What is Functional Fitness?

Functional fitness is a type of training that focuses on movements that mimic activities we perform in our daily lives. Think about bending down to pick up a child, carrying groceries, or climbing stairs. These actions require a combination of strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination — all of which are developed through functional fitness exercises.

The Benefits of Functional Fitness

Improved Everyday Movement

From carrying groceries to playing with your kids, functional fitness hones the movements that underpin your daily life. By strengthening the muscles and patterns involved in these activities, you enhance your ability to perform them with ease and reduce your risk of injuries.

Enhanced Athletic Performance

Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a weekend warrior, functional fitness elevates your game. By developing strength, power, agility, and coordination, you gain a competitive edge and unlock your full athletic potential.

Increased Core Strength

A strong core serves as the foundation for virtually all movement. Functional fitness exercises inherently engage your core muscles, fostering stability, balance, and improved posture.

Improved Balance and Coordination

Functional fitness challenges you to move in multiple planes and directions, refining your balance and coordination. This translates to better agility, graceful movements, and reduced risk of falls.

Boosted Metabolism

Functional fitness workouts are often high-intensity, involving compound movements that engage large muscle groups. This elevates your heart rate, ignites calorie burn and boosts your metabolism, even after the workout ends.

Mental Acuity

The dynamic nature of functional fitness requires focus and concentration. This mental engagement can enhance your cognitive function, improve reaction time, and foster a greater mind-body connection.

Adaptability and Versatility

Functional fitness isn’t confined to a gym or specific equipment. You can adapt the exercises to any setting and fitness level, making it a versatile approach that caters to your individual needs and preferences.

Fun and Engaging

Say goodbye to monotonous gym routines. Functional fitness injects fun and variety into your workouts, keeping you motivated and engaged in your fitness journey.

Embracing the Power of Functional Fitness

From enhancing everyday movements to elevating athletic performance, functional fitness offers a plethora of benefits that extend far beyond the gym. By mimicking real-life movements and challenging your body in new and dynamic ways, you cultivate strength, agility, balance, and overall well-being. Let the power of functional fitness unlock your full potential for a healthier, more active, and fulfilling life.

Basic Functional Fitness Movements

Here are a few foundational movements that are often incorporated into functional fitness routines. These movements engage multiple muscle groups and challenge your body in ways that translate to real-world activities.

• Squats: A fundamental movement that strengthens your legs, glutes, and core. Squats mimic the action of sitting down and standing up, which is something we do countless times throughout the day.
• Lunges: Another great exercise for lower body strength and balance. Lunges simulate the motion of walking and running and can improve your stability and coordination.
• Push-ups: A classic exercise that works your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. Push-ups are a functional movement that helps you push objects away from your body.
• Pull-ups: This exercise strengthens your back, biceps, and forearms. Pull-ups are a functional movement that mimics the action of pulling yourself up or lifting objects towards your body.
• Planks: A core-strengthening exercise that challenges your entire body. Planks improve your stability and can help reduce back pain.

Getting Started with Functional Fitness

Embarking on a functional fitness journey is an empowering decision towards a life of greater physical capability and overall well-being. 

Unlike traditional gym workouts that often isolate specific muscle groups, functional fitness focuses on movements that mimic real-life activities, making your body stronger and more adaptable for the challenges you face every day. Whether it’s carrying groceries, playing with your kids, or simply moving with ease and confidence, functional fitness equips you with the tools to excel.

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However, like any new endeavor, it’s important to approach functional fitness with the right mindset and strategies. Here are some key principles to guide you as you get started:

1. Start Slow and Steady

Think of your functional fitness journey as a marathon, not a sprint. Especially if you’re new to exercise or returning after a break, it’s crucial to begin with a foundation of bodyweight exercises. These movements, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks, engage multiple muscle groups and build core strength without the need for additional equipment. As your body adapts and gets stronger, you can gradually increase the intensity by adding weights, resistance bands, or more complex exercises.

Remember, the goal is to progress sustainably. Pushing yourself too hard too soon can lead to injuries and setbacks, hindering your long-term progress. Listen to your body, respect its signals, and prioritize rest and recovery.

2. Prioritize Proper Form

In functional fitness, the quality of your movement is paramount. Proper form ensures that you’re targeting the right muscles, maximizing the benefits of each exercise, and minimizing the risk of injury. It’s worth investing in a few sessions with a qualified trainer to learn the correct techniques for foundational movements. A trainer can also assess your individual strengths and weaknesses, tailoring a program that suits your needs and goals.

As you progress, be mindful of maintaining good form even as you increase the intensity. It’s better to perform fewer repetitions with perfect technique than to rush through a set with compromised form. Remember, functional fitness is about building sustainable strength and movement patterns, not simply achieving a certain number of reps.

