Most people assume they must do cardio only or strength training is the only way to build muscle.

What if I told you that a combination of cardio, strength training, and yoga was the best way to build a strong, flexible, and healthy body? As you age, your body needs a combination of these exercises to help you age gracefully.

Ignoring even one type of exercise can have detrimental effects on your body. Here’s what each exercise does for you.

Cardio Helps your Cardiovascular System

Cardio is important for everyone at every age, even if it’s modified cardio. It can help lower your blood pressure, help you keep a healthy weight, lower your risk of diabetes, and reduce inflammation.

In short, cardio helps fight the risk of heart disease at any age, but especially as you get older. It lowers your stress levels, increases oxygen flow, and increases ‘good cholesterol’ to keep a healthy body.

Strength Helps Fight Muscle Deterioration

Just like your heart needs regular exercise, so do your muscles. The more you use them, the less likely you are to experience muscle deterioration, which starts as young as age 30. Consistently working your muscles and encouraging growth ensure that your muscles stay strong.

Strength training doesn’t have to mean sitting in the weight room for 60 minutes a day, either. Sometimes simple body resistance exercises are all your body needs to strengthen your muscles.

Yoga Improves your Flexibility

As you age, it’s normal to lose your balance and your muscles weaken, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Incorporating yoga into your exercise routine can help improve flexibility, loosen the fascia, increase your balance, and train your muscles.

As you age, your risk of osteoporosis increases, but yoga can help. It can also reduce stress, help you sleep better, and improve your flexibility and strength. It may even help you experience less aches and pains.

A Mixture of Exercises Helps Fight Diseases

Mixing exercises also help you fight diseases. Common diseases that you hear about every day can be fought off with regular exercise. Common diseases exercise helps prevent include:

• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis
• Dementia

Final Thoughts

Don’t give up on exercise as you age. Instead, incorporate it into your daily routine. Simple exercises do more wonders than most people realize. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym or be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Instead, gentle exercises that include cardio, strength training, and yoga will give your body the best chance at gentle aging. It’s not normal to ‘feel old’ or to have aches and pains. What’s normal is to feel good and healthy but it takes work. Put the work in to train your body, doing what you are comfortable with, and you’ll achieve your goals of aging gracefully.