There's so much to love about getting older, but there are so many grim realities we must face, as well.
. "In women, our loss of muscle mass really starts to accelerate after age 50, which is partially caused by the hormonal changes of menopause, but also by inactivity."
And for more exercise advice as you age, make sure you're aware of The Most Underrated Exercises Everyone Over 40 Should Do, Says Top Trainer.
The same thing to us: After 50, whether you're a man or a woman, the single most important thing you can do in terms of exercise is to lift more weights—period.
"Even though women can stay in fabulous shape post-50, they need to listen to their hormones. Around this age, estrogen begins to diminish greatly. Stress compounds stress! When stress is high, the last thing a woman should do is something like HIIT."
"Free weight and cable exercises are best, because they recruit more muscles than machines that lock you into one plane of movement, and free weights typically incorporate some balance training, also important as we age,"
In addition to strength-training, experts say you should be focusing on your flexibility, as well. "After age 50, your body loses flexibility, which makes you more prone to muscle injuries,"
"You need to stay active during the day," says Sherman. "Make sure you get up and walk every 90 minutes or so. Everything you've read before is true: Park farther away in the parking lot, take the stairs.
You need to reduce your stress levels, and not just for the sake of keeping your cortisol down. "Stress can affect your gut health because stress weakens the intestinal barrier and allows gut bacteria to enter your body,"