3. Embrace Variety and Enjoy the Journey

One of the most exciting aspects of functional fitness is the sheer diversity of exercises and training modalities available. From kettlebell swings and medicine ball slams to bodyweight circuits and agility drills, there’s something to challenge and inspire everyone. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and explore different movements.

Mixing up your workouts not only prevents boredom but also stimulates different muscle groups, promotes overall fitness, and challenges your body in new ways. You might discover hidden talents or passions you never knew you had! The key is to find activities you enjoy and that keep you motivated to show up consistently.

4. Listen to Your Body’s Wisdom

Your body is an intelligent system, constantly communicating its needs and limitations. Pay attention to any pain or discomfort during your workouts. If something doesn’t feel right, stop and reassess. It’s okay to modify exercises, take a break, or even skip a workout if your body needs rest.

Remember, fitness is a lifelong journey, not a destination. Pushing through pain can lead to injuries that sideline you for weeks or even months. By honoring your body’s signals and prioritizing recovery, you’ll ensure a sustainable and enjoyable fitness experience.

Sample Functional Fitness Workout for Beginners

Here’s a sample workout to get you started. Perform each exercise for 10-12 repetitions, resting for 30 seconds between sets. Repeat the circuit 2-3 times.

• Bodyweight Squats
• Lunges (alternating legs)
• Push-ups (modified on knees if needed)
• Plank (hold for 30-60 seconds)
• Bodyweight Rows (using a sturdy table or TRX straps)

Functional fitness is an effective and accessible way to improve your overall health and fitness. By training your body to perform real-life movements, you can enhance your athletic performance, boost your metabolism, and make everyday tasks easier. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned athlete, functional fitness has something to offer everyone.

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Ready to unlock your inner athlete? Incorporate functional fitness exercises into your routine and experience the benefits for yourself. Remember to start slow, focus on form, and listen to your body. If you need guidance, don’t hesitate to seek out a qualified trainer. With dedication and consistency, you’ll be amazed at what your body can achieve.

FAQ

What is functional fitness?

Functional fitness is a type of training that focuses on movements that mimic activities we perform in our daily lives.

What are the benefits of functional fitness?

Functional fitness improves everyday movement, enhances athletic performance, increases core strength, improves balance and coordination, and boosts metabolism.

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Why Is Resistance Training Important as You Age?

Interviewer: You say a lot of your older clients have pretty similar goals — what are they? What are most of your clients after, what are their goals?

YouFit Personal Trainer Nick Patma: Weight loss, in general. But really, it’s about quality of life: being strong, building and preserving that muscle — being able to move around without pain. To be, more or less, pain free.

It’s never too late for resistance training. Why is resistance training important? Especially as you get older?

Nick: As we get older, life happens: You work, start having a family; you prioritize a lot of the time. We’re always focused and keen on what’s very important to us. In a lot of cases, our health declines unless you stick with a routine.

But in most cases, there aren’t many people with that priority, because of other things in life, but it’s very important that your health remains a priority regardless of age. It gets a little bit more challenging as you get older, especially if you don’t maintain an active lifestyle.

And how does resistance training help with that? How does it help people maintain their health or their strength? Why is building strength important for the rest of the body? Not just doing cardio, but actually stressing your muscles?

Nick: With resistance training, we help preserve muscle mass. As we get older, we tend to lose some of that muscle mass. It’s a condition we call, in older people, sarcopenia. Applying resistance training helps counteract that loss of stimulating growth. Resistance training stimulates muscle growth and also preserves the muscle as well, while at the same time helping with bone density too. 

As people get older, bone density decreases to a certain degree. So resistance training can help improve that bone density and reduce the risk of fractures, even osteoporosis. And of course, overall enhancing your ability to move around and keep your balance.

Of course, one of the main sources of injury and even casualties is falling down. We want to prevent that for people, give you a chance to catch yourself and minimize that falling risk.

The mental aspect of exercise definitely helps. A lot of research nowadays says moving your body improves mood and helps reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, which is important especially given what we face in this day and age.

Stronger Muscles, Stronger You

As we get older, we naturally lose muscle mass, a process called sarcopenia.  Weightlifting counteracts this decline, helping you maintain strength for daily activities like climbing stairs, carrying groceries, and even getting up from a chair. 

Bone Boost

Resistance training puts gentle stress on your bones, making them stronger and denser. This helps prevent osteoporosis and other bone-weakening diseases.

Better Balance, Fewer Falls

Weight training improves balance and coordination, crucial for reducing the risk of falls and debilitating injuries.

Chronic Conditions

Strength training can lessen the symptoms of conditions like arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes.

Mood and Mind

Lifting weights boosts your mood, fights depression, and even improves cognitive function in older adults.

