We are looking at the
five most common senior fitness
mistakes.
#3 –
Neglecting Balance
If you are
exercising regularly, your workout program probably consists mainly of
cardiovascular exercise with perhaps a little strength training mixed
in. This is a good start, but don’t forget to add in some balancing exercises.
Your balance will
deteriorate as you age if you don’t use it. Throwing in five or ten
minutes a day of balance training can
help counter that. Better balance can also improve the overall quality
of your workouts because it allows you to do more difficult exercises
without feeling unstable.
#4 –
Using the Wrong Weight
This mistake can
be somewhat comical to observe. When strength training, men often tend
to use too much weight. This is pretty common for males of all ages. We
want be the strongest person in the room, and we want everyone else to
notice our weight-lifting prowess.
Unfortunately,
lifting a heavier weight often comes at the expense of actually doing
the exercise correctly. So next time you’re lifting, ask yourself, “If
I were using a little lighter weight, would my form be any better?” If
the answer is yes, use the lighter weight.
Women, on the
other hand, tend to use too light of a weight. This often comes from
the misguided notion that if they use too much, they will bulk up and
have ugly, enormous muscles. This is quite unlikely, especially for
seniors.
The muscular women
you may have seen in magazines probably lift weights every day for an
hour, and then go home to have a protein shake, a whole chicken, a
steak, a can of tuna, and perhaps a steroids cocktail to wash it down.
You are not going to turn into that woman just by using a four-pound
dumbbell twice a week.
If you are doing
an exercise for a set of fifteen reps, and you get done with the set
and feel like you could have done five more reps without a problem, you
need to use a heavier weight. You should feel your muscle getting tired
by the end of your set.
#5 –
Starting Too Late
It is very common for
people to only start exercising once their doctor tells them their
cholesterol or blood pressure is too high and they better get moving.
Why not try to prevent these things from happening? Instead of waiting
until you can’t stand to look at yourself in the mirror, why not start
exercising now so you never get to that point?
If you haven’t
been working out lately, it’s not too late. Start now. The sooner, the
better. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
Senior
Fitness Mistakes - Part 1
Senior Exercise
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