9 Great midlife exercise benefits

Exercise helps manage stress.  This might be mental stress from work, life, or the physical symptoms of menopause for example 

 Exercise can help with insomnia or restless sleep.  Becoming physically tired rather than simply being lethargic regulates and deepens sleep.

Exercise actually decreases appetite.  Two reasons for this are the release of hormones after exercise that reduce hunger, and the post-exercise mood and self-esteem boost, which can improve your motivation to not over eat.

Our bodies are made to move and achy joints need to move in a way that feels good. I have two replaced hips and a very dodgy knee but manage to exercise regularly.  In most cases, movement is better, not worse, for the joints. 

Exercise helps prevent mental decline as we age, especially if it involves coordination, balance and learning new skills.  

Strength training boosts metabolism – it’s not just healthy but can help with weight loss too!

 The body is responsive to the stimulus provided by resistance training. As a result, you can gain muscle and strength much faster as a beginner than later in your fitness journey.  

 Inactive people lose bone density as we move through life.  But you can build and maintain bone density with strength training.  This doesn’t mean heavy weights or high intensity sessions.  It means adapting the right exercises for your starting point.  

Strength training makes your heart stronger.  You don’t need long runs or sweaty sessions to achieve a good level of cardiovascular fitness.  Just the right programme designed and tailored to your needs.