Did anyone transform their fitness at 40?

How are you getting on @sorepaw1 ?

I started running at 50. I'm overweight and have a long term health condition. I've done 3 half marathons and still regularly do 5km. I'm over 60 now.

Me. 45yrs old... obese, blood tests came back as pre-diabetic. Wake up call as l am a nurse in Theatres and l see an awful lot of limbs bring amputated due to patients not taking responsibility of their health at my age.

So joined weight watchers and started C25K.

I truly thought l was going to die.... took me far far longer to complete the running programme.... but l did it!

3yrs later...

I continue to run (well plod...I'm never going to be fast !). Swim twice a week. Attend two weight classes for strength and toning. Attend a Les Mills Combat Class.

I have done all that very gradually though.

Getting fitter has been a lifestyle change for me (as l sit here eating chocolate...) but l really fear for our future if we don't take responsibility for our health as l really believe that the NHS will place more and more restrictions on what will be available in the future

Still having a drink, eating good food etc, but feels good to be slim again.

43, weight crept up to 59kg.

1200 cals a day and spinning 4 times a week.

52.3 kg within two months.

I can relate to this. Super unfit when I hit 40. Spent my 30 getting fatter and fatter. I started running 5K's during Covid but found it harder to sustain once back to real life. I've now moved countries and have daily access to a pool. I've been swimming consistently four times a week 40 lengths for six months now. I now want to get into lifting weights. A really inspiring thread 😁

It's absolutely possible to turn things around and regain your health and fitness later in life! Many people have done it, and their stories can be incredibly inspiring. Here are a few key tips and insights from those who have successfully made this journey:

1. *Start Small and Stay Consistent*: Begin with manageable changes to your diet and exercise routine. Small, consistent steps over time can lead to significant improvements.

1. *Set Realistic Goals*: Set achievable goals that align with your current fitness level and lifestyle. Progress may be slower than when you were younger, but every step forward counts.

1. *Find What Works for You*: Explore different forms of exercise and dietary approaches to find what you enjoy and can sustain long term. It could be anything from walking and swimming to yoga or strength training.

1. *Seek Support*: Surround yourself with supportive people who encourage and motivate you. This could be friends, family, or even online communities of people on similar journeys.

1. *Believe in Yourself*: Your mindset plays a crucial role. Believe that you can make positive changes and be kind to yourself throughout the process.

1. *Celebrate Your Progress*: Recognize and celebrate each milestone, no matter how small. It's important to acknowledge your achievements along the way.

1. *Be Patient and Persistent*: Transforming your health and fitness is a journey that takes time. Stay patient and keep moving forward, even if you face setbacks.

Remember, everyone's journey is unique, and what works for one person may not work for another. The key is to find what works best for you and to stay committed to your goals. You can do this!

You can also practice Zumba, calisthenics, Cardio, Yoga, or mallakhamb.

I took up tennis lessons at 41, really enjoyed them but had to stop due to getting tennis elbow and it not going away(physio said it was probably my one handed back hand that caused it) and covid happened, I also joined a gym at the same time, not really thinking I'd stick to it. Lockdown was hard but I made myself go for a daily run so I kept on doing the exercise.

5 years later I'm in the gym 5/6 days a week, I may not be slim since perimenopause but I'm getting there again, I'm toned and can see my muscle definition.

Yes! I started c25k at 39. Also weight lifting and other cardio soon after. Now I regularly run anything up to half marathons (done 2 full marathons too). I'm 3 stone lighter than I was 9 years ago (I'm 48 now).

It's hard work but you can do it!

My late husband started Karate in his late 50s. Got his black belt at 64. Would have had it a year sooner, but had to wait to have a stent fitted - turned out he had a hereditary heart condition.

A heart attack took him in the end, but he made it to 82.

Well, I can't say I've lost a lot of weight since I started training, but my upper arm muscles seem to be re-appearing and I've moved on to bands with more of a resistance.

Now using 2X3kg weights for arm raises an a 4kg medicine ball for sit-to-stand. A new start was able to begin with a 4kg medicine ball today, but she's 30 yrs my junior. (I'm 64.)

I've realised that I'm now walking more normally, rather than that weird moving from side-to-side gait that you see with people who have knee problems. I still have my knee problems, but at least my thigh muscles are stronger.

I'm only allowed to walk on the treadmill - I can get up to just over 6km per hour at a walking pace and I'm also using an elliptical machine, albeit without an incline. (Not allowed the incline because of my knees.)

I lost 15kg in my mid 40s by cutting out upf, reducing starchy carbs and sugar and upping protein. My hba1c went down from 38 to 28 and waist size from 30" to 24". I never counted calories and eat to my appetite within a 11 hour window generally 7am to 6pm.

I also started strength training with Caroline Girvan last August and upped daily steps to at least 8000. I was pretty sedentary before. I still don't have much muscle but feel stronger and can lift heavier.

This thread is really inspirational and uplifting.

I am on my way to doing it. Age 54 now, after Christmas found myself tipping the scales in the obese bmi category and very unfit.

Finally plucked up the courage to join the local gym and start hiit classes x2 per week in Jan.

Then started eating much leas sugar and upfs in Feb.

