Today we have a special post by Dane O’Leary of Modernize.com.
Home Gyms for the Over 40
It’s all well and good to walk into the gym when you’re 20 years old, put a bunch of weight on a bench press, and go to town. The cruel truth is that time makes us have to make adjustments to the way we exercise and workout. However, age doesn’t take you out of the fitness game completely. On the contrary, it’s just a worthwhile to invest in a home gym at age 40 as it is at the age of 20. Here’s are some tips for creating a home fitness space for people age 40 and over.
Step One: Gym Space
In order to create a home gym, you must first have a space for it. Ideally, this will be a separate room or an area where you can close a door to block out distractions and prevent interruptions. This will help you to maintain your focus while you’re working out. Maintaining a gym area that’s separate from your living space will also make it feel like you’ve gone to the gym when, in fact, you’re working out in your own home.
Courtesy of Home Stratosphere
Even though it’s preferably to give your home gym its own room, not everyone has the space available to do that. If you have to incorporate your gym into existing space in your home, it’s important that you be strategic when choosing a space for your gym to share. A home office is typically a great area to put your gym space as the home office tends to be one of those areas that’s kept as separate from your living space as possible. Other areas that would be great for a home gym include a basement, attic, or even the garage. If you have the choice, it’s a good idea to choose a space with windows and plenty of natural light; access to natural light has proven to increase focus and energy while helping to stave off lethargy.
Step Two: Strength Training
Every gym setup needs equipment for strength training. The basics for strength training would be free weights, dumbbells, and an adjustable weight bench. For the over-40, the key is to incorporate weights in a variety of sizes to have the option to either do more sets of fewer reps with heavier weights or less sets of higher reps with somewhat lighter weights. Versatility is key; if you find that you’re unable to lift a particular weight, you can adapt by switching to a more manageable weight.
The adjustable weight bench allows you to target more areas of the body, which is key to a comprehensive, rounded workout regimen. Resistance bands are another great tool for strength training; there are a variety of workouts available that use resistance bands in innovative, effective ways. Balance and weight balls are also useful additions to a home gym, providing you with ways to target different areas of the body while opening you up to lower-intensity workouts that can help you to improve core strength and balance.
Courtesy of Home Stratosphere
Step Three: Cardio Training
The great thing about creating your own home gym is getting to choose equipment based on your preferred types of workouts and exercises. Although being able to do at least some cardio is important for all workouts, if you’re a person who has a more cardio-focused workout routine you may want to include more than one cardio machine. Cardio workouts help you to maintain a healthy heart and circulatory system, preventing things like heart disease and even diabetes. So long as you pace yourself and don’t try to overdo it, a steady jog or even a brisk run is great for those individuals over the age of 40 and will help maintain endurance and stamina at a time when energy levels would otherwise begin to decline.
Additionally, machines like treadmills, stationary bicycles, and ellipticals have become more affordable in recent years, which means you can purchase, for example, a mid-range treadmill for only a few hundred dollars, or less than what you’d pay for a year’s membership to a gym.
Dane O’Leary is a writer from West Virginia. Dane typically writes about home and design topics for Modernize.com.