Why age is just a number when it comes to physical fitness

Staying active can not only reverse the effects of ageing, it can provide multiple benefits to mental health too.

The importance of staying active later in life is advised by doctors and nutritionists, but what if you were never that active to begin with?

All is not lost. The number of mature-age athletes is growing, showing there’s no such thing as being too old to start the fitness journey – particularly
when it has so many health benefits.

A University of Queensland study has revealed a sedentary lifestyle is more likely to cause heart disease, compared with smoking, obesity and high blood pressure.

Women aged in their 30s and over are considered the most prone.

Adjust exercise as you age, changing the focus to weight training and HIIT.

Additional health risks can also include anxiety and depression, type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, gallstones and certain cancers.

Despite the scary stats, it’s not all bad news.

These risk factors are reduced if inactive women adapt their lifestyles and increase physical activity, which is often easier said than done.

Willpower tends to be the driving force that makes people get off the couch/office chair and commit to their fitness goals.

Sister Madonna Buder, 86, is a shining example of just how far willpower can take a person.

Dubbed the “iron nun”, the American currently holds the world title for the oldest person to have completed an ironman triathlon. She has also broken several records as a senior Olympian.

But Sister Madonna didn’t develop an interest in fitness until her 50s, proving that you can teach an old nun new tricks.

She is just one of the thousands of mature-aged people around the world reclaiming their fitness and health.

Once consigned to “old people” exercises, such as water aerobics, increasing numbers of older Australians are helping to challenge stereotypes by becoming involved in community exercise programs, HIIT (high intensity interval training) and joining gyms.

But University of British Columbia studies have found exercise regimens should be adjusted as people get older, with the focus changing to weight training and HIIT once we hit our 30s as these types of physical activity help counteract the loss of muscle and bone strength that comes with age.

NOTE: Those with pre-existing health conditions should consult their GP before trying any cardio/high-intensity exercise.