Fitness Tips for All Ages – Stay Active at Every Stage

Staying fit and fabulous isn't just for Gen Z anymore. It never was! Whether you're a toddler somehow reading this, a prime-time professional, or a seasoned man, collecting your pension, fitness should be more than a hobby; it’s your lifestyle! So, let’s take a look at fitness for all ages!

Babies don’t really move around. But that’s what we think. Whether they are trying to lift their heads, their hands around, or for the more developed babies, turn to lie down on their chests, these are the building blocks of their love for fitness.

Developing motor skills, coordination, and enjoyment of movement are paramount for babies’ fitness. Play with your baby. Workouts for kids are basic. Make them crawl, walk, and run around. This way you can also enjoy a peaceful time after you tire your baby out and they’re out like a light.

Developing your baby’s and toddler’s motor skills is also of prime importance. Make them play with a ball, stack some blocks, eat some finger foods, and in no time they’ll be tying up balloons for their mom’s next baby shower.

As we gracefully get into our twenties, the importance of maintaining our mobility and flexibility cannot be taken lightly. Gone are the days of having our once-a-week PT period and kicking ball after school, and again after tuition. Instead, we now shift our focus to the long term. Securing that functional freedom.

According to a study from Harvard Health, we say goodbye to about 5% of our precious muscles every decade. While this may sound like some scary statistic, don’t worry! We write our own lives by embracing workouts that increase in intensity, the ancient wisdom of yoga, or pretty much anything that doesn’t label you as a couch potato.

There are two main types of working out to focus on as you cling to your youth. The first is growing those muscles. Imagine how you’d feel if you woke up looking like Johnny Bravo. Honestly, there are no age-appropriate workouts for you guys. Do anything you please. Remember to stick to a workout routine, hit all your muscles, and most importantly, eat, eat, and eat!

Imagine waking up one morning, as you step onto your wet bathroom floor, your leg slips, and you do a full split! Yet, you don’t feel any pain. Yoga flows through your body where you cultivate flexibility, balance, and inner peace.

Physical flexibility is crucial for your overall well-being, as it helps you increase your range of motion while also reducing the risk of injuries not only during exercises but even as you go by your day.

We at Kofuku are massive fans of Yoga. Why? Because yoga helps with your flexibility, your posture, your stride, and most importantly, your mind. And the best thing? You can do Yoga anywhere! And even doing it for 15 minutes a day can compound over time.

What’s so great about this part of our lives is that you have the flexibility to work out whenever you have time. Want to work out in the morning before the office? Go for it! Hitting the gym with your work buddies after work? Knock yourself out! With working from home becoming quite common, that only increases the time you have with you!

So, let us raise a glass of protein shake to our golden years, where we have more time and ability to increase our mobility and flexibility. Embrace this chapter with open arms, for it is the time to lay the foundation of what is to come.

Exercising during your pregnancy is very important. But remember to consult your doctor about the intensity and frequency of your exercises. Remember to get some sort of movement and stretching into your routine as your baby grows.

Start off by going on regular walks or light jogs for a basic activity. If you can and are allowed, swimming has proven to be a great workout option for pregnant people. Studies have shown that 30-minute exercises on most days to all days can keep you and your baby fit.

But most importantly, listen to your body. If you can’t touch your toes anymore, that’s okay! You’re bringing life into this world, which is much more impressive. Try to have some activity but don’t take it overboard.

It’s never too late to get into fitness. One study from Johns Hopkins Medical showed that being physically active later in life has the same effect as reducing the risk of heart disease and many other illnesses, compared to being active in your teens.

The importance of fitness in your middle age cannot be understated.

According to the University of Maryland School of Nursing, “an overall sense of well-being and psychologically feeling better” with less depression and more energy is a major effect of working out as you get older.

The main thing to remember is to start slowly and consistently. A good mix of building your muscle, and flexibility while also incorporating easy cardio, will put you ahead of over 90% of people. So, what are you doing? Turn on the TV, put some Cocomelon on for your kids, and head to the gym!

Fitness For Pensioners

As you get older, and finally retire, you will have more time to spend on yourself

If you’re looking to create your exercise routine, you should, ideally, be able to have around 150 minutes of exercise every week. Try not to go too hardcore, and do some basic exercise for seniors such as walking, and start with something easy such as heel raises, Shoulder blade squeezes, knee lifts, and neck stretches.

Most older people have an orthopedic doctor, so consult them. Ask them what exercises work best for your body and remember to take it slowly but surely.

Something we cannot forget is keeping the mind in tip-top shape. In today’s mindless scrolling world, we have to take some time out for our brains to do some crunches.

Do the daily NYT Wordle, start a Sudoku, or try your hand at the crossword. Read a book if you really want to impress people, anything that makes you think! If you’re that kind of person, scroll through LinkedIn every day. Anything that stimulates your brain.

The more active and stimulating your brain is, the better your problem-solving skills become and the better you retain information. Go out with some friends, go for a walk and look around, they’ll do wonders for you.

Fitness isn’t something that happens in a day. It’s about preserving slowly by building your strength, endurance, and your discipline consistently. Whether you love gymming, running, Zumba, or even bouldering, the main thing is to find something you like and get amazing at it. Remember, fitness is for all ages, and it’s never too late.