Fitness literally has no age--you can be healthy and fit in your twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, and way beyond that. In fact, a secret to achieving longevity and slowing down the aging process is definitely mindful exercise. If you are over 45+ of course, you will certainly have different fitness needs from a 20-year-old. You certainly want to keep yourself fit but no to the point of losing your valuable energy and getting injured. Your body at this stage in your life and following menopause is a very sensitive phase and you need to consider that when doing any form of exercise.
If you wish to keep yourself active in a healthy manner, here are some exercises for mature women that will help. Make sure that you have all the necessary equipment to perform these exercises and you are good to go.
Back Leg Raise. A great exercise for strengthening the muscles of the lower body and specifically thighs, abdomen and lower abs. It also helps with balance and stamina levels. To perform this exercise: Stand straight and place your right hand on a steady surface around the same level as your waist e.g kitchen table. Bend and lift your left leg on the bag in the air, leave for 2 seconds and then bring it back, while keeping your right knee slightly bent. Do 4 sets of 10-12 repetitions each, alternating between each leg for every session.
Side Leg Kick. This is a milder variation of the donkey sidekick but a tad slower and more concentrated to help with balance and strength issues on the lower body part. Similar to the back leg rise, this time you are going to secure your opposite hand on a solid surface when standing up and then lifting your left or right leg straight and sideways, as if you are trying to kick something. Make sure you keep your abs in and chest forward while performing the exercise and that your toes are faced forward. Repeat on each leg 15 times and then switch to the other leg, making a total of 4 sets.
Lift some weight. Mild weight lifting according to experts not only helps strengthen your upper body part, it helps with easing arthritis pain as well. Plus, it can tone and lessen the look of unsightly arm flab. However, you don’t want to lift so much weight that you strain and possibly injure your sensitive muscles. An easy 5-minute exercise you can perform at home is to lift free weights (around 3 or 4 kgs) with your hands up interchangeably. To make this right, stand up and hold each weight with your hands in a 90-degree position. Begin to lift one weight with one hand towards the side of your chest and then switch to the other. Do 3 sets of 8-10 reps on each hand.
Chair stand and lift. A great exercise for exercising various muscle groups at the same time such as thighs, abdomen, glutes and hands. To do this sit in a chair with a solid back and cross your arms over your chest as your starting position. Stretch your arms out (parallel to the floor), lift and stand up then sit again with your back directly touching the back of the chair and relax for a few seconds. Repeat the above steps 8-10 times and make a total of 3 sessions, relaxing for few seconds between each set.
Generally speaking, you ideally want to do exercise around 3 times a week for 15-20 minutes to start seeing results without feeling tired. Also, make sure that you follow up with a healthy diet and take replenishing liquids like plain water, tea or a natural caffeine-free energy drink to properly hydrate yourself and boost your energy levels.