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The Benefits of Exercise for Middle-Aged Men {Stats and Facts}

People think that your 40s and 50s are a time after your peak when your body starts to show signs of wear and tear. You see, by the time we’ve reached that milestone in our lives, we may not feel we have the energy or stamina to keep up with the younger crowd.

By all accounts, however, somebody who keeps up their fitness routine, eats well, and doesn’t smoke can maintain a healthy body and mind throughout their lives.

In fact, researchers are starting to realize that it’s not the number that tells us how old we are, but something else entirely. According to Time, “the concept of biological age, as opposed to chronological age, is gaining traction.”

In other words, it’s the way our bodies function, not the age itself, that determines how healthy we are. And the choices we make often affect how our body responds to this aging.

One of the best, and most beneficial, choices we can make is sticking to a daily workout schedule.

That doesn’t mean going to the gym for an hour as that becomes increasingly harder to do over the years. It means adjusting to a schedule that fits your needs and accommodates your changing lifestyle.

So here are just a few of the benefits that exercise provides during your 40s and 50s.

Benefits of Exercise for Middle-Aged Men

The 3 Benefits of Exercise for Middle-Aged Men

1. Better Living Later

A remarkable study began in 1970 by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Cooper Institute in Dallas, comparing the health of subjects in midlife to their health records from 1999-2009.

What they discovered was that subjects who were considered the least fit in middle age suffered from serious or chronic diseases earlier in life than those deemed the fittest.

While this may seem daunting to those that are already healthy, the fact is that if you continue your routine throughout your life, you have a greater chance of living longer without the pain and stress of chronic illnesses.

Keeping up the exercise now serves as a preventive measure, helping you maintain your lifestyle for a very long time. It means doing the things you want to do longer; and who doesn’t want that?

2. Decreased Mortality Rate

If you’ve never been one for exercise, that doesn’t mean you can’t start later in life and still reap the benefits.

Harvard Health Publishing references a study that asked American men and women between the ages of 45 and 64 if they possessed these four important health traits and habits: consumed five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables, didn’t smoke, weren’t obese, and maintained regular exercise.

Out of the 15,708 people studied, only 1,344 possessed all four.

Fortunately, the study followed the subjects six years later and found that another 970 now possessed all four traits, increasing the amount to over 2000.

So what did this mean for their health? A 40% lowered death rate than the subjects who did not change their lifestyle.

So, not only can you live longer without disease, you can live longer, period.

It’s studies like this that continue to support the age-old adage — the sooner, the better.

3. Stronger Heart

Our heart is the vessel that pumps blood through our body, but we see our heart as so much more than that.

It’s a life-giving, love-bringing, warm-feeling organ that we associate with all the best aspects of ourselves and others. When we care about someone, we heart them.

You see, caring for yourself is caring about your heart.

A study done by Dietrich Rothenbacher of the University of Heidelberg compared the differences of a group of 312 patients, ages 40-68, who suffered from coronary heart disease against 479 volunteers identical in age and sex.

The subjects who described themselves as being active throughout life saw a 60% decreased chance of getting heart disease while participants who said they started becoming active after age 40 saw a 55% decrease.

And if you think you have to start running to get results like this, just getting up and walking can have amazing benefits for your heart.

So treat your heart to a little bit of exercise. It’ll thank you for it.

It’s Never Too Late

By altering our exercise routine, even just slightly, it can have powerful repercussions down the line for our quality of life, longevity, and even just our heart.

And for additional help, Beachbody offers tips, reviews, and recipes that will have you feeling better than ever. It doesn’t take much to make a difference for your health.

So get up, get moving, and get living!

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Middle-Aged Men’s Health: How to Get in Shape and Boost Energy

middle-aged men's health

As many men reach their middle-aged years during their 40s and 50s, they also realize that their “middles” begin to swell up a bit.

Whether it’s from a few too many beers, a lack of exercise, or just simply a slowing metabolism, these pounds and inches can creep in faster than many of us would like to admit.

And, there is no pleasant way to find out that you have begun to top the scales: Your pants don’t fit, the belt doesn’t buckle like it used to, or you go in for your annual physical and discover the numbers on the scale have crept up yet a few more pounds.

The good news, however, is there are ways to prevent the pounds from increasing and get yourself in the best shape of your life! This is all while boosting your energy and stamina.

