Am I too old at 50 to start exercising now?

You're never too old. I'm 53 and have started walking as often as I possibly can, mainly up huge hills, that gets your intensity minutes in. I can feel myself getting fitter and stronger.
You're doing great by walking two miles regularly, could you maybe add in some hills?
Easy ones to begin with then when you feel your strength building add in much harder ones.
The benefits of exercise are fantastic at our age.
Good luck!

One of my role models took up running in her 60s and is still running in her late 70s.

Walking a couple of miles a day is a great foundation, but it's easy to not walk briskly enough and just maintain a functional level of movement. No single exercise type will cover all aspects of fitness. Getting your heartrate up, using your range of mobility and resistance/ weight to build muscular strength are all important to cover.

Being strong and mobile through middle age into old age is the best way to improve your odds of a healthy old age with good quality of life.

My elderly relatives were of the generation that valued thinness and being "ladylike". Life became more sedentary in their middle age, and good muscle tone wasn't encouraged by lifestyle or exercise avaliability. They've struggled with osteoarthritis; in DM's case it has impacted her life for over 20 years. I hope that maximising my bone and muscle mass through middle age, I can delay such health issues.

I joined a gym about 18 months ago - I was then 63. I've used it mainly for cardio as I realised that just walking around my town wasn't doing enough to keep me fit and that was affecting my enjoyment of one of my main interests which is hiking/walking. It has really improved my fitness and means I have the confidence to join walking groups and go on walking holidays. I also regularly do pilates and have an e-bike which I use instead of short car journeys. All of these things are helping to keep me fit and active which is increasingly important as you get older. I only wish I'd started the gym earlier!

Absolutely not. I coach at my local rowing club and we get plenty of 50 somethings signing up to our beginner courses. Often they have literally done no regular exercise since they left school, are overweight and incredibly unfit. Its amazing to watch these individuals transform themselves in the space of six months from barely being able to sustain a few minutes of exercise to being able to do full sessions (weights, ergs, on the water) as well as dropping a load of weight. Its quite inspiring to be honest.

Not at all. Never too late! I would also recommend a PT if you can afford one and specifically someone who has expertise that will help you (for me this was finding an excellent post-partum PT, and now she is helping me with the early symptoms of perimenopause too) - worth every single penny. I have breaks from it and just crack on myself using the tools she’s provided me and then go back when I need a new plan etc.

The gym isn’t for everyone but it’s absolutely worth a shot OP! I have other friends who run, do Pilates, hike, etc. There’s something for everyone :)

Even people over 65 who started exercising significantly improved:

• Body fat mass (decrease)
• Handgrip strength
• Knee extension strength
• Gait speed and “timed-up-and-go” performance (i.e., functional mobility)

It’s the other way around.

You are too old NOT to start exercising.

You are entering the decades of decline and you will decline rapidly if you don’t start e revising to keep your strength, mobility and endurance up.

You can get away with doing eff all when you are young. You can’t now.

Not too late

Try a few things and see what you enjoy

Pilates, body conditioning and bidypump don't make you hot and sweaty but you have that great post-exercise feeling

I had a work medical when I was 51. I wasn't particularly out of shape but I found myself embarrassed trying to answer the doctor's questions about exercise (basically I wasn't doing any). I determined that by the next year's check up I was going to have something to say. I started to do just an hour a week , in the garage, with a routine for over 50s I found on-line. I didn't really know what I was doing but I said to myself if I manage just 5 sit ups, that's an infinite amount more than I was doing last week/ month/ year. 3 or 4 years on I'm exercising 3 times a week, I feel better about myself than I have for years, and people have commented on the positive difference.

Not at all!

Some weights / strength training would be good.

Try Pilates, body pump classes (use modest weights) etc.

I would say that training to become a pro footballer might be out of reach. But exercising for yourself, not late at all! Start slowly and build on that. Find what you like and a club/class with appropriate level. You can even get a physio or a trainer to find out where you are at and to help with next steps.

Start slowly and go for it OP!

Agree. You will never again be younger than you are today!

My Dr said that peri age is when women can benefit most from exercise and building muscle. It's swimming and Reformer Pilates that work for me. So rewarding.

The best time to have started, would’ve been c30 years ago. The second best time is today.

I would say don’t start with a big plan of going to the gym 5x per week. You won’t be able to sustain that level of change. I’d start by finding something you enjoy and adding it in 1 or 2 times per week, and then increase from there. The benefits of strength training cannot be understated. There’s lots of videos online to teach you technique if you’re looking for a low cost solution. Otherwise a PT should be able to help you get started.

On an aside, I really wish people, especially, women would simply dismiss the mindset of being “too old” for this, that and the other.

It’s so restrictive and limiting. I too am guilty of it and often think how much more we would acheive if we simply assumed we wanted to do it, didn’t even consider age and just went ahead and did it.

Why I personally would say weights over cardio is that women in our generation were always told to do cardio for weight loss and to not touch weights, because you will immediately get bulky and unfeminine. So when you say 'exercise', GenX women will hear it as 'cardio'. Therefore, more likely to do that anyway.
But so many women wouldn't even consider weightlifting, which is so important when we age.

I’m 61 and cycle 26 miles each week, walk every day and have just taken up Bhangra dancing 🤪

I didn't start going to the gym until I was 60. Haven't managed to lose any weight though. I decided to start 'running' on the treadmill two months ago. Wanted to try to run a mile. Took me 14 minutes to start with. On Friday I managed 10 minutes 9 seconds. My personal best. I' m 72. It's never too late.

She is, and she's lovely 😊

Sara Cox has just ran back to back marathons in her 50s. I think she is all the proof needed.

Not at all! After years of being very unfit and extremely exercise averse, I have discovered reformer Pilates at 52 which I absolutely love. Can really feel the benefits in my core and overall strength, as well as my balance.

Who said anything about hours of zone 2? Not me 😊 maybe check what I’ve actually said before making ridiculous statements. I do specialise in menopausal women and I’ve never recommended ‘hours of cardio’, here or anywhere else.

10-15 seconds max effort will be a total waste of time for her, and yes, actually probably would make her feel like shit as she hasn’t got the fitness for it yet.

As I said, couch 2 5k is perfect for now, it’s 20-30 mins 3x per week and can be done from the front door. Once she has a bit more fitness interval training would be fine.

Wondering where I’ve said walking isn’t good… oh wait, more misquoting. 2 miles a day is about 30 mins/ 5000 odd steps, it’s fine but not enough and certainty won’t be enough to have developed a decent base level of fitness.

Anyway, carry on giving advice about something you have very limited knowledge of, probably having read Stacy Sims book 🦆

The best exercise is one that you’ll stick to, so good luck OP, I’m bowing out now, arguing with morons is not how I like to spend Sunday evenings. I just get so fed up of the misinformation being spread, but you can’t argue with stupid.

You’re not too old! I go to a parent and baby cross fit and they do a never too old cross fit class. The beneifts Of exercising at any age are brilliant but even more so when you’re older!