Slow and steady wins the race
Struggling to fasten the buttons on a waistband, the glimpse of an emerging paunch, or a sudden realization that climbing the stairs feels like taking on Everest; whatever the catalyst, an increasing number of flabby, forty something men are shaking off their sedentary lifestyles
and embracing a program of high-intensity exercise.
The first step toward achieving any fitness goal is believing that you can. No matter what the odds, you must remember that people just like you have made incredible transformations, so there’s no reason you can’t.
Sometimes men in their 40s may find themselves having a routine medical or health check and will discover their blood pressure or cholesterol is on the high side. This acts as a wake up call and they throw themselves into exercising and taking on challenges such as 5k or 10k runs. However, an excessive, vigorous and unsupervised exercise routine might not be as healthy as it seems. Emerging science suggests there is a threshold of distance, intensity or duration for even the hardiest fitness fanatics and overshooting this can have a serious impact, particularly on cardiovascular health. A study presented at the American Academy of Family Physicians found middle-aged men who run marathons are at significantly greater risk of cardiac arrest.
As we get older the efficiency with which the heart pumps blood round the body and the way both the heart and the muscles use oxygen in the blood changes and becomes less efficient. The arteries start to fur up and narrow as part of the aging process, undertaking vigorous exercise without building it up in a calm fashion can cause a dramatic rise in blood pressure, leading to an imbalance between the demand of the heart muscle for oxygen and the ability of the coronary arteries to supply it. All of which could trigger a heart attack.
So take it slow, there is no need to jump the gun and jump into an intense boot camp or marathon. Give yoga a try to help stretch out your muscles and if you feel too embarrassed to join a class, drag a friend or significant other along. Take a low intensity muscle building class or work with a personal trainer to help you understand your body more and your movements to help prevent injury. Whatever you decide to do, remember you may feel like your 20 but your body is not so take care of it and don’t rush into any vigorous activity.
Come by Morefit Health Club and check out a class or two!!
