Today we want to share some cool fitness apps and talk about the importance of staying active. For those of you in your later years, there are still countless ways you can stay active. Why not let technology help motivate you? With fitness apps, you can make your own exercise routine, while getting help from professionals and doing video classes. Doing the things you love doesn’t have to stop as you start to get older. You can even carry on your fitness routine from your living room.
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Fitness Apps
Fitness apps can be particularly helpful because sometimes it’s that little reminder you need to get motivated. They also monitor your progress and you can share this with a new community of active friends.
- MyFitnessPal
For those of you keen on keeping trim, this app allows you to control your diet as well as your fitness routine. You can enter all your food and drink for the day and MyFitnessPal helps you to make a weight loss journal. It shows you how to count calories and offers many healthy recipe suggestions. It’s a great accompaniment to your exercise classes.
- Fitbit
Fitbit is a great all-rounder and that’s why they’re so popular. They can help you monitor your weight, your activity, and even your sleep. The app is free for both iOS and Android but you will need to buy the accessory tracker, usually in the form of a smartwatch. There is a full range of sleek and stylish trackers, so it works as a fashion accessory.
- Fitocracy
Fitocracy has more of a social and gaming element to it. You can connect with people doing similar activities to you and compare them. This is very fun and encouraging, as you get to share your progress. It’s personalized to your very own training regime and you can set your own mini-goals. When you achieve them, you get points.
- Strava
This app has become very popular with the more mature generation and it includes a social aspect as well. You can connect to groups of runners or cyclists for example, and become part of a community. Strava also tracks your location, speed, and performance. Strava has a very affordable premium version for $5/￡3.99 a month, which offers more advanced features and the possibility to get live feedback on compatible devices. It also monitors your safety as well as your performance in realtime.
- From Couch to 5k
This app aims to convert couch potatoes into runners in just 9 weeks. From Couch to 5k creates a training program for you, of short periods of exercise, so only 20-30minutes, three times per week for example. You build up from walking to jogging, to eventually running the full 5km. The app breaks up your training course into manageable steps and its philosophy is that anyone can get into fitness, even if they have no experience.
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Types of Exercise
Whatever your age, it’s vital that you get in enough cardio. If you’re active already, it’s recommendable to do 75 minutes of vigorous cardio a week. An easy way to fit this in is with five 30 minute sessions. Things that fit into this category include team sports, running, dancing and brisk walking. You can find more information online on the physical guidelines. Doing exercises to help improve your strength, balance and, flexibility will keep you confident on your feet for years longer. Why not try out activities to focus on these areas? Tai chi and yoga are fantastic for all-round strengthening and balance exercises. There are plenty of video tutorials available online. Why take an online dance tutorial? This can be a fun new hobby to try out with your partner, or if not it’s a great way to meet people. There are many health benefits as well. It works as a good cardio option.
The Importance of Staying Active
Maintaining a level of fitness is beneficial to both your physical and mental health. If you’re having trouble getting motivated, it’s a good idea to set yourself goals, big or small, and it’ll be very rewarding when you achieve them. Test your limits, and whatever the sport, you’ll be an inspiration to everyone around you. There are plenty of benefits to staying active. Here are some of the advantages.
- Improve Your Mental Well-being
Staying active can improve your mood. It’s proven that people who exercise more have more energy and feel more centered. It can also help raise your self-esteem and confidence. Why not set a goal like a charity run or other sponsored event? This will help to motivate you and when you’ve completed the training you’ll get a real sense of achievement.
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Reduce Stress
Relax and de-stress. Exercise is first on the list of recommendations for anyone who’s looking to reduce their stress. Take some time for yourself. Go out walking or running in the countryside which will bring you some perspective and help you to clear your mind. Consider even going off the grid so switch of your phone for a few hours while you’re exercising. Once you’ve had a quick time out, coming back to your family and friends will be much easier to deal with.
- Get An Energy Boost
Doing exercise boosts your energy during the day. You’ll find that instead of being tired afterward you’ll have an abundance of energy. The more active you are the more energy you will have for longer. You will be a lot stronger for years to come and can spend more time traveling, with your family and carrying on with sports and hobbies.
Find new ways to stay active if you feel like you’re up to the next challenge, and don’t get stuck in a rut. Do what you can to stay motivated, it will give you the opportunity to have fun with your family and friends for as long as possible. Always stay safe and see advice from your doctor if you have any concerns. It’s perfectly possible to get medical advice and NHS prescriptions online, so don’t worry if you aren’t able to speak to them in person.
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