Most middle-aged and older adults are more than aware of the many health benefits that come with regular exercise and active living.
These benefits include:
- stronger muscles, ligaments and tendons,
- better heart-&-lung health,
- improved bone density,
- enhanced balance, coordination and mobility, as well as
- reduced risk of developing chronic diseases and ailments -including maladies like heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, stroke and various types of cancer.
As good as this may seem on the surface, unfortunately, there are also many in this population group who may actually be doing more harm than good to themselves by unknowingly committing various types of mistakes and errors in their own home exercise programs or outdoor fitness routines.
The following will explore some of these commonly-seen fitness mistakes made by many middle-aged and older folks, and how YOU can go about avoiding them so as to make the very most out of your own mid-life/senior workout regimes.
Mistake 1: Taking It Too Easy
Whether it's an unfounded fear of triggering an imminent medical emergency, or some irrational worry of health catastrophes descending upon them once they break into sweat, this senseless need to "bubble-wrap oneself up" is often unnecessary and unproductive in most cases.
Unless one truly has valid medical or clinical reasons to do so, there's absolutely NO reason for you to go super-easy or ultra-light on yourself just because of your calendar age!
As long as you are in good health and fine physical condition, and have been given prior medical clearance to engage in physical activities, it is perfectly fine to nudge yourself out of your comfort zone and push yourself occasionally, all the while still listening to your body and staying well within your physical limits!
Only when you do so, then would you truly be able to enjoy and reap the full benefits of your workout!
Otherwise, you'll be simply wasting your time and flushing your efforts down the drain!
If you're just starting out to exercise and unsure of what to do, or simply afraid of hurting yourself unwittingly, please do seek the advice of a Certified Senior/Older Adult Fitness Specialist who would be more than glad to help you get started on a suitable fitness program.
Mistake 2: Exercising Too Hard Or Overly-Intensely
This population segment include those who believe the hype that they are "forever young" or "ageless" in their bodies - regardless of the actual realities of aging facing them!
These individuals often have no qualms pushing themselves and going all-out when exercising in order to keep up with the "younger ones" in the gym, and treat every workout as a hardcore, do-or-die mission.
In the process, many end up succumbing to their own egos and exposing themselves to unnecessary risks, hazards, injuries or even DEATH!
Though there is always a time and a place for intense or vigorous exercises - especially for those who have already built a solid fitness foundation and who have steadily boosted their fitness over a period of time; as a general rule, any older adult/senior exercise program should always adhere to the mantra "Start Low and Go Slow" - particularly if the exerciser is new to exercising.
Throwing all caution to the wind and exercising fanatically or in a reckless manner, while in a state of constant denial or delusion over one's age, is akin to shooting oneself in the foot, and will only lead the person down the path of unnecessary pain, suffering and possibly even life-threatening episodes!
So readers - be forewarned!
Mistake 3: Lopsided Or One-Dimensional Fitness Approach
Typical examples include:
Doing brisk walking as the one and only exercise choice.
Practising Yoga/Pilates to the exclusion of all other physical activities.
Playing ONE particular favourite sport like tennis/golf/squash/swimming etc. and nothing else.
In truth, there's nothing wrong with any of the above activities in themselves.
Each has its own merits and health benefits.
However, when pursued as a single, dominant venture to the exclusion of all other fitness pursuits and activities, then exercising in such a manner does become a HUGE problem.
Not only will such a one-dimensional fitness approach often lead to many other vital fitness components being neglected, it will often also result in overuse injuries, muscle imbalances as well as bodily dysfunctions developing over time.
As an example of one such negative effect of adopting a lop-sided and imbalanced fitness approach, simply look around you.
Notice the huge number of mature individuals in our societies who claim to exercise regularly, but have only limited fitness in specific areas, for instance: those who have cardio fitness but NO strength, or strength but NO flexibility, or flexibility but NO mobility, or mobility but NO coordination/balance etc. etc. … the list goes on and on.
Thus, to ensure that one's fitness routine is well-balanced and all-rounded in nature, always seek to adopt a multi-faceted functional approach to exercise.
Mistake 4: Poor Exercise Form And Technique
And for many mid-life and older adults, working-out wrongly - especially when it comes to exercising with poor, shoddy form, or using incorrect or erroneous lifting techniques in the gym or at home - can actually do you MORE harm than good in the long run!
At the very best, working-out wrongly may just lead to a frustrating and ineffective exercise experience with little, if any, results to show.
At worst, it could potentially lead to long-lasting injuries or even serious endangerment to one's life!
So above all things, do make learning the right exercise form and the correct workout techniques a high priority in your fitness journey!
If unsure, scheduling a couple of sessions with a Certified Personal Trainer or a Professional Fitness Coach would go a long way in helping you to iron out the common mistakes in your training routine.
Mistake 5: Mimicking What's Trendy Or Popular
Much like the younger population nowadays, many mid-life and older adults today are also exposed and subjected to the insidious charms and bewitching influences of social media campaigns.
Think shirtless, sexy models, celebrities and influencers - showing more skin than professional credentials - demonstrating the latest workout craze or fad on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or any of the other popular social media platforms, and you'll get the idea.
Unfortunately, for our middle-aged and senior population, blindly imitating or mimicking such exercise moves and choreographies will more often than not lead to serious and disastrous repercussions.
Not only is the majority of exercises depicted on social media totally inappropriate for the typical mature adult in our society - whether in kind, type or intensity - many also make the false assumption that the viewer has a certain background or experience in fitness, which is often NOT the case for the majority of our mature population.
Moreover, many of these social media voices today often choose to propagate flawed, unscientific and even dangerous clichés like : "no pain, no gain", "train till you drop" , "more is better", "what doesn't kill you make you stronger", "sweat is your fat crying" etc. etc. Following such unsound and distorted advice will surely lead one down the slippery and dangerous path of no return! So do beware!
As a senior or older adult, exercise is one of the very best investments that you can undertake at this stage of your life.
However, you do need to keep all the above in mind, and be extra cautious when planning your fitness program in order not to fall prey to the above mistakes.
If you can do that while ensuring consistency, persistency, structure and balance in your exercise regime, then CONGRATULATIONS to you - for you'll be well on the way to adding years to your life, and life to your years!
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