Why Say You Can’t Start Resistance Training Later in Life?

Outdated Ideas

For so long, fitness for seniors was associated mainly with gentler activities like walking or water aerobics.  Fortunately, new research and understanding show that weight training is not only possible, but hugely beneficial for older adults. 

Fear of Injury

Many people fear that starting weightlifting later in life increases the risk of strains or other injuries. While precautions are important, supervised training can ensure proper form and minimize risk.

Why Is Supervised Resistance Training Recommended?

For function and balance, it’s important to observe proper form and avoid stressing your body in unhealthy ways. But that’s not all!

It’s Safer

A qualified personal trainer or exercise professional understands the specific needs and potential limitations of older bodies. They can design safe routines and teach you correct form.

It’s Simply More Effective

Supervision maximizes the benefits of your workouts, ensuring you’re using the right weights, targeting the right muscle groups, and progressing at a healthy pace.

How Do You Ease Someone Into Resistance Training?

Start Slow! Begin with bodyweight exercises (squats, pushups, or something similar) or very light weights. Focus on mastering proper technique before increasing intensity.

Listen to Your Body. Soreness is expected, but sharp pain is a signal to stop.  Emphasize rest days for recovery.

Fun Factor, Include exercises you find enjoyable! Resistance training doesn’t just mean barbells, it can include everything, from resistance bands to the machines, for variety.

What Precautions Should Older Adults Take?

Nick: Most doctors will give approval for seniors to do resistance training, but it also depends on your current conditions, as well. It really depends! Most doctors would recommend some form of resistance training. Or getting some movement in, at least.

• Doctor Check: Talk to your doctor first, especially with existing health conditions.
• Gradual Progression: Don’t rush! Increasing weight or reps too quickly raises risk.
• Warm-Ups and Cool-Downs: Essential to prepare muscles and help them recover.

Benefits of Personal Training, as a Senior Fitizen

Individualized Program: A trainer creates a plan tailored to your unique fitness level, goals, and any health concerns.

Motivation and Accountability:  A trainer’s support is key to sticking with your program.

Reduced Injury Risk:  They’ll ensure proper form and technique for greater safety.

What Can Older Adults Expect From a Personal Trainer?

1. Initial Assessment: They’ll discuss your fitness history, health, and goals.
2. Progressive Program: Workouts that gradually increase in difficulty to avoid plateaus.
3. Regular Feedback: A trainer provides ongoing guidance and helps you track progress.

Interviewer: There’s a particular recent study from 2023 that supports a school of thought that you shouldn’t do resistance training as you get older. Why do you think that is? Is it just the perception of older people being more fragile? Or was there a belief that once you get to a certain age, you can’t build muscle?

Trainer Nick: I think it’s more of a fear thing, to be honest. It can be hard just trying to go into the gym, which is hard for seniors and for any beginners. And if you’re not wanting to lift weights because of the fear of injuring yourself, that doesn’t help. The media, too, can say you shouldn’t do this… 

Just talk to a doctor first, making sure you can do something at least, get that approval and see where you’re at. Then we can have you work with a trainer and see what you want to focus on, what your limitations are. And we go from there: start slow, and build up from there.

So that’s one of the reasons you should probably work with a trainer, especially if you’re an older adult who’s maybe never done routine exercise. Why would you recommend a supervised program, as opposed to just coming into the gym and trying it yourself?

Trainer Nick: The number one thing is safety, of course. Walking into the gym can be intimidating. They’ll see the equipment, look at instructions and pictures on how to do it, but making sure you do it properly and safely is the most important thing — especially for anyone with specific health conditions or limitations that we need to monitor while also making sure the exercises are done with good form and good technique; making sure it’s done correctly and safely.

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Lifting weights isn’t just for any one group — like only young people, or men only. Resistance training is a powerful way to boost strength, improve health and maintain your independence as you age.  It’s never too late to get started on your fitness journey! Start today with a three-day pass.

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What Is “Workout Recovery”?

What is recovery, in the context of a workout routine? Tell us what recovery is, and what role it plays in a workout. Why is recovery an important part of the routine?

Trainer Nick: To generalize, recovery is the amount of time after a workout that your body is able to heal, recover and adapt to the physical stresses it might have experienced. 

Our bodies can only handle so much. 

We want to give the body time to help with muscle repair and growth. See, anytime you feel soreness, that means there’s a micro tear in the muscle. That’s how we gain strength. So our body needs that time to repair itself and rebuild, to get stronger and perhaps a little bigger, depending on your specific goals. 

Recovery helps with energy restoration, too: the body needs time to replenish its glycogen systems, which get depleted during intense exercise. Fluid balance is part of it: rehydration in recovery, to replace what we sweat out. And hormone balance! Cortisol and testosterone have to return to normal levels during recovery. There are a lot of reasons for and benefits to paying special attention to this phase of your workout.