In fact, the following are five great tips that will get you started on your road to the health and fitness you desire.

5 Tips to Improve Middle-Aged Men’s Health

Get A Physical

The first and most important part of any new physical regime is to get cleared by your doctor to ensure there are no underlying health issues that could put you at risk.

After your check up, you’ll have the confidence to move forward and start putting in the work!

Determine The Plan – Including Both Nutrition & Workouts 

As they say, weight loss is 80% in the kitchen and 20% in the gym.

That’s absolutely true.

While cutting calories is a solution, going to the gym and eating a diet you can reasonably stick with long-term is an even better one. Actually, there are many great programs that can offer guidance and support. Beachbody is recently rising to the top as one of the best.

Why?

Because it’s a reasonable plan that the average person can live with while also including support for both nutrition and workouts. The makers of this program realize that those elements go hand-in-hand to losing weight and being healthy.

Choose A Program That Fits Your Goals 

Select a program that aligns with your lifestyle and goals. Are you looking to lose 10 pounds or 100-200 pounds? Tone up? Lose fat?

It’s important to identify a workout program and, subsequently, a diet style that meets your specific needs and will help you reach your desired goals.

Beachbody has approved over 20+ workout programs at all different fitness levels. This assures that you’ll find something that works for you regardless of your current fitness level.

As your body gets stronger and in shape, you can simply advance to a more challenging level to continue pushing yourself to greater heights!

Make Your Expectations Reasonable

Aim to keep your expectations reasonable to stay the course.

For example, saying that you will go to the gym for 2 hours a day is unrealistic, especially if it’s been a while. You have work, family, and other life commitments to balance.

So, setting yourself up with something so unreasonable will set you up for failure, frustration, and discouragement.

Instead, select a Beachbody approved program, all of which have workouts lasting from 20 – 60 minutes and are usually done 3-6 times per week. This includes days for rest and recovery.

Many of these programs are doable in terms of effort and time. Have at it!

Learn to Control Your Portions

Many programs emphasize great, fancy workouts or extreme eating plans. Although this may work short-term, it’s not a sustainable way to live.

In other words, it’s not a good lifestyle change.

Counting calories is often a grey area for many dieters as every source says that people need a different amount of calories. Some say 1,800 for the average male, some say, 2,000 – 2,500 for an active male.

Others say 2,000 is standard for an adult male or female.

The conflicting information can be confusing.

Rather than counting calories, simply control your portions. Pour your food into premeasured containers till the food is even at the top, dump it onto your plate and eat.

In fact, measure long enough and you will be able to simply eyeball your food and know what a “portion” is.

It’s Never too Late to Start the Path towards Better Health

These are just a few tips for middle-aged men’s health that will help start you on your path to great fitness, even in your 40s and 50s!

Remember to stick with it. Results will not come overnight, but they will be worth the effort!

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Top 5 Health and Fitness Tips for Men in their 40s

fitness tips for men in their 40s

Keeping a high fitness level is important at any age. Yet, men face a critical turning point in their lives once they get past their physical peaks.

But even if it can be difficult to get into shape, there are effective ways to craft a healthy lifestyle. This is essentially important for helping anyone get the most out of their 40s.

Instead of drastic overhauls and overly stringent regimens, men who create a realistic yet challenging workout routine will best position themselves to stay fit deep into their lives.

For anyone hoping to increase fitness and health levels, the following tips and guidelines can be a great starting point.

Health and Fitness Tips for Men in their 40s

Find a Good Fit for Your Body 

Not everyone is meant to be a marathon runner or a triathlon participant. By the time we’re in our 40s, many of us have to deal with any number of minor (or major) physical limitations, particularly with joint problems.

While running remains a terrific option for cardio, cycling can often be the better fit for anyone who deals with joint pain or lingering injuries. With less pressure placed on joints, cycling can give you all of the benefits of running without the unnecessary bodily stress.

After all, gutting out a few runs a week is admirable for someone who has joint issues. But being able to comfortably string together four or five cycling sessions a week is much better for your short and long-term health.

Cycling is not the only way to get some cardio without stressing out ailing joints.

For a truly low-impact cardio workout, it’s tough to beat the overall advantages of swimming. Swimmers show an increase in lung capacity while still burning plenty of calories. Consequently, this improves heart performance, weight loss, and other enhancements.

