SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
Contact Us: NSGA@NSGA.com
  • HOME
  • NSGA OFFICIAL STORE
  • PARTNERS
  • DONATE TODAY
  • DESTINATIONS

National Senior Games Association

National Senior Games Association

The NSGA is a non-profit organization dedicated to motivating active adults to lead a healthy lifestyle through the senior games movement.

T (727) 475-1187
Email: NSGA@NSGA.com

National Senior Games Association
PO BOX 5630, Clearwater, FL 33758 USA

  • ABOUT
    • How to Get Involved
    • NSGA Showcase Video
    • History of the NSGA
    • Board of Directors
    • Foundation Trustees
    • Staff
    • Sports Chairs
    • National Games Awards
    • 30th Anniversary
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
    • Career Opportunities
  • STATE GAMES
    • State Games Information
    • State Regions
    • Team Partner Finder
    • NSGA Award Winners
  • NATIONAL GAMES
    • How To Qualify
    • National Games Information
    • 2022 Fort Lauderdale
    • Athlete Check-In
    • Registration
    • Rules & Minimum Performance Standards
    • Competition Schedules
    • Results & Records
    • Special Events
    • Team Partner Finder
    • Transportation & Parking
    • Hotels and Lodging
    • Volunteer for the Games
    • Limited Events Verification Form
    • National Senior Games Partners
  • SPORTS
    • INDIVIDUAL SPORTS
      • Archery
      • Badminton
      • Bowling
      • Cornhole
      • Cycling
      • Golf
      • Pickleball
      • Powerwalk
      • Race Walk
      • Racquetball
      • Road Race
      • Shuffleboard
      • Swimming
      • Table Tennis
      • Tennis
      • Track & Field
      • Triathlon
    • NON-AMBULATORY SPORTS
      • Non-Ambulatory Bowling
      • Non-Ambulatory Cornhole
      • Non-Ambulatory Shuffleboard
    • TEAM SPORTS
      • Basketball
      • Beach Volleyball
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • Tri-Relay
      • Volleyball
  • HEALTH AND WELLNESS
    • Get In Shape With Ageility
    • Zibrio Health and Wellness
    • Heartline Study
    • Falls Prevention Resources
    • NSGA Steps Challenge
    • Exercise & Well-Being Resources
    • Humana Healthy Living and Prevention Resources
    • Senior Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE) & Games Ready
    • Fitness Videos
    • ACE Training Tips
    • NSGA Ambassador Program Activities
    • National Senior Games Partners
  • MEDIA
    • Photo Galleries
    • Games Videos
    • #StayFitSeniors Athlete Videos
    • Senior Games Blogs
    • Games Daily News Archives
    • Archived Press Releases
    • Newsletter
    • Press Room
    • Athlete of the Month
    • Personal Best Features
Donate Now
 March 1, 2021

It’s Never Too Late To Get In The Best Shape Of Your Life

It’s Never Too Late To Get In The Best Shape Of Your Life

by Kevin Houseknecht - NSGA / Monday, 06 January 2020 / Published in Get In Shape With Ageility
By: The Ageility Team

Adults who want to adopt a more physically active lifestyle often start with some form of fitness program.   That’s a great idea, but it’s important to approach things in a thoughtful manner, especially in the beginning.  We always recommend carefully considering what your individual fitness goals are as a first step since exercise programs should be designed to target the areas each person wants to see the biggest improvement, such as mobility, strength, balance, flexibility, or endurance.  It’s always a good idea to work with an expert trainer or therapist, but here are a few important factors to consider as you set out on your personal fitness journey.

Which Exercises Should I do?

There are hundreds of different ways to work out and dozens of specific exercises that are probably appropriate for your age, physical condition and individual goals.  Generally, exercises are either multi-joint or single-joint. Multi-joint exercises involve more than one joint such as the squat that requires the hip, knee, and ankle joint to work synchronously in the execution of the movement. Single joint exercises involve only one joint such as a leg extension that only exercises the knee. Both types are important in a well-rounded fitness program, but there may be situations when a multi-joint exercise is more suitable and vice versa.