Recommended Recovery Activities

What should you be doing on a recovery day?

Trainer Nick: In most cases, something very light: just a stroll around the park for 30 minutes. But if you want to get a little bit more active, you may. Just find something you enjoy that still allows your body to move. It could be gardening, a faster walk in the park or around the mall, biking, a little dancing… 

Something that allows your body to move around, but not too intensely.

Recovery Tips and Hints

Do you have some recovery tips? What should you be doing? What should you not be doing?

Trainer Nick: Number one is taking advantage of those rest days, because they allow your body to recover and rebuild. Even if you feel the need to push yourself, still remember to take advantage of rest days. You can only push yourself so long before you experience burnout. 

And we want to be sure also that you tell us if you experience pain — we always differentiate between uncomfortable soreness and actual pain. I might say, “Does it feel more like a knife stabbing? Like a burning, stabbing sensation? That’s pain.” 

We show members ways to avoid feeling beat up or super sore the next day, but real pain is something you want to avoid.

Within the next couple of days, too, most people experience what’s called DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Especially for those who are just starting, it’s going to feel like you got hit by a truck! But there are so many ways to help yourself recover.

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And finally, be sure to use nutrition’s help in that workout recovery process. You cannot out-train a bad diet, especially when it comes to recovery. Make sure you get enough protein to help with muscle growth and promote that muscle repair — not to mention dehydration.

And finally, making sure we’re adequately hydrated for muscle recovery helps with performance too!

Thanks, Trainer Nick! A great lesson on the importance of workout recovery, especially as we grow older, in keeping the body strong and pain-free.

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What is a Functional Workout? Strength, Mobility & Independence

As we age, our bodies change. Maintaining strength, balance, and mobility becomes paramount for preserving our independence and enjoying a high quality of life. This is where functional workouts come in. Unlike exercises that isolate specific muscles (think bicep curls), functional workouts mimic movements we use in daily life, helping us to stay strong, agile, and self-sufficient.

Why Are Functional Workouts Important for Independent Living?

The beauty of functional workouts lies in their practicality. They train your body to perform real-life activities with ease. Imagine being able to:

• Get up from a chair effortlessly. Squats and step-ups strengthen the muscles needed for this common movement.
• Carry groceries without strain. Pulling and carrying exercises build the strength and coordination required for lifting and hauling.
• Maintain balance and prevent falls. Balance exercises improve stability and reduce the risk of accidents.
• Open jars and doors with ease. Pushing and pulling exercises strengthen your arms and core.

In short, functional workouts equip you with the physical tools to tackle daily tasks confidently and safely, promoting a sense of independence and well-being.

Functional Workouts for Older Adults: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to get started? Here are some essential functional exercises specifically tailored for older adults. Always consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

Warm-Up (5-10 minutes)

Squats

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.
2. Bend your knees and hips, as if you’re sitting back into a chair. Keep your back straight and chest up.
3. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the ground (or as far as comfortable).
4. Push through your heels to return to standing.
5. Repeat 10-12 times.

Step-Ups

1. Use a sturdy box or step that’s about 6-12 inches high.
2. Step up with one foot, then bring the other foot up.
3. Step back down with one foot, then the other.
4. Alternate the leading foot.
5. Repeat 10-12 times on each side.

Planks

1. Start on your hands and knees. Lower yourself onto your forearms, keeping your elbows directly under your shoulders.
2. Extend your legs behind you, resting on your toes. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels.
3. Engage your core and hold for 20-30 seconds (or as long as you can with good form).
4. Repeat 3-4 times.

Balance Exercises

• Single-leg stand: Stand on one leg for 10-15 seconds, then switch legs.
• Heel-to-toe walk: Walk in a straight line, placing the heel of one foot directly in front of the toes of the other foot.

Pushing Exercises

Wall Push-Ups

1. Stand facing a wall, arms extended. 
2. Lean forward, bending your elbows until your chest touches the wall. 
3. Push back to the starting position.
4. Repeat 10-20 times.

Seated Chest Press with Resistance Bands

1. Sit with a resistance band wrapped around your back and hold the ends in each hand. 
2. Extend your arms forward, then slowly bring your hands back towards your chest.
3. Repeat 10-12 times.

Pulling Exercises

• Seated rows with resistance bands: Sit with the resistance band wrapped around your feet and hold the ends in each hand. Pull your hands towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Bicep curls with light weights or resistance bands: Stand or sit with a weight in each hand. Bend your elbows, bringing the weights up towards your shoulders. Lower slowly.

