50+ what exercise do you do?

A lot of people who fit it in simply have more time.
If your life is full already, you can only really fit it in by sacrificing another element of your limited leisure. So by getting up an hour earlier, swapping it for your TV/reading/chilling time. The most successful at that are those who have found excercise they actually enjoy, so it feels like they're still having leisure time.
What worked for me was to build walking into socialising wherever possible, so carrying on the lockdown habit of a walk rather than lunch or coffee, but it does require like minded friends!

DS had hives once (not sunlight, we don't know what caused them, on his legs under trousers on a cold grey day at beach). Sympathy on that one.

You're not saying that everyone will get hives in response to sunlight thru a window indoors if they don't use sunscreen, right?

@lljkk If you have a better recommendation please share as I'm genuinely interested. I get a reaction like hives when exposed to too much sunlight, hence why I consulted a dermatologist. That's the reason why I now stick to gym classes and I have to cover up like a mummy for a simple walk along the beach in summer. 😩

Neah, don't buy that.

Just wanted to say to all the walkers and runners that sunscreen is a must. A dermatologist told me to even use it indoors if I was working near a window. I can recommend the Korean KAHI aqua balm (50 SPF) which I bought on Amazon. It's a stick, so no more suncream in the eyes or on your fingers when you need to reapply.
Apologies in advance, as I know this isn't the Style & Beauty thread!

@FlowerArranger yes those lunges! And all of her HIIT workouts are evil. I do them, but not to the number she achieves. She's a machine. But very motivating!

50. At the moment 2x 60 minute yoga classes , 2 x 60 minute dance fitness classes, 3 x 60 minute body conditioning classes. A couple of 1 k swims.

Once the weather gets warmer I'll do a lot more cycling and swimming as our pool is a heated lido and much nicer in summer months!

Hate running and the gym is boring for me, I am more motivated by group exercise.

I’m not over 50 myself, but I’m in a mountain biking club & we have several ladies aged 60+, and yes they ride proper fairly technical singletrack trails, not just the easy tracks ! One of them rides an e-bike but two of them ride normal bikes

You mean the lunges, don't you. Those workouts are pure evil!!

😂

@FlowerArranger i only do half an hour on the days I run and never her legs only workouts 🤣🤣🤣

Caroline at least an hour a day!!! I'm impressed, @samthebordercollie !

There was a time when I often did 2 of her workouts back to back, but I found that it didn't leave me with enough time and energy for HIIT/cardio and dedicated abs work.

I try to run more, but I don't enjoy it as I'm always on the lookout for obstacles that might make me trip or twist my ankle. I used to run on the spot at home while listening to the radio. Maybe should try to get back into that. But to be honest, I'd just rather do a session with the lovely Anna (Growingannanas).

Caroline Girvan strength and weight training every day for an hour at least. Run 3 x a week 30 miles. Cycle and swim sometimes and walk the dogs 5 miles every day. I'm 56.
I used to run every day, over 50 miles a week but following foot surgery realised how bad it was for me and how much fitter I was doing strength training with CG that I'm definitely not going back to running everyday. Too much cortisone and it depleted my ferritin so hair was always thin. Not to mention the risk of prolapse which I'd always ignored! I'm 57.

Run 5k two or three times a week, martial arts class on a weekend, speed walk to the office once a week.

In the summer I cycle with ds as well.

Lots of hardcore exercisers here! I was a bit of a gym bunny in my younger days but struggle to fit in exercise now. I'm not quite in the 50+ category yet (late 40s) but I find my biggest challenge is time. Before having a child I used to regularly go to the gym after work. But if I did that now I would never see my child during the week. So yes, also priorities.

I manage to run 2-3 times per week and do a couple of yoga sessions but that's it these days. Tbh I'm bloody knackered. I miss exercising more but don't have the time or energy to fit in more at the moment. Maybe when my daughter is a bit older.

I try to do up to six 45 min aqua classes a week. Then a 15-30 minute swim afterwards as well. Apart from if I’m not feeling well or if I’m going on holiday.
some weeks it’s less but usually a minimum of 3 classes/swims a week.
I’m in my mid 60’s. I like doing Zumba as well at home but at my club I’d have to pay a lot more, so just stick with the pool membership.

Half hour brisk walk four times a week. At least I was doing this until it got colder. The cold goes right through me and makes me wanna wee!!

Looking forward to spring to resume this but need to do this all year round somehow.... Very enjoyable too.

@Gwenhwyfar no, separate topic but single and can't socialise in winter due to covid. Also health issues mean prioritising, I run out of energy/spoons

Right, am going to dig out my weights and try to do them in front of the telly tonight. Need to look at Caroline G too, though I can never stick to these routines. But needs must!

That's an impressive step count @lljkk but probably because you are cycling as well? Good advice though to not sit!

@MidnightMeltdown A combination of local roads and parks. No one hoots or leers…
@Gwenhwyfar I tend to leave the house between 8am and 8.30am and start work around 9.30am. I guess I could get up earlier or do it at lunchtime but this works best for me.

Ah, sorry. I misunderstood. From you saying you worked fewer hours than most and did batch cooking on certain days I assumed you had those days entirely off work so were spending the whole day cooking.

Yes, if you're doing a big old cook up after work that would take up a lot of time.

I've got quick healthy meals nailed! Air fried chicken, turkey or fish, cous cous or rice and steamed veg. From concept to table in 20 mins.

I don't batch cook per se, I'll just freeze 1/2 of a large meal (bolognese, shepherds pie). But there's just 2 of us so it makes sense.

I rarely get tooted.
I have a classic distance runner build - lean and long limbed.
I have a swishy pony tail and am told I look quite errrm determined when I run. Apart from when I'm listening to The News Quiz and then I can be laughing which must make people think I am really enjoying myself!

At risk of oversharing, this is the step count I got so far today.

Fitbit overcounts (maybe 10-15%), and it counts my cycling as steps (grr).

My actual activity was approx
7:45-8:05am cycle ride
815am-9am dog walk
9am-9:10am chat (on my feet)
910-1005 cycle
1005-1240 volunteer fundraising event, on my feet whole time, standing, helping customers, sending WhatsApp msgs, tidying, moving boxes, chat etc.
12:40-115 cycle
115pm+ organising stuff at home, I need to go shopping soon, too.

Top line is 1800 in 15 minutes, middle line is 900 in 15 minutes.
Fitbit seemed to estimate 1800 steps/hour when volunteering.
Call it 1500 / hour in reality (correcting Fitbit over-estimate).
Childcare for mobile kids, cooking, cleaning, Housework or gardening should be similar step rate. Certainly at least 800/hour.

I often wonder why cleaning obsessed MNers aren't all skinny as rakes (!)

Sorry I'm not 50+, I'm mid 30s. I just gatecrashed the thread as I noticed that you lot were putting me to shame, and I wondered how you managed to maintain strict exercise regimes 🙈

If 50+ ladies can do it, then I should be able to! I'll keep quiet now...

supermarket, shopping, cooking: all that involves moving & taking steps.
(so does gardening, housework, childcare, parent-care, cleaning, DIY...)

People doing a lot of those activities should not have low step counts at end of the day.

I get crazy step counts on days when I do a lot of volunteer fundraising (single small location venue), too.

Socialising is often on one's feet, too.

If you can't face exercise then at least try to avoid lots of sitting.