Engage in moderate amounts of cardiovascular exercise most days per week. Whether you have been exercising all your life, or have a new-found commitment at age 50, exercise can help you age gracefully, cope with the symptoms of menopause and prevent serious disease. A workout for a 50-year-old woman need not be intimidating or time consuming. The material appearing on LIVESTRONG.COM is for educational use only. In your workout for a 50-year-old woman, it is imperative to incorporate resistance exercises into your weekly routine to prevent muscle loss and keep your strength up. Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights. These classes can also help reduce stress and induce mental relaxation. Cardiovascular exercise keeps your heart healthy by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, helps prevent diabetes and weight gain, and improves your quality of life through increased stamina and endurance. Ideally, you should include a flexibility training session into your routine three times per week for 30 minutes says the American Council on Exercise. Choose a weight that will fatigue your muscles in about 10 to 12 repetitions in two to three sets. What Are the Benefits of Burning 300 Calories Daily? and Do not bounce, strain, or hold your breath. She is an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer, RYT-200 and has degrees from Princeton and Columbia University. advertisements are served by third party advertising companies. Enlist the expertise of a certified personal trainer to help you develop a strength-training routine that works for your body and experience level. On non-weight-training days, work on your core, balance and posture. You could also combine the two and do about 37 minutes of high-intensity and 75 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio weekly to keep your heart healthy and burn excess calories. Flexibility is an important component of fitness that should be regularly included in your program, especially after the age of 50. Here’s how to perform a full-body roll up: Start lying on a mat … Hold a stretch for each of the the major muscle groups for 15 to 30 seconds to reap the most benefit. The best exercise program for a 50-year-old woman is a well-rounded one. Stretching is a must-do exercise for a 50-year-old female. Copyright © , Start small and start slow, but make sure you incorporate resistance training, cardiovascular activity, stretching, core and balance training. Aim for an intensity that increases breathing and feels challenging, but you're still able to speak or have a short conversation, or about 65 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. Riana Rohmann has been working for the Marine Corps doing physical training and writing fitness articles since 2008. "Then, on … Read more: Weight-Training Exercises for Women Over 50. Full Body Roll-Up for Strength Training. Stretching regularly helps keep your muscles and joints flexible so you continue to have freedom of movement and good posture. 2020 Try fitting in your cardiovascular needs in 10-minute increments, which the CDC notes can be just as effective as longer bouts. Andrea Cespedes is a professionally trained chef who has focused studies in nutrition. Other low-impact options include swimming and cycling. These sessions should target most major muscle groups, including the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms, using your own body weight, dumbbells, machine weights or resistance bands. The Best Exercise Routine at the Gym for Women Over 50, American College of Sports Medicine: Exercise and the Older Adult, Obstetrics and Gynecology International: Short-Term Exercise Approaches on Menopausal Symptoms, Psychological Health, and Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women, American Council on Exercise: Flexible Benefits.