Carrying Exercises

• Farmer’s carry: Hold a weight (dumbbell, kettlebell, or even a grocery bag) in each hand and walk for a set distance.
• Suitcase carry: Hold a weight in one hand and walk, keeping your posture upright. Switch hands halfway through.

Cool-Down (5 minutes)

Gentle static (stretch and hold, don’t bounce) stretches, holding each for 20-30 seconds.

Important Considerations

Progress gradually. Start with a few repetitions of each exercise and gradually increase the number or duration as you get stronger.

Listen to your body. Rest if you feel pain or discomfort.

Modify as needed. Use chairs or walls for support if balance is an issue.

Ready to Take Your Functional Fitness to the Next Level?

For personalized guidance and a wider variety of exercises, consider YouFit Gyms. Our experienced trainers can create a program tailored to your specific needs and goals, ensuring you get the most out of your functional workouts and enjoy a healthier, more independent life.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you got into working as a personal trainer.

I’ve been a certified personal trainer for about four or five years now — slightly off and on, if that makes sense. I’ve been with the gym industry for twelve years, which is wild to think about! I started working in the gym industry in 2012, and I’ve been with YouFit ever since. 

I started at the front desk, just to get a job, but what really had me go into personal training was late 2018 or 2019. The benefits were clear — I really wanted to get into it! 

And all the knowledge I’ve garnered from individuals: members coming into the gym, colleagues and trainers I’ve worked alongside, all teaching me this knowledge and expertise… I wanted to give that back to people that may have gym anxiety, or other struggles with coming into the gym. I wanted to help them really achieve their potential, help them reach their goals.

Certifications

Is there certification you had to go through before becoming a personal trainer?

There are a couple of different routes people can take with that. The most general is going to a college or university for a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. From exercise science you can go into a lot of different things: Kinesiology, Sports Nutrition… I went through an online training program called NASM, which is the National Academy of Sports Medicine; there are a lot of different ones out there. NASM is the most popular one.

The one thing I always tell people is to be sure their school is nationally accredited: there are some that sound good and may be affordable, but aren’t nationally accredited, because you can use that national certification anywhere. 

Career Growth and Longevity

Also, be sure the organization also provides some way to continue your education. Once you’ve pursued a personal training certification, you want to make sure that to keep up with that — they encourage you to continue education so you can improve, learn new skills and keep up to date with new trends in fitness. It’s up to us to keep up to date and filter the information that’s out there, especially nowadays. There’s just so much information out there and it can be hard to navigate that, and so as experts, we get through that for our clientele.

New Clients

Give us an example of how to work with someone who’s never really exercised in any routine fashion. Do you see a lot of gym anxiety?

It’s important to meet you where you’re at. But there’s nothing wrong with a little trial and error, too — we don’t know until we actually try. So we’ll have you hop on to, for example, a chest press machine, just sitting back. Resistance machines are a good choice to start off for our Senior Fitizens, for example, because it’s already in a set place. All you have to do is follow the guidelines of what the machine does, increase resistance, and kind of go from there, adjusting your form as needed. 

Pain of Injury or Soreness of Success?

So we keep it light, have them go through the actual entire movement and see how they feel. Have them do a few reps, and if it hurts a little bit, we want to differentiate between hurt and soreness — if it’s soreness, that’s good, but if it’s pain, then we need to step back a little. 

When it comes to resistance training, especially when it comes to building muscle, the muscles you haven’t used in a while are going to wake up: there’s going to be a little bit of that uncomfortableness, especially if you haven’t used those areas in a long time.

Do you find having a standing trainer appointment motivates your clients to come in? Can you better measure their progress, and see more progress, than they might get without a trainer?

Absolutely. Most people have similar goals, but everyone’s plan is individualized based on the specific things they need. Part of what we do is to offer our expertise to help tailor an exercise program that fits your specific needs, and takes into account specific health conditions, mobility issues, and personal goals.

Gym Anxiety | First Appointment

When someone comes in, what kind of questions can they expect to answer? What do you ask them about, to get an idea of how you should proceed?

The main thing we always do first is setting the expectation. We go through a little bit of health history to see where your conditions are. A question we might ask would be, “Do you have any injuries or any ailments currently affecting you?” It could be a bad knee, bad elbow, whatever. It could just be, “It hurts when I sit down.” 

So then we dive in a little bit more: “Have you had any injuries prior to that?” And so on. I can’t guarantee we’re going to fix it, but we’re going to see how we can work around it. That also means it’s not going to hurt as much, too.

Health history, heart problems, chest pain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure; diving into family history as well. We ask for any family history with chronic health conditions, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and so on, so that we can then ask, “What’s going to help them?”

Setting Goals and Expectations

So after a few exercises, once you get the baseline, do you sit down and figure out a plan?

