We all know the importance of exercising regularly. Studies have shown that staying active can improve heart health, ease anxiety and even help you get a better night's sleep. But as you get older, focusing on your fitness becomes even more vital.
Certified personal trainer and TODAY contributor, Stephanie Mansour says that as we age, "we need exercise, more than ever, to help not only just maintain a healthy weight but also to maintain your overall health." As you get older, your bone density starts to decrease. "Doing things like strength training that helps build your muscle, which then hugs the bone and makes the bones stronger, is really important," she says. A regular fitness routine can also help counteract some of the natural decreases in metabolic rate that come with age, as well as the loss of muscle mass that some people experience during the stages of menopause.
However, the exercises that you were doing as a 20-year-old might not be the same ones that you feel comfortable doing as a 50-year-old. Generally, Mansour says that for people over 40, she recommends focusing on lower-impact exercises like strength training, Pilates and yoga.
"In my experience, it's important to keep your workouts low impact as you're getting older because many of us suffer from aches and pains, joint stiffness or other physical conditions that make things like repetitive jumping or lots of impact on the joints painful to our bodies," Mansour says. Focusing on these lower-impact exercises that don't put as much pressure on the joints allows you to get in a total body workout, without all the soreness and recovery time that you'd get with higher impact exercises, she adds.
Of course, if you're more inclined toward HIIT workouts (or are a regular at your local cycling studio), don't let that stop you. Everyone is an expert on their own bodies and knows what they can handle best, Mansour says.
Regardless of what you're doing, if you're hoping to create a more regular fitness routine, it can be helpful to have equipment at home. It's more convenient and leaves less room for excuses, Mansour says (you can't complain about how far away the gym is if it's right in your living room). Here, she shares with us some of the essential at-home fitness tools that will help you stay in shape as you age.
Fitness essentials | Meet our expert | How we chose
The best fitness essentials, according to a personal trainer
Renoj Resistance Bands
- Comes with carrying case
- "Easy on the skin"
- Some say roll up legs
Material: Latex | Weight/resistance: X-light to X-heavy
Mansour says that shorter resistance bands can help you improve balance and stability, which are important as you get older. We like this Shop TODAY Wellness Award-winning set, which has more than 91,000 five-star ratings on Amazon and comes in five resistance levels, so you can rotate through them to adjust the intensity of your workouts.
One staffer who tried them shared, "I liked that the bands came in different strengths/weights from 2-30 lbs. It allows you to build up to the strength that challenges you. They also include a packet of possible workouts to try with the bands depending on which area of your body you want to work on.”
SPRI Xertube Resistance Bands with Handles
- Durable
- Has door attachment
- Resistance too light for some
Material: Nylon, rubber | Weight/resistance: Very light to ultra heavy
Resistance bands are a great tool to incorporate into your routine. Any kind with handles should work, Mansour says, but if you’re looking for just one band (instead of multiple that will take up space in your drawers), she recommends starting off with this light band, which she says can be used to work your arms and back.
RitFit Pilates Ring
- Portable
- Multi-use
- Not enough resistance for some
Material: Durable fiberglass, cushioned EVA outer | Weight/resistance: N/A
While you might not be familiar with a Pilates ring, Mansour says that the tool can be great for working your arms, inner thighs, and outer hips, depending on how you use it. You place it in between your thighs to challenge yourself further during a Pilates or floor core routine, or you can place it outside your ankles and cycle through some Pilates exercises that way.
“It has more give than other rings I’ve used in the past, but is well-made and sufficient for increasing the difficulty of pilates mat classes,” TODAY senior director of Art and Photography, Kara Haupt said about this ring.
Gaiam Essentials Premium Yoga Mat
- "Extra thick"
- Has carrying strap
- Can get slippery with sweat
Material: PVC | Weight/resistance: N/A
If you don't already have one, Mansour recommends adding a yoga mat to your at-home fitness arsenal. She likes this one because it's sticky (to prevent you from slipping), firm and inexpensive. Plus, it's available in seven fun colors and comes with a carrier sling, so you can take it with you on the go. Whether you're doing a yoga flow or a core circuit, you'll appreciate having this mat on hand.
Portzon Neoprene Dumbbells
- Ergonomic handle
- Anti-collision materials
- Mixed opinions on grip size
Material: Neoprene, iron | Weight/resistance: 3-pounds to 15-pounds
Dumbbells can be used for both high-intensity and lower-intensity workouts, Mansour says. She recommends this pair, which come in multiple colors and weights. Not sure what to do with your dumbbells? You can try the below strength-training workout, which will target your arms, core and legs.
Deals editor Rebecca Brown used these dumbbells for strength-training at home and says that the neoprene material hasn’t cracked at all, even though she's dropped them regularly. “They’ve been a great pair of weights to have in the house and I use them as often as I can,” she said.
Meet our expert
- Stephanie Mansour is a certified personal trainer and TODAY contributor. She also is a yoga and Pilates instructor and host of “Step It Up with Steph” on PBS.
How we chose
All of the items on this list were recommended by our expert as essentials for people over the age of 40. Whenever specific product recommendations weren't given, we used her guidance along with editor reviews and shopper ratings to pick the best options for you.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think TODAY.com readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not TODAY. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time. Learn more about Shop TODAY.
