Any age is good to start taking care of yourself. Photo: Thyssenkrupp Home Solutions

Any age is good to start taking care of yourself, maintain what you have and improve the quality of life. The important thing is to create a habit, says Belén Galán, executive of the ThyssenKrupp Home Solutions company.

The passing of the years, especially after the fifth and sixth decade of life, often causes health ailments and in some cases affects the mood, but there are some unfounded myths about this stage.

More and more people make it one of the most stimulating of their life, they are the ‘ Millennials ‘ or active retirees of the 21st century.

Contrary to the belief that retirement means being sad or alone, having less social life and feeling less useful to society, retirement does not favor depression but seems to reduce its symptoms, according to the study “Millennials: the impact of the retirement in the health from the 65 years ”, of Vivaz, the health insurance brand of Línea Directa; the Francisco de Vitoria University and the Carlos III Health Institute.

According to this work, the percentage of Spaniards aged 55 to 64 who have depressive symptoms is 27% higher than that of those aged 65 to 75.

In reducing the depressive symptoms of retirement influence having left the stress and sedentary lifestyle, to adopt healthier habits, such as exercising regularly in order to stay in good shape; follow the Mediterranean diet more regularly; smoke and drink less; and be more satisfied with social life.

It is a longer-lived generation, which also enjoys a better quality of life. They are very active, rely on technology, have a great capacity to enjoy life and tend to be more aware of their health after retirement, ”says Dr. Manuel Castillo, scientific president of the Spanish Society of Anti-Aging and Longevity Medicine (SEMAL) and Professor of Physiology at the University of Granada.

In terms of physical exercise, any age is good to start taking care of yourself, maintain what you have and improve the quality of life. The important thing is to create a habit, says Belén Galán, director of Marketing and Communication of the company ThyssenKrupp Home Solutions (THS), the leader in stairlifts.

Movements to live longer and better.

The motivation is clear: live longer and better. You just have to insist until you acquire the custom and then it will not cost to keep it; Moreover, he will miss each time it is not possible to practice the routine of physical activity, ”said this executive.

Be it the type of resistance, strength, balance or flexibility; to preserve and strengthen muscles and joints; to control weight and maintain energy; to reduce the risk of stiffness, fractures, injuries, and falls, or to be in good shape “the exercise performed must be adapted to the mobility and physical condition of each one,” says Galán.

We must progress slowly, set realistic goals, without feeling pain, taking care not to aggravate pre-existing pathologies and consult a doctor when necessary he adds.

In addition to external activities such as walking, going to the gym or swimming, THS suggests other forms of moderate physical exercise that can be easily practiced at home, without great means, or spent money on gym machines:

1. Do housework at a faster and brisk pace. You can raise the intensity for ten continuous minutes; then, return to a normal rhythm and activate again for another ten minutes, we are already sweeping, scrubbing or wiping the dust cloth he suggests.
2. Dance a couple of times a day, each in its own way. We can play light music and keep up with the arms, legs, hips. A song usually lasts less than five minutes: you can dance one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Dancing the waltz will surely improve our mood, he proposes.
3. Stay active while watching TV. A static pedal device can be used to move the sitting legs; lift weights with arms or legs; work with an elastic band; squeeze a rubber ball to exercise your hands or contract your abs by slowly inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth can play light music and keep up with the arms, legs, hips. Photo: Thyssenkrupp Home Solutions
4. Walk fast through the house. If we have a corridor or rooms free of obstacles, we can move quickly, wearing appropriate footwear, for example, a ‘walking shoes at home’ made with a fabric that holds, with velcro closure, light and with a sole that does not slip.
5. Use “household weights. To strengthen the muscles can be used as a dumbbell, a tetra brick, a can of canned food, a bottle of water filled with sand or chickpeas or beans inside a knotted sock.
   Belén Galán points out that if we fail to lift that “domestic weight eight times in a row with our arms or legs, it means that it is too much weight and we will have to start with less and increase.
6. While we brush our teeth. When we are brushing our teeth in the bathroom or while cooking or scrubbing, we can stand on tiptoe to exercise the twins, with our backs straight and the abdomen contracted and thus stay a few seconds, with or without support.
7. Train balance daily. Galán proposes to walk in a straight line with one foot in front of another (the heel of one foot attached to the fingers of the other), facing forward and following the line of the tiles or the parquet floor, taking 20 steps one way and 20 back.
8. Talk on the foot phone. While talking on the phone while standing, with the device in one hand or better with headphones to keep the head and back straight, smooth and controlled movements can be made: one leg back, to activate buttocks; forward to exercise the quadriceps; to one side and inward, to maintain abductors and adductors.

Stay in good shape and beat laziness

There are plenty of possibilities to do gym exercises at home, such as squats, the ‘lunge’ or stride, the extension of triceps with elastic band, the ‘curl’ of biceps with dumbbells, lumbar swimmers and shrinks simple abs, explains Ana Díaz, personal trainer of the consultation service with doctors and medical specialists.

These are his tips to be constant when starting a home training routine and feel motivated to arrive that part of the day when we get moving:

1. Reserve sixty minutes a day for the exercise, in a calm and relaxed environment, taking this time as a moment of dedication to oneself.
2. Prepare a basic training kit that, in addition to a mat, includes elastic bands, dumbbells, tensioners, and ‘football’ or gymnastic ball.
3. Train all muscle groups, varying the exercises and using the resources available at homes, such as stairs and furniture.
4. Training can be very fun if done with background music while we are at home.
5. The final relaxation after stretching will help us end each session with a pleasant feeling, and our