Top 5 Exercises For Women Over 40 Should Do Every Week

A woman’s body goes through many changes when she grows older, and the body you’ve at forty may be drastically different from the one you had at twenty.

Rather than ignore these changes, women over forty can perform certain kinds of fitness routines and exercises strength-training and lifting weights in particular to stay in great shape, maintain bone density, increase muscle mass and reduce the effects of aging.

Strength training for women over forty is very different from the typical workouts most youngsters follow. With age, our bodies are less able to hold up to the rigours of running and jumping, especially on the joints and bones. Bootcamps are highly competitive and tend to involve high-impact movements, resulting in sore knees, back pain and other strains.

If you are in relatively good shape with no joint problems, then by all means, go for the hardcore bootcamp but if you suffer from bad knees, sore hips or other joint problems, you may want to try more isolated and gentle movements than a bootcamp would typically offer.

Top 5 Exercises for Women Over 40

Follow along with these demonstrations at home and get better every day!

1: Burpees

1. Stand straight on your feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Squat and place your hands in front by your feet.

3. Jump back until your legs is fully extended and your body are in plank position.

4. Do a push up and jump forward, push through the heels and return to the starting position.

5. Repeat until set are complete.

Do 3 sets of 10 reps.2: Squats

Stand tall on your feet hip width apart and your arms down of your sideStart to lower your body back as far when you can of pushing your hips back and bending your knees and pushing your body weight into your heels

As you’re lowering into the squat your arms will begin to raise out in front of you as balanceKeep a neutral spine at all times and never let your knees go over your toes

The lower body should be parallel on the floor and your chest should be lifted at all times not rounded.Repeat until set are complete.Do 3 sets of 15 reps.

3: Planks

Get into pushup position on the floor.Now bend your elbows 90 degrees and rest your weight on your forearms.Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from ears to toes with no sagging or bending.Your head is relaxed and you should be looking at the floor.Hold the position for as long as you can.Remember to breathe. Inhale and exhale slowly and steadily.When your form begins to suffer, pull the plug. You’re only benefiting from the plank by actually doing the plank.Do 1 minute.

4: Lunge

Place the hands with the hips, pull the shoulders back and stand tallStep forwards on your right leg and slowly lower the body until the front knee are bent to 90 degreesThe back knee should never touch the floorPush yourself back up to the starting position for quickly but safely for possibleRepeat on the left legDo 3 sets of 20 reps.5: Straight Leg Raises

1. Lie on your back with your hands by your sides or underneath your glutes. Keep your legs straight or just slightly bent.

2. Raise your legs until your body is in an L shape.

3. Pause, lower both legs slowly and then return to the starting position.

4. Repeat until set is complete.

Do 3 sets of 15 reps each leg.

Benefits Of Strength Training

Physiologically, the benefits of consistent strength-training include an increase in muscle size and tone, improved muscle strength, and improvements in bone density. This is particularly important for older women, who are at an increased risk for osteoporosis and brittle bones.

Adding muscle can also give your metabolism a well-needed boost during the years when it tends to naturally slow down. Plus, lifting weights has also been shown to improve psychological health also, by increasing self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth.

Besides increasing your endurance, power and strength, some studies suggest that strength-training can result in improved intellectual capacity and productivity, too. Workout gets the blood flowing to your brain, which helps keep the mind sharp.

Finally, many older adults find they get less sleep and are more tired than their more youthful counterparts. Strength training workouts have been linked to better sleep and more restful nights which we all know is great for looking and feeling young.

Do not let age hold you back from pursuing your fitness goals, whatever they may be. If you’re a woman over 40 seeking an exercise routine, there’s no better way to reverse the aging process than with strength training. Pick up some weights and get to work!