When and How?

Generally, we recommend that you start with large muscle multi-joint exercises first and then move onto small muscle single-joint exercises. This is because of the greater physical demand, complexity, and skill needed to complete multi-joint exercises when compared to single-joint exercises.

Older athletes will benefit from starting with higher demand exercises to ensure they have the energy to complete the exercise with proper technique. There are instances where single-joint exercises that are simple in nature may come first such as in a warm-up to prepare the muscles for the higher demand exercises.

How Much To Do.

The number of sets performed often varies for each exercise and is one of the factors, along with the number of reps and resistance, affecting the volume of exercise. A set is a cluster of repetitions done before a period of rest or moving on to another exercise. Multiple sets have been shown by numerous studies to be superior to single sets. Older active adults beginning in an exercise program may need to begin with a single set in order to minimize fatigue. Over time, a progression may be to increase the number of sets with different exercises.

Rest and Recovery is the Key.

No matter how fit you are your body needs time to recover between exercise sessions.   Anywhere from 24-72 hours to recover is normal, but age and fitness level can impact this.   Older athletes generally need more recovery time between workouts and this needs to be factored when putting together an exercise program.

Rest periods during your work out are important as well. Depending on the intensity of your work out and your physical condition, we generally recommend a short break of 1 to five minutes between each set to allow your body to recover.

Intensity Isn’t Always Ideal.

It’s always tempting to stack on more weights or repetitions early, but it’s important not to over do things, especially when you are just starting out.  Older athletes beginning an exercise program should start by using lighter resistances that allow for 10-15 repetitions. This helps to build local muscular strength-endurance and prepares muscles, tendons, and ligaments for heavier resistance as the individual progresses.

As you build strength and your body becomes accustomed to the exercises, you can increase resistance to a point that allows 6-8 repetitions. No matter what your age, it’s important to remember that increasing the intensity should always be a gradual process.

The First Steps Are the Most Important.

It’s always a good idea to get into better shape.  For most of us, it’s never too late to start a fitness journey.   It can seem complicated at first, but the benefits can be incredibly rewarding and the simple guidelines we’ve outlined in this article will help get you started on the right path.  Working with a certified trainer or therapist can take a lot of the guesswork out of the process and can potentially help you avoid injuries, frustration and false paths.

At Ageility we are passionate about helping adults of all ages to unlock their physical potential and enjoy the benefits of a healthier and more active life.  Contact us to see how we can help craft a fitness program for your specific goals and personal needs.

  • Tweet

About Kevin Houseknecht - NSGA

What you can read next

Osteoporosis Exercises for Active, Aging Adults
SELF – MYOFASCIAL RELEASE
Namaste

Recent Posts

  • The Long Run February 2021

    Association News Get Ready for the Next “Steps ...
  • Let’s Play Pickleball!

    Let’s play ball! Pickle ball, that is. Pickle b...
  • Let’s Preserve Our Bone Health

    Osteoporosis (porous bone) is a bone disease th...
  • Out of Africa. . .with a Paddle – February 2021 Athlete of the Month

    Esther Lamptey, 58, Midwest City, Oklahoma Ther...

Archives

Categories

FOOTER MENU

  • About
  • State Games
  • National Games
  • Sports
  • News and Events
  • Partners
  • Donate Today
  • Press Room
  • Memorial Fund
  • Coordinators Homepage
  • QG Coordinators

Select list(s) to subscribe to


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: National Senior Games Association, P.O. Box 5630, Clearwater, FL, 33758, https://www.nsga.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

GET IN TOUCH

T (727) 475 1187
Email: NSGA@NSGA.com

National Senior Games Association
PO Box 5630, Clearwater, FL, 33758 USA

  • GET SOCIAL
National Senior Games Association

Copyright Notice | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Linking Policy | Help/Contact
© 2021 National Senior Games Association. All rights reserved.
Designed by JayBirds Co Inc.

TOP
NSGA Uses Cookies
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT
2022 National Senior Games - May 10-23, 2022 434 Days 16 Hours 38 Minutes 53 Seconds