As you get older, doing the proper workout becomes more important than ever before. Your health starts being a lot more dependent on your level of exercise. Once you’re above 50, you need to start exercising more seriously. At the same time, though — you need to be more serious about how you work out because the potential for injury and other issues is much bigger. With that in mind, we’ll give you a couple of tips for both men and women that want to start exercising in their midlife years.

Statistically, men tend to increase their alcohol intake as they get older. Unfortunately, this not only has a severe effect on your cardiovascular health in the long term — but it also affects your ability to work out. Alcohol processing consumes a lot of energy, leaving your body unable to exercise as efficiently as it otherwise would. Plus, many people want to lose weight by working out — you won’t be able to do that easily when you’re a 50-year-old drinker.

Here’s a tip for both men and women — if you need to find a reason to work out and motivate yourself, know that doing so will probably provide you with a lengthier lifespan. This is especially true for men, whose fitness levels are known to be a better indicator of life expectancy than even BMI. The risk of most types of natural death reduce by about 15% with the improvement of male fitness levels.

Older women statistically have more difficulties with sticking to their predetermined exercised routines. That’s why it’s important for women to maintain at least half an hour of low to moderate activity 7 days a week. This doesn’t have to be a full-blown training session — 30 minutes of fast walking will be more than enough. Even gardening fulfills this requirement, just as long as you’re not stationary and you’re burning calories.

Many people don’t realize there are all kinds of low-impact physical activities that they’re unconsciously avoiding — and these could prove to have immense benefits for people’s overall health. For instance, if you take the stairs instead of using the elevator, you could significantly increase your cardio efficiency. And that’s something that wouldn’t bother you too much, as it only takes a couple of minutes.

Men should do all they can in terms of bodyweight workouts. Doing step-ups, push-ups and squats will do wonders for your bone density as you get older — which is an important benefit for people over 50. That being said, realizing that this also has huge benefits in terms of muscle tone and weight loss will be great as well. In general, weight training helps battle fatigue and increases the pace at which your metabolism works. While the cycling bike has its benefits, there’s definitely a place for weight training in every man’s regiment.

Women find it far easier to work out in groups, especially as they get older. Ladies over 50 would do well to find a social group that wants to dabble in a similar exercise as them. Sure, this might not increase your shoulder range or help in a battle with arthritis — but it will give you the motivation to be your best self and try to remain healthy. Even young people find it easier to stay on the couch when they’re not working out with someone else — let alone someone older who probably tires more easily as well.

Both genders could gain great benefits from hydrotherapy — this is an exercise that’s performed in water, usually a heated pool. This is particularly true for people suffering from any preexisting health conditions. The water is gently heated and moving while submerged gives you all the resistance you need without the possibility of injury. It’s a comfortable training environment that challenges you as much as you want it to, without compromising in safety.

One of the things men focus on while exercising in their 50s is core strength — and with good reason. This doesn’t just mean going for that six-pack you’ve always wanted. The muscles found in your core are the main thing propping up your spine, making them hugely important for the health of your back as well. If you want to have excellent pelvic stability and a decent posture in your old age, the time to start working on that is now.

Women’s nutrition actually tends to improve as they get older, but with men, it’s basically the opposite. Proper nutrition is obviously essential in helping you age healthily. No amount of exercise can’t cure a vitamin deficiency or another nutrition-related issue — that’s something you have to deal with by eating properly.

Among all the building blocks that make up our body, protein is one of the most important ones we get from nutrition. And it’s something that we must regularly replenish in order to remain healthy. We differentiate between so-called incomplete and complete proteins — but both are equally important.