The Importance of Exercise as we Age
As we age, it’s important to stay active and exercise regularly to maintain our health and quality of life. However, it can be difficult to find the time or motivation to do so. Additionally, many baby boomers are dealing with health issues that make exercise more challenging.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide on how baby boomers can improve their health through exercise. We’ll cover the benefits of exercise, how to get started, and what type of equipment you’ll need.
Exercise is important for everyone, but it’s especially crucial for baby boomers. That’s because as we age, we lose muscle mass and bone density, which can lead to a host of health problems. Exercise can help offset these effects by building muscle, improving balance, and increasing bone density.
In addition, exercise has been shown to improve mental health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, and even help with weight loss. So if you’re looking to improve your health in any way, exercise is a great place to start.
Getting started with exercise can be daunting, but there are plenty of ways to make it easier. You can start by finding an activity you enjoy, such as walking, swimming, or biking. Once you find something you like, look for ways to incorporate those activities into your daily lifestyle.
Affordable, low-cost exercise products that are safe and easy to use offer Baby Boomers a great way to stay in shape right from their homes.
Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise every day is important for everyone, but it can be especially beneficial for Baby Boomers. Breaking a sweat on a regular basis is not only great for your mental health and improving your mood – it also limits the amount of muscle mass you lose as you age. Staying mentally sharp and physically fit will help you stay active and independent for a very long time.
If you’re a Baby Boomer, born between 1944 and 1964, and you haven’t yet made exercise a priority in your life, consider starting as soon as possible. It’s never too late to begin treating your body better and the results come quickly both physically and mentally – usually within a couple of weeks.
Home or Gym – Where do Boomers Exercise?
Some Baby Boomers prefer to sign up for a gym membership and take advantage of the benefits offered by local gyms. For most though, home workouts are preferred as they tend to be more cost-effective over time and are more convenient than the local gym. In fact, people who work out at home are more likely to continue working out (compared to many gym-goers who quit after a month or two) and they ultimately meet their long-term fitness goals while enjoying the benefits of low cost exercise equipment.
What Makes For a Good Home Exercise Setup?
Baby Boomers can purchase a few simple low-cost exercise products that will provide everything you need for a challenging yet safe workout right in your home – and you’ll soon be feeling better than ever.
There are plenty of options out there – and each is better suited to a specific type of exercise or fitness goal than others. Some of them carry a large price tag too. We’ve put this guide together to help baby boomers find and buy low-cost home exercise equipment.
What Type of Home Workout Equipment is Best For Baby Boomers?
Before you can determine what type of home exercise equipment is best for you, you should first consider what you’re hoping to achieve from working out. Do you want to improve heart health or are you looking to build or tone muscle? If so, which part of your body are you trying to tone?
Once you’ve made your mind up, you can take a look at the different types of home workout equipment out there and determine which is best suited to your goal. Bear in mind that there are other considerations that you should make as you go along. Some pieces are much smaller than others, so if you have limited space in your home, you may need to rule out some of them even if they are perfect for helping you achieve your fitness objective.
Now that’s out of the way; we can take a look at the different types of home workout equipment and give you some guidance on what each is good for…
Dumbbells & Barbells
Dumbbells and barbells are great for seniors who are looking to build upper body strength. You can perform countless exercises (usually curls of some form) with these weights, and most are pretty simple to perform, though you should make sure your form is good instead of merely trying to lift the heaviest weights possible.
It can be tricky to know what weight is right for you, so it might be a good idea to get a one-day gym pass and try a few different weights. You should ultimately buy a weight that is challenging to lift but isn’t too heavy for your arms (and therefore forces you to use your back for support.)
If you’re performing exercises with weights sitting down or lying down (a chest press, for example), it’s a good idea to have someone standing behind you to spot you in case you lose control of the weight.
Here’s a great, simple, inexpensive dumbbell set we recommend:
Gym Mats
Gym mats don’t necessarily allow you to perform a greater range of exercises at home than you could without any equipment. Still, they make certain exercises more comfortable and pleasant to perform, especially if your property has a hard floor.
You can do countless exercises on gym mats, such as leg-ups, sit-ups, and yoga, to tone different parts of your body.