In March started the C210k app and now on week 9. Just ran my first 5k in about 10 years.

Feeling so so much better for it.

Half a stone to go to get in the healthy bmi range.

I really don’t fancy the fasts thing. I’m usually finished eating by 6pm though so I suppose I’m doing it by default.

This is basically my diet now, minus the sugar. I do the fasting anyway, I don't really get hungry till gone noon. And lots of strength exercise and walking. It's great!

My friend is a nutritionist and I've been amazed at this...

Eat proteins with every meal. Lean meat, fish, eggs and pulses.

Aim for 30 different plants a week. (Google that)

Try to do 16 hour fasts during the week. Sleep counts towards the hours.

Ditch upfs, so go back to full fats and real sugar. Olive oil, lard, not rapeseed or low fat stuff.

The weight has fallen off me. Talking half a stone in a week and a half.

Also loads of water !

Try it.

I'm 47 and 18 months post partum. Been at the gym for 5 months and slowly building my strength up.

It is an uphill battle but I'm fighting.

My face looks old, my body looks younger. Gutted about my face. Considering saving for a face lift operation for my 50th birthday

Yes, that was me!

I looked at the mirror 2 months before turning 40 and decided I didn't want to carry on like this through my 40's.

Lost 2 stones by my 40th and another 3 stones after. I now train in the gym 6 times a week and do 3-4 classes.

The key for me was not to actually focus on getting to a goal by my birthday. Whatever progress I made would be an improvement and that would be better than nothing.

At 48, yes.

I hated sport at school, binned my trainers when I left and did nothing until 48, after ds and generally feeling pretty stodgy.

I tried to do C25k and failed miserably. So I did gateposts instead. If I went for a jog I'd try to run to the next gatepost. Each time I went, I'd try to run an extra 3 metres or 5 metres or whatever. Any extra, no matter how small was a success.

It took me a year to get to a reasonable distance - about 3k I think, and another year to run ParkRun but I managed it by not setting myself targets that were unrealistic for me. Just kept at it, quietly refusing to give up.

Now I can run 10k quite happily. Not fast, but I do it regularly. I also do karate with DS.

40 now, got in to weightlifting at 33.
I was dealing with chronic pain from osteoartritis, tendonitis and had diastasis recti after my twins. Had high blood pressure, BMI was 36 and I was just miserable. I cleaned up my diet, consistently trained twice a week with the odd week off for illness and injury. I lost 5.5st in 18mth, blood pressure normal and chronic pain much more manageable. Since had another baby and gained a lot of weight but still train, dissapointed in myself for not getting the weight off again because it does increase my pain levels but sleep is not plentiful with a toddler and finding it hard to be motivated on that front.

Like others have said, try to find something you enjoy - or at least something you don't hate. There's so many different classes or activities you could try, keep going until you find something you like. There's no point in dreading it every time, you will find all the excuses in the world not to do it. I don't like running, so I just don't do it. I joined the gym a few times over the years and was bored of it, so ended up not going after a few weeks (and then spent months trying to get out of their pesky subscription contracts).

Eventually I tried Reformer Pilates, and I love it! I happily go 3 times a week if I can, and never skip it unless I'm seriously ill or something. I actually look forward to it. Not that I love every minute of the class, but it's quite dynamic so even if I don't like a particular move, I know it will only last 60 seconds or so until we move onto the next thing.
I also learned that I thrive in a class environment, having an instructor tell me what to do - if I was at home I would just give up when it got hard, but in the class I keep pushing for those last few moves. And I walk out of class feeling amazing. It's expensive but for me it's totally worth it, for the mental benefits as well.

I'm not overweight, so wasn't looking to lose weight necessarily, but I have lost a few pounds I would say, but more than that I have toned up and feel leaner and stronger.

Transformed my fitness in my 50s!
Small group personal training for a year 3x week and now also run 3-4x week. I feel great now, better/fitter than I was in my 20s. I did literally nothing for almost 20 years. It’s totally possible, newbie gains in strength and aerobic fitness are hugely satisfying- go for it!

I am in that process right now. It's going well!

One thing I would advise is that if you have an activity you don't like doing, do not do it! Just delete it from your mind. Don't do couch to 5k if you hate running. It's hard. And if there is a barrier to you going to the gym then it is pointless forking out for it. For me it's the act of getting there, ADHD vibes unfortunately, far too many steps involved. Gyms cost serious money, even municipal ones. This is why things like Apple Fitness+ work well: low subscription, you can do it in your pants.

There are just so many different things to take up and get into. For me, I want to be out in nature. I had to start with regaining strength, because years of inactivity due to depression had basically weakened me. You can find short strength training videos on YouTube which will get you going far faster than you'd have thought possible.

Add in lots of walking (everyone says that) or rushing-about-doing-errands activity. Do stretches if you don't fancy yoga. Get some hand weights and learn some good moves. It's all on YouTube. Everything helps and within a couple of weeks you feel so so much better. (I cut out alcohol and sugar too.)

Then the more you do, the better you feel, and the more you feel able to do, and your brain gets into the way of moving again.

One thing I wanted to add is that with children, work and so on I have to just carve out time for exercise and work around it. If I waited for some time to magically free up I would never do it. It has to become a habit and a non-negotiable.