Did You Know? 20 Fun Facts & Hacks About Fitness Over 40

Here are a bunch of of short, useful tidbits about fitness over 50 – fun facts and hacks to make your life easier.

The goal? To show you the overwhelming evidence: If you want to stay healthy, strong, and independent, you simply must keep moving.

GET OUT: Just being outdoors, especially in green spaces, quickly improves our health and happiness. — The International Journal of Environmental Health Research

HEART STRONG: Weight lifting has a greater effect than running, walking, or cycling in regards to lowering the risk of heart disease, according to research in the British Telegraph.

A GRAND IDEA: “I want primary care physicians to prescribe not only antidepressants but also prescribe a dose of exercise for the treatment of depression.” — Dr. Madhukar Trivedi

FEEL BETTER: Exercise alleviates aches and pains, including low back pain, the second most common cause of disability in the United States.

PROTECT YOURSELF: The Alzheimer’s Association says regular cardiovascular exercise can help reduce the risk of getting the disease.

BURN FAT: Resistance training burns fat. Think it’s all about cardio? Wrong.

YOUR BUTT: The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body.

MIRACLE DRUG: Exercise is good for your bones, muscles, balance, heart, mental health, and sleep.

SMILE: Maintaining a positive outlook adds years of healthy life.

WE’RE HOT: Fitness training for mature adults (over 50) has ranked near the top of global fitness trends the last few years.

AT 100: “I do as I feel, and I like to stay active and be around people. I still want to keep moving. If I sat down, I think I’d just give up.” — Toni Stahl of Kentucky, who worked out regularly at age 100.

THINK: Fitness has a meditative aspect of exercise: It slows you down and requires you to focus on the moment, not what you need to do later.

HAVE FUN: Exercising makes me feel good when I’m done, and even when I’m doing it.

SPORTS EDGE: Gym workouts give you a competitive edge in golf, tennis, running, and other sports.

EAT THE RAINBOW: Get five servings of fruit and vegetables a day; it helps to keep a frozen stash.

STAY HYDRATED: Don’t wait till you’re thirsty to drink up.

REMEMBER: You’re just one workout away from a good mood.

OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES: “We don’t quit playing because we grow older; we grow older because we quit playing.”

JACK LALANNE: “People don’t die of old age. They die of inactivity.”