If everything is good to go, they sign off saying they are good to work out with us today. We go into their goals before we dive into a workout. What are they looking to do coming in here today? We get into those goals specifically — anyone can just shout out generic fitness goals!

“Why those goals, specifically? How long have you been thinking about this goal, what’s motivating it?” Deep-diving into the “why.” I’m big on finding that — the emotional tie that’s going to keep them going. I make sure we stick to that goal, but it also gives them some form of accountability. We dive into where the motivations are and we start setting up a plan.

It’s maybe been quite some time since they’ve been in. Most have never touched a dumbbell. Or maybe they’ve used it correctly, maybe they haven’t. So it’s important to see! Do you have gym anxiety? Do you know what a dumbbell is? Then we have a little bit of knowledge. As you get older, a lot of it is going to come down to modifying the exercises, to a certain degree. How do we adapt? How do we change the workout to fit where you are currently, and help you progress?

And About That Progress…

How many sessions do people need before they start seeing what they want to see?

We always recommend, if you work with a personal trainer, at least two to three times a week to start off. Especially for a brand new person, and especially if you need the training wheels on. If you hire a PT to hold your hand for it, so to speak, that’s totally fine — that’s what we want to do! We want to help out, get you started on the right footing. This gives us extra focus, which is extra time to help you with certain problems or certain areas you want to improve on.

How long is a session, generally? What happens if we show up early or stay late?

Sessions usually run for us, specifically, about 30 minutes each time. If you want to do an hour, that’s awesome. But we can get a lot done in 30 minutes, too.

When you arrive early, I love that. You can come in and knock out a little cardio to get that blood flowing. Or if they want to stay after and do something for a while, I totally encourage that. I usually say to keep it a little light, keep it simple, don’t overdo it if they stay after. But normally I would I give them some form of homework. Or I might say, “Hey, I already put you through the ringer. That’s all for today!”

If you have five to ten minutes to spare, do something light. Stretch yourself out. I’ll show you a couple of different things to do during that recovery time we talked about. So you’ve got a bit of a baseline to follow for the next 4-8 weeks. We’ll usually change it out around then, just depending on where you’re at.

Training Evolution

How do you keep it interesting? Training is about repetition, but there’s a limit to what we can handle…

It doesn’t make sense for us to do a new routine every single week, especially as we’re trying to build a habit. Habits have to be built by doing stuff over and over. We’ll change a few aspects here and there, with a certain exercise — maybe increase sets, increase reps, increase the weight, time, attention — there’s a lot of factors we can change, but still have the same movement.

Say, for a squat. I might have you do body weight squats to start off, on a box. You progress from that level, we might add some weight. And then within the third week, we’ll add a little bit more weight, or have you squat a little lower. You’ll see gym anxiety go down. There are a lot of different ways we can adjust as needed to get you there.

We plan realistically based on where you’re at, how important are these goals, whether you really want to achieve them. We create a kind of prescription, based on what you want to do and where you’re at… If you can only come in one day a week, it’s a good start — just to build the habit. 

One day’s not going to be enough as we get further into your training. If you can only do one day for now, that’s totally fine — but we will continue to encourage you to come in more often so you can really start to see these changes.

Getting Over Gym Anxiety

What would you say to someone who’s hesitant to start going to the gym because they’ve just never done it? Someone who’s a little afraid due to lack of knowledge or maybe strength or ability, coming into this fresh?

I can totally relate to that person. Someone that’s just stepping in, out of their comfort zone. What I tell everybody is that everyone in here has a story to tell, and their own reason to come in. 

Everyone starts somewhere. I was in the same place once, where never in my wildest dreams would I ever have stepped foot in the gym! I was not knowledgeable. But I was surrounded by people that were willing to help. 

And that’s the beauty of it, that there are people willing to help you — that’s the beauty of the fitness community, and the reason so much gym anxiety is unfounded. We keep our arms open, because we want to encourage people to come in.

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1. Drink lots of liquid. 

Your sense of thirst actually lessens as you age, so focus on staying hydrated even when you don’t consciously realize you’re thirsty.. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can be easier when you have a special cup or water bottle that you drink from, and keep track of for the day. Water not only helps you stay hydrated, but also helps your body digest food and absorb nutrients. 

2. Enjoy as many different foods as possible. 

Eat foods of different food groups and colors to help stay healthy. Variety in your diet helps reduce the risk of developing diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. In fact, the Cleveland Clinic suggests four reasons to add as many foods to your diet as possible: 

• You’ll get more nutrients. Not every food has the same nutritional value, but your body needs all of them. For example, cashews are a good source of magnesium while sunflower seeds help you stock up on vitamin E.
• You might live longer. Women who rotated through 16 to 17 healthy foods, in one study, lowered their mortality rate by 42% compared to those eating zero to eight healthy foods.  
• You lower the risk of metabolic syndrome. Eating a variety of foods including seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. has been proven to lower the risk of metabolic syndrome – which increases your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
• You might lose weight. Eating a varied diet even helps increase the diversity of good bacteria in your gut, something that researchers now associate with overall health and even weight loss. 

