The recent death of Survey Monkey CEO and husband of Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg, David Goldberg, has made people second guess the benefits of working out. Goldberg apparently fell off his treadmill and suffered head trauma leading to his untimely death. We don’t know currently if he suffered a heart attack leading to the fall or whether he was the victim of a treadmill accident – however, his death raises the age-old question: is working out really worth it?
What Happens to the Body Post-40s?
Many research studies have concluded that people who are active tend to be at a decreased risk for chronic health problems and have greater survival rates over people who are sedentary.
Though we often hear about young people dying during a race or shortly after, the chances of this happening are very minimal. Here is the caveat though: even people who run marathons can have plaque deposits in their blood vessels on account of lifestyle or family history and can be at a high a risk of heart attacks.
This can particularly impact men in their 40s who have more wear and tear on their bodies and need to be cautious when exercising so as not to exceed a threshold that can cause more harm than good.
Working Out Post-40s
As you inch towards your 40s, exercise begins to take on a new shape. Workout routines that you once found exciting or challenging can now become the cause of constant niggling pain. Never has it been made more apparent in recent time than in the light of David Goldberg’s treadmill tragedy.
Battling with joint and ache pains can soon become a reality and can impact even the fittest of the pack. There’s no need to be ashamed, for age takes its toll on even the best of us.
With that in mind, there are several ways in which you can style your workout to best suit your age. Men’s Health suggests splitting your workout like this:
1. Flexibility: 15 minutes
2. Strength: 25 minutes
3. Cardio: 20 minutes
The magazine also recommends workouts that include a strength-training component: full-body, complete range-of-motion exercises that stress your muscles enough to build or maintain mass but not enough to burden your joints.
There are low-risk ways to tackle an extreme workout once you’re out of your thirties, says an article in NBC News. One should consider following smart, individualized plans that are long on recovery and variety, mixing yoga or tai chi with cardio and strength training. Ditch your 90-minute weight-room grinds for shorter sessions. Don’t stress muscles to the point of failure. And protect your shoulders by using dumbbells versus straight bars, the report states.
How Can You Ensure Treadmill Safety?
As for treadmills, Consumer Reports lists some useful tips for a safe workout. Important ones are to look straight while running, use a safety key that will stop the treadmill in the event of fall and keeping children away from treadmills.
Treadmillreviews.net too offers nine tips for treadmill safety which include: looking forward, not relying on handrails, starting by straddling the deck, increasing either speed or incline, not going barefoot, not stepping off a moving treadmill, keeping children away, leaving plenty of space and not pushing too hard.
The Boston Globe also brings in a new aspect to treadmills when it highlights the rampant use of cellphones while running. Many fitness professionals view the proliferation of constant cellphone use — while huffing and puffing on the machines — as a significant contributing cause in injuries, reports the Globe.
Most importantly: if you are of a certain age and want to shed those tyres around your waist: know your limits, don’t overdo it; start slow and amp up.
So, what are you waiting for: get up, get out and get fit. But the most important precept? Make sure you’ve got clearance from your physician first if you don’t exercise regularly.
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