From P90 to Tai Cheng, there are also countless low-impact exercise classes you can join, providing plenty of opportunities to create a personalized routine built to last.

A range of Beachbody streaming classes can even let you find the right fit for both body and lifestyle. You’re able to workout wherever you are, ensuring that you rarely have a good excuse to skip a workout.

Time to Take Your Diet Seriously 

Many of us fly through our teens, 20s and 30s without having to worry too much about a healthy diet. This is especially for anyone who regularly stays active.

But that’s not a trend that remains intact for the long haul. You see, diet plays an increasingly important role in staying healthy as we age.

In fact, one of the biggest changes can be in relation to sodium levels. Older men are more susceptible to retaining water and developing heart disease associated with salt intake.

So, it’s important to find foods that are good substitutions for high-sodium meals. This is a simple and effective way to encourage long-term heart health without having to make any dramatic changes.

Additionally, you want to watch your fat intake. Make sure that you’re consuming more of the good fats – your mono- and polyunsaturated fats – and less of the bad ones – saturated fats!

Yet, many men also turn to supplements to make sure they’re getting all of the daily vitamins they need. Taking supplements to guarantee your body has enough Vitamin C, Vitamin E and zinc has shown to have benefits like helping to ward off ailments like age-related macular degeneration.

Let’s talk about bone health: there’s a big misconception that osteoporosis is mostly an issue facing women. But it can be just as big of a problem for men who don’t consume enough calcium.

An easy way to give your body a major boost is with the various protein shakes and hydration-enhancement products available through programs like Beachbody. They can easily help your body get into a healthy routine.

Otherwise, getting back to basics and making sure you eat enough vegetables – particularly the dark green variety – is an important step to toward getting the right nutrition.

Lengthen Stretching Routines 

It’s not exactly a secret that we get less and less limber as we get older. However, most don’t bother to make any changes in stretching to take this into consideration.

While experts suggest that those under 40 hold stretches for 30 seconds or so, older men should actually hold stretches up to a full minute. This ensure muscles are appropriately stretched out to perform at their best!

Actually, taking the time to properly stretch limbs can end up having a snowball effect on a workout. You’ll make them easier to get through and more effective in general.

Consistency and Being Realistic 

One of the biggest workout mistakes we often make is being inconsistent in our approach. We don’t make it a priority!  Unfortunately, this is a great way to limit your chances of truly getting into shape.

It’s great to test your endurance occasionally with an epic workout…we’re not stopping you from that! But, you’re much better off focusing on finding regular times and workouts you can easily slip into your everyday life.

Some men in their 40s try to force their way into a 5 a.m. workout regimen that’s not conducive to their existing lifestyle. Others will jump straight into a heavy workout that is not sustainable.

These unrealistic goals often end in defeat; ultimately increasing the likelihood of giving up entirely.

Instead, remaining patient with the process is much more important than attempting to be a workout hero. Successful workout routines are built around gradual and incremental increases in difficulty.

Get the Right Equipment 

Finding the appropriate equipment that will help keep you in shape has multiple advantages.

For starters, good sneakers are invaluable to just about anyone who wants to take health and fitness seriously. The last thing you need is another excuse not to workout, and those old sneakers that give you blisters when you hike or jog are sending the wrong message.

While you definitely don’t need to buy the most expensive and hippest sneakers on the market, having a comfortable pair that you don’t even have to think about is essential if you’re planning on doing most land-based workouts.

Also, many minor joint issues and physical ailments can be helped with simple items like a back, knee or ankle brace. Additionally, it isn’t a bad idea to make some sort of appropriate investment in your equipment, as this type of financial commitment can act as encouragement to stick with a workout routine.

In the grand scheme of things, spending a small amount extra to have the right equipment could turn out to be a very small price to pay if it increases your long-term health and fitness outlook.

Conclusion

Regardless of which tips you bring to your everyday life, it’s important to keep in mind that a positive lifestyle change is what yields the best overall benefits.

At the heart of the process is your personal mindset and ability to project over the longer term, which is why those who see the bigger picture tend to be at a distinct advantage.

But if you’re able to adopt a lifestyle you can honestly see yourself living six months or a year down the road, you’ll be well on your way to staying fit no matter what the aging process throws at you.