While exercising regimes like HIIT, classic strength training and yoga always end up on the list of most popular fitness trends basically every year, some people have grown tired of them.
Luckily, there are literally hundreds – if not thousands – different activities that can help you stay in shape. So, let’s look at some of the more interesting ways from around the world… Five Interesting Ways Men Stay Fit 1.Brazil: Capoeira Let’s start things off with a traditional, Brazilian martial art for that combines the elements of dance, acrobatics and self-defense – Capoeira. Although it was initially developed by slaves, who used Capoeira to mask the fact they were practicing fighting moves, the modern version puts a bigger emphasis on your acrobatic skills than your striking power. There’s actually a ton of Capoeira schools worldwide, and if you want to get started, you can simply visit Capoeira blogs and find a local class. In most cases, the beginner course lasts for eight weeks and don’t just teach you the moves. These classes also include learning about different musical instruments, singing in Portuguese and learning various customs. 2.New Zealand: No-contact Boxing. New Zealand is a pretty physically active country – especially when you compare it to the United States. In fact, according to the Ministry of Health, more than half of adults in New Zealand are physically active for more than 30 minutes per day. In addition to popular workouts like crossfit, boutique boxing studios have started popping up all over the country. No-contact boxing is exactly what it sounds like – it’s standard boxing, but instead of punching it out with another person, you just train with punching bags or someone holding a pad. Although we think of boxing as targeting just the arms, this workout regime will actually give you a full-body workout. The core particularly gets hit every time. 3.France: ParkourIn the last couple of years, parkour has spread all across the globe; however, France still remains its heartland. The training discipline was initially conceived as an evolution of military obstacle courses by a group simply known as “The Yamasaki.” The goal of parkour is rather simple: a person just needs to propel themselves forward in an urban environment using basics techniques like climbing, jumping and pulling to navigate through obstacles. Well, it’s easier said than done. Parkour will increase both your upper and lower body strength, not to mention it will do wonders for your bravery. 4.United Kingdom: Unicycling Admittedly, the unicycle is not the most perfect form of transportation out there. However, it’s perfect if you’re looking to get some more exercise. As you’d assume, riding a unicycle is much harder than riding your plain-old mountain bike. It requires more balance and you have pedal constantly in order to keep moving. And just like their more-common counterpart, unicycles come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. You have the regular ones, mountain unicycles and freestyle models. There’s even the “extreme wheel” that comes without a seat. Even though learning how to ride one will take some practice, it’s a great cardio workout that will strengthen your muscles as well. 5.Japan: Tabata Tabata was created over 40 years ago by a Japanese doctor Izumi Tabata. He has conducted a study, determining the efficiency of this type of training. He compared two groups of people – one group performed one hour of continuous moderate exercise, while the other performed four minutes of high-intensity exercises: 20 seconds of all-out effort, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Results indicated that four-minute intervals improve both anaerobic and aerobic fitness levels. Although the workout crossed over to the West, it’s still immensely popular in Japan. While four minutes of exercise don’t seem like much, trust us – it’s not easy. People over there don’t exercise without a trusty timer and the best compression clothing in Japan. The timer will help you with the intervals, because you won’t be able to estimate when 20 seconds have passed when your brain is fuzzy and compression gear will prevent any cramps. Final Thoughts In the past, if you wanted to stay in shape, you had to choose one of three things: going outside, hitting the gym or staying at home to workout with your little dumbbells and home equipment. But today, thanks to the Internet, you can learn any number of different exercise methods. All you need to do is choose the right one and start working out.
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Just because you’ve turned 50 doesn’t mean you’re ready to give up on life and stop enjoying it to the fullest, does it? The fact is that more and more people in this age continues to stay physically active and doesn’t suddenly adopt a new lifestyle simply because the society tells them they aren’t young anymore. If you too want to stay active, here are a few ways to work out like a pro in your 50s.
Pay Attention to Technique Staying safe and uninjured is essential for everyone who’s trying to become more physically active, and that’s especially true for those over 50. Our bodies weaken with age, so we’re more prone to injuries and require more time to heal. That’s why you need to take care of your muscle health, but also pay more attention to proper technique. When you’re in the gym, do everything slowly and patiently, and be sure to consult a personal trainer, at least in the beginning. Find Appropriate Exercises The biggest problem people in their 50s experience is trying to stay as active as they were ten years ago – you need to face the fact that you’re older and have to find more age-appropriate activities. Try walking, jogging, biking, swimming, doing yoga and other activities that you haven’t done before. You can still build your muscles this way, but only with a proper training plan. Get some Help Joining a gym can be a stressful experience, particularly for a 50-year-old, and you might not always know what to do. That’s why you should ask a personal coach for some help, but also investigate gym accessories that could make your job much easier. Lots of people love using supportive gym wrist straps, for example, because they not only help you hold your weights and bars more firmly, but also make you feel safer. Start Eating Differently Stuffing yourself with junk food and soda drinks was quite all right when you were twenty, but not anymore, and you must adopt a new eating regime. Improving your diet is easier than most people think, and all you need to do is reduce the size of your meals and focus on eating lots of proteins, carbs, fruits and vegetables. This diet will help you work out better in your 50s and make a major difference in your shape, accentuating the effects of your workouts. Rely on a Friend Exercising with a friend is one of the best ideas out there and it can help you reach better results regardless of your age. Your sparring partner will motivate you, push your harder, make you explore your boundaries, help you feel safer, provide a positive reinforcement, elevate your competitive spirit and, in the end, turn your workouts into something fun, exciting and enjoyable. Get Better-Looking Regular workouts and a vigorous diet will make you feel much better, but also improve your image and posture – your body will look several years younger in a matter of months! Unfortunately, you can’t turn back the time and be forty again, but you can slow down the aging process and reverse some of its effects. In the end, just because you’ve aged doesn’t mean you can’t get better-looking – on the contrary, this is quite possible for most men, as long as they have a sustainable plan. Great looks and shape aren’t reserved for young people only and getting into certain age doesn’t mean you should stop working out. There are lots of age-appropriate exercises and activities you could get into, so find the ones that make you the happiest and enjoy them as often as you can. |
Peter MinkoffPeter is a men's grooming and health writer at The Beard Mag & High Style Life magazines, living between UK and Australia. Beside writing he worked as a grooming consultant for many fashion events around UK & Australia too! Follow Peter on Twitter for more men’s grooming tips. Archives
April 2023
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