3. Minimize the table salt.

Seniors need to monitor their intake of salt because salt can raise your blood pressure, and high blood pressure in turn, can cause cardiovascular disease including strokes, heart failure and heart attacks. High blood pressure becomes particularly more common with age, which means seniors are wise to cut back. One of the easiest ways to do it is by reading labels on packaged foods, and substituting spices, herbs and fresh citrus juice (like lemon, lime and orange) for table salt when cooking. 

4. Get enough protein.

Protein is important for maintaining muscle, which is harder to do as we age. But protein is also important for your diet to avoid overeating. That’s because foods like meat, beans, lentils and tofu are satisfying Eating a serving of salmon, for example, fills you up for longer than carbs like bread. 

5. Reduce sugar consumption.

Most adults should eat less sugar than we do. The recommended amount is TK. Why? Too much sugar results in conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. But more readily, sugar is associated with chronic inflammation which can make joint pain especially painful. 

6. Get more B12 vitamins.

Vitamin B12 is particularly important for seniors because as we age, we become more likely to be deficient. In fact, up to 20% of people 50 and older may have a low intake of vitamin B12, yet most may not realize it until this deficiency causes major health problems. These often include anemia (low red blood cells and related fatigue), neuropathy (nerve malfunctioning, often causing numbness) and cognitive impairment (such as dementia). That’s because vitamin B12 is responsible for generating cell growth, increasing cognition, supporting the immune system and bone health. 

To get more B12 into your diet, add more servings of fish, meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. It’s also helpful to eat fortified foods like cereals and add a supplement for good measure.

For more nutrition tips for seniors, join YouFit Gyms as a Premium+ member and get access to EatLove – your customized nutrition plan to help you build healthier eating habits.

The post Nutrition Tips for Seniors : How to Eat Well Over 65 appeared first on YouFit Gyms.

1. Keep your mind moving

Intellectual stimulation is beneficial to the brain. One study showed that seniors who learned new skills, like digital photography and quilting had improved memory compared to other seniors who didn’t participate in similar activities. Finding meaningful ways to get involved is key to feeling happier and healthier and for intellectual stimulation. This could mean volunteering with animals, helping with grandchildren or playing sports. Anything where you feel useful and you’re making a true contribution will have a significant impact on your mental health. Another study suggests that creative activities in particular, such as theater, dance, writing and music, may improve older adults’ quality of life. Participants showed higher self-esteem and improved memory, reduced stress and increased social interaction–all key components of mental health for seniors as you’ll see below. 

Any activity that keeps the mind active – from reading books to games, classes and hobbies – may help improve seniors’ lives but even these types of mentally stimulating activities have not been proven to prevent serious cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease. Research is promising and suggests that some informal mentally stimulating activities, such as reading or playing games, may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s-related cognitive impairment and dementia, but much more research on a wide spectrum of adults is needed. (Be aware of games that claim to ward off dementia or Alzheimer’s or dementia. While quiz and memory games may be fun, and even produce a “flow” state with similar benefits to meditation, studies have not proven them to be effective in the long term.)

The good news is that some scientists believe that these brain strengthening activities could protect the brain by creating a “cognitive reserve.” That means the brain becomes more adaptable, instead of less with age, which might make up for the age-related mental decline we can all expect to face as we grow older.

2. Maintain a healthy diet

You knew it was coming. And for good reason! There’s simply no substitute for nourishing your body for optimal health, particularly when it comes to mental health.

Foods high in fats and refined sugars make it difficult for your body to regulate insulin, which if left unchecked can create inflammation and lead to chronic diseases like diabetes and a variety of heart illnesses. Although these are common conditions that many experience when they get older, it doesn’t have to be. At this life stage, it’s especially important to focus on diets rich in vegetables, leafy greens and fermented food because they actually change the way nutrients are absorbed from food. When you eat these foods, neural pathways are activated between the brain and the gut, which are much more important to overall health than we ever expected. 

The Mediterranean and Japanese diets, in particular, can actually improve your mood and help build better cognitive function.

Following a mix of these diets looks like this:

• Lots of vegetables and dark leafy greens
• Lean meat, fish & poultry
• Fermented foods like yogurt, Kefir, or miso
• Whole grains
• Plenty of water

Experts aren’t clear on exactly why the Mediterranean diet helps the brain but one theory is that its effect on cardiovascular health could be helping reduce the risk of dementia. This is the opposite effect of a typical Western diet full of fat, sugar and salt, which usually increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Research has shown that another diet called MIND (Mediterranean–DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) might be helpful in maintaining mental health. It’s a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets, and early research indicates that the MIND diet may be linked with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s plus a slower rate of cognitive decline.