Here’s a great value for a thick, comfortable gym mat.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are a great and affordable way to enhance your leg workouts. They can be used for squats, lunges and more, and can be combined with weights to add an extra punch to your home workout.
Resistance bands are perfect for boomers who have limited space in their homes, as they can easily be stored in your closet and don’t use up any additional space when you’re performing a workout with them.
Here’s a great deal on a 5-piece resistance band set:
Foam Rollers
Foam rollers are great for seniors to use in their warmups or cooldowns. Using a foam roller (ideally on a gym mat) increases blood flow, can relieve muscle tension, and gradually gets your body up to temperature before your main workout.
Exercise Balls
Exercise balls can be used for a variety of exercises, which can improve your fitness in several different ways. For example, you can use an exercise ball to perform workouts, which enhance your core strength and improve your posture, which is especially important for aging seniors.
They are also reasonably compact and can be used indoors and outdoors, so most boomers shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a place where they can use their exercise ball.
Here’s a popular exercise ball that comes with a workout guide & quick pump!
Gym Bikes
Gym bikes require a bit more space than many of the other pieces of equipment on this list, but they still require far less space than other types of home workout equipment, which are predominantly used for cardio treadmills and rowing machines.
In addition to being great for raising your heart rate and burning calories, gym bikes can also be used to tone your legs, but they offer nothing when it comes to improving your upper body strength.
Here’s a simple, comfortable bike that’s also foldable:
Treadmills
Treadmills are among the bulkiest pieces of home gym equipment out there, so you’ll need plenty of free space in your home to fit one. However, they are one of the best pieces of home exercise equipment for weight loss or cardio, plus they are perfect for warmups and cooldowns.
It can take a little time to get used to walking or running on a treadmill, but once you do, you’ll likely find it to be a great way to burn calories, especially on days when the weather outside isn’t ideal.
There are so many treadmills you can choose from. We’re recommending this one based on it high customer rating, long list of useful features and price:
Skipping Ropes
Lastly, we have skipping ropes. Many boomers find exercising with a skipping rope to be one of the most enjoyable ways to exercise, and it’s great for cardio, though it’s typically done as a warmup, not the main exercise of your workout regime.
Keep in mind that you need quite a bit of space to exercise with a skipping rope, and you can usually only work out with one outside unless you have very high ceilings. Also, some boomers avoid using skipping ropes as it’s pretty easy to trip and potentially hurt yourself, so if you’re worried about this, consider this option.
Here’s a really unique rope. The Wastou Jump Rope has a built-in counter for tracking your rotations and calorie burn. But for Baby Boomers, this rope has a unique safety feature. You can use this jump rope without the rope so you eliminate the risk of getting tangled and falling. I know it’s hard to visualize this so I suggest you click on the link below and take a closer look.
Final Thoughts
Home workouts are the way forward – and the cost of home gym equipment has gone down considerably over the past decade, so most pieces of equipment are pretty affordable now.
It’s advisable to buy 2-3 pieces of home gym equipment so you can have a varied workout to tone different parts of your body and give yourself a good amount of variation to keep things fresh and interesting.
Quick Home Exercise Products Summary
- Exercise is essential for everyone, irrespective of age. Still, boomers and seniors, in particular, can benefit, as research has shown that working out helps you keep your independence as you age.
- Home workouts have been on the rise for a while now, as they offer unrivaled convenience, and surveys have found that people are far more likely to continue with a fitness regime and hit their goals when working out from home instead of having a gym membership.
- Boomers may also prefer home workouts to hitting the gym, as they may feel shy in the latter, especially if they are novices and may not know exactly what they’re doing.
- There are several different types of home workout equipment available to buy – and each is better suited to a certain kind of workout and fitness goal.
- We’ve reviewed and listed our top product picks, which you can order from Amazon today in a matter of clicks.
- We’ve also put together an overview of each type of home workout equipment, explaining who it’s best suited to and what the alternatives are.
- For example, treadmills are great for cardio and burning calories, but they require quite a lot of space, whereas dumbbells are useful for building upper body strength and require very little space.