury, that once you’ve gone through menopause you can no longer handle the activity. It all stems from the idea that the human body does not need as much physical activity as it ages, and that older women are too frail for exercise. The myth is that exercise is even a hazard for older people because of their increased risk of injury.
The notion that women over 48 don’t need exercise and are just likely to get hurt is a MYTH! Yes, as you age your body will change. It may not be smart for you to engage in high-impact or combative activities at that stage. But the idea that you cannot exercise without getting injured is false.
Here’s why.
Lack of Physical Activity Contributes to Physical Decline
According to Better Health by the Australian Government, researchers estimate that half of the physical decline associated with age may be due to lack of physical activity! This means that yes, some physical decline is inevitable with age, but a large part is the direct result of a lack of physical activity. The very myths that perpetuate sedentary behavior in aging women are what contribute to their physical decline.
No matter how old you are, the human body craves and responds to, physical activity. When older women do not exercise, they are more likely to experience health problems including:
- Reduced muscle mass, strength, and physical endurance.
- Lower coordination and balance.
- Increased body fat.
- Reduced bone strength.
- Higher blood pressure.
- Higher risk of mood disorders.
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
- Reduced joint flexibility and respiratory function.
The truth about exercise for older women could not be further from the myths! Lack of exercise contributes to physical decline that can actually result in injury.
Exercise Benefits the Older Body
Fitness is incredibly beneficial to the mature female body. It helps your body in many ways that prevent physical decline and keep you as healthy as possible. One way exercise helps older women is by preserving muscle. The average body loses about 6.6lbs of lean muscle every decade from age. Actively working on strengthening will help preserve muscle mass which in turn prevents helps speed metabolism and prevent injury.
Exercise for older women also helps bone density and joints. Bone density drastically declines after 40 and speeds up around 50. Joints that do not move enough are not supple or healthy. The bone loss increases susceptibility to bone fractures. Exercise can reduce the risk of bone loss and osteoporosis, and it also helps those with arthritis.
Working out is critical for controlling body fat. Body fat is correlated with several diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Frequent fitness boosts muscle mass and increases metabolism which help control body fat.
Lungs and heart. Moderate exercise is known for its cardiovascular benefits, which is important for the health and functionality of the heart and lungs.
Proper Exercise Does Not Increase Your Risk of Injury
Many Superwomen create a large barrier to exercise with fear of injury. They want to be more active and start their body transformation, but they are afraid to get an injury. As an older adult, injury can mean time missing work, trouble with house chores and daily functioning, and difficulty spending time with kids and grandchildren. It’s understandable that you’d be cautious of injury, especially if you’ve sustained an injury in the past.
In reality, you are not more likely to get injured from proper exercise as you age. One 12-month study examined the “fear of injury” barrier to exercise reported by older adults. A previously sedentary community of older adults participated in a supervised older adult education exercise program. What they found is that “older adults taking up exercise are not at increased risk of injury.”
That’s right. According to the research, there is no significant difference in the fitness injury incident rate between younger adults and older adults.
Proper Exercise Does Not Increase Your Risk of Injury
Even though exercise can help older adults in many ways, it does carry a normal risk for injury. Fortunately, working out can be used to correct imbalances, resolve injuries, and prevent future injuries in women over 48.
Many of the injuries sustained during fitness are due to improper form or strength imbalances. Here are some of the common injuries that women over 48 experience and how to correct them according to experts:
- Low back pain. The cause is overextending or arching. The solution is increasing core strength and staying more active (sitting deconditions your abs and glutes).
- Knee problems. The cause is rushing back into high-intensity workouts after a long period of inactivity. The solution is slowly progressing conditioning and strengthening.
- Shoulder injuries. The cause is often heavy, highly repetitive exercises. The solution is to lower the weights and mix up your workouts to avoid too much repetition.
- Hamstring pulls. The cause is participation in team sports without additional strength training. The solution is hamstring-strengthening exercises like the Nordic hamstring curl.
- Plantar fasciitis. The cause is a lot of standing during work or jumping during workouts, as well as calf/heel tightness. The solution is to stretch calved before exercise and massaging your foot with a ball.
The Body Transformation Truth
The truth about fitness-related injuries in women over 48: injuries do happen regardless of age, but proper exercise decreases the likelihood of injuries and is essential for your overall health.
Fear of injury is one of the biggest barriers to exercise that women over 48 face. There is a valid reason to be concerned. Without proper training and technique, you are prone to injury. That’s why you need a body transformation plan and coach committed to your success. Realize your body transformation truth and become the Superwoman you really are inside and out today. Sign up for The Body Academy today to start your body transformation journey with a knowledgeable coach!