The MIND diet includes 10 food groups: green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil, and wine. It also limits five unhealthy groups: red meats, butter and stick margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried food and fast food.

YouFit’s Premium+ members can get a complete Mediterranean diet menu, including recipes for every day of the week and step-by-step instructions approved by dietitians with our state-of-the-art app, EatLove. 

3. Exercise regularly

Movement is essential to aging well, and key for mental health in particular. Research has shown that exercise including cardio machines, fitness classes, swimming, walking, dancing or even gardening can help reduce depression, lower blood pressure and improve brain function. 

Aim for 3 hours of exercise a week to see benefits. This can be broken into as little as 15 to 20 minutes a day.

But the health benefits of movement go beyond feeling fit and strong. 

• Regular exercise can be a welcome distraction, giving you somewhere to go and therefore building your self-esteem through purpose. 
• Studies show that exercise grows the part of your brain associated with memory and learning. 
• A separate study suggests that brain glucose metabolism – the rate your brain turns glucose into fuel – increases with more time spent doing moderate activity. This matters because researchers think this increased activity may reduce the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, a 2020 study found additional positive effects of exercise on the brain and concluded that a physically active lifestyle in older adults could potentially delay about one-third of dementia cases worldwide.  
• Last, but not to be overlooked, seniors who exercise also sleep better. More sleep equates to more positive outlook in general. At any age, it’s important to choose activities you feel comfortable doing, and to build up the time and intensity of your workouts gradually.

4. Stay connected 

Making new friends or spending time with the ones you have might be good for your brain. According to a study in 2021, older adults in Japan who enjoyed consistant high social engagement had a lower risk of dementia than those with low social engagement. Seniors who find meaningful and productive ways to engage with others often find a heightened sense of purpose, better moods and even live longer.

That’s because humans are social creatures. While your circle of friends and family may get smaller as you age, social interaction is still incredibly important to your overall health and longevity. But don’t necessarily put pressure on yourself to find a huge new group of friends. Social health benefits are actually associated with deep and meaningful connections in high quality relationships, rather than lots of acquaintances. Conversely, there’s also evidence that loneliness increases the risk of mental decline.

Ideas for adding more social activity to your daily life include:

• Signing up for activities at a local senior center
• Joining a gym with a SilverSneakers program, designed specifically for older adults
• Taking part in volunteer groups
• Consider rebuilding distant relationships

Social activities and programs are wonderful ways to connect with people, while keeping your brain alert and active. You’ll feel less alone and more engaged. Researchers don’t know for sure if any of these actions can prevent or delay age-related cognitive decline but there is a strong connection between strong relationships and a reduced risk of dementia. 

5. Manage stress

Stress is a natural part of life but over time, chronic stress can change the brain, affect memory, and increase your risk for dementia, including Alzheimer’s. Even when you’re retired, life is still stressful. Losing loved ones, financial insecurity, family feuds and even watching too much TV news can be overwhelming without a strategy to combat stress. This can lead to:

• Problems sleeping
• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
• Feeling pressured or rushed
• Eating too much or not enough
• Irritability and moodiness

Everyone needs strategies to bounce back from stressful situations. These ideas can help:

• Exercise regularly. Not only does exercise benefit your overall health, but gentle movement such as walking, swimming or yoga can feel therapeutic and help bring a sense of calm.
• Journaling. Getting frustrations out of your mind and onto paper can release built up stress and sometimes help you see a new way around a troubling issue.  
• Meditation. Download an app, do a search on YouTube or find a class for guided meditation so that you can practice mindfulness. This means quieting your mind for as little as five minutes at a time, focusing only on the present moment. Meditation improves mental resilience and helps build immunity against stressful situations. Even, simple breathing exercises can help your body relax. Meditation, mindfulness and breathing exercises can actually reduce muscle stiffness, lower blood pressure and relieve overall stress. 
• Play games & puzzles. Sudoku, crosswords, card games and jigsaw puzzles all give your mind somewhere else to go. Take a break from the world and its troubles. Enjoy a simple task that allows your brain to decrease stress while increasing cognitive ability.
• Focus on the positive. Let all those old grudges go. Release your grip on things beyond your control and make a daily list of things you’re grateful for. Be specific. Once you start noticing the small things, like the particular pink of a sunset on an evening walk, you’ll find things to be grateful for more often, which will give you a renewed sense of calm. 

It’s never too late. Seniors can make an impact on their well-being today with these simple ways to boost their mental health. 

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