Over 50s - what exercise do you do and recommend?

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I've found out I'm pre-diabetic so want to try new things to find out what I enjoy and could stick at. Tried Clubbercise this morning and will go will back (very fast so I couldn't quite keep up with routine, but physically wasn't as bad as I thought). I'm now spurred on to try new things though so looking for inspiration/ideas.

I guess my fitness wise if anything is withing a couple of miles of home I walk instead of car, go on a bike ride or hill walk (very steep😣) each every couple of months, and do a weekly conditioning class and have two part-time active jobs.

G

Good for you! Unfortunately I need my down time and good sleep - I’m not an early riser and exercise doesn’t suit me first thing. Doing that consistently, added to everything else, would just make me run down. It’s not an ‘excuse’. Health and well-being are my priority too. Unfortunately my Duracell batteries don’t operate on full pelt like yours seemingly!

@Screamingabdabz I do my weights, at home, at 5pm when I finish work. Even if I have more work to do I leave my desk and do the workout then. I put on radio 4 and do it - it's almost become a habit.

When I did exercise at 6am (running), setting the alarm and forcing myself out of bed wasn't my favourite thing to do, but it was the only time I could exercise as I was (and still am) a lone parent and worked full time and I was always pleased when I did do it. Most people don't jump out of bed and spring into exercise, but getting into a habit makes it easier.

I'm the same. There's no way that I would be able to sustain an hour long exercise class at 6am, even if I wasn't getting ready for work and walking the dog at that time, so I do what works for me (evenings) - and that in turn means I stick to it. By the time we reach our 50s we know what works for us and what doesn't.

Body Pump classes
Swimming
Gym
Walking
Pilates

Important to do weights / weight bearing exercise to keep your bone density up post menopause.
Core strength is important to keep bad backs etc at bay
Flexibility is important to protect against injury and stiffness.

The same feeling here…

Yes, it's certainly a case of finding out what works for us and also how it fits into our routine. I admire people who can workout really early, but I know I can't work out on an empty stomach but at the same time wouldn't want loads in my stomach.

I'm still thinking about many ideas from everyone (thank you so much). Tried a different class yesterday - it was a bit further than I'd like to travel, but instructor was fun and I realised I had a smile on my face!

Don't do exercise for exercise's sake. Find activities and hobbies you enjoy that require you to move your body. I do aerial hoop (twice a week) and salsa dancing (once a week). Strength, conditioning, flexibility and cardio. But I absolutely love it and absolutely hated exercise throughout most of my adult life. I love the social side, I love the buzz of doing really hard things (at hoop), I love the music (at salsa). Doing photoshoots at hoop has really changed my body image and I am so much happier in myself as well as more fit and healthy than I've ever been. Attempting regular exercise routines has never, ever been successful long term for me.

CrossFit 5 days a week, swim once, weightlifting. And general walking .
I'm a huge advocate for lifting weights! If you can find somewhere that you can go,maybe have a couple of PT sessions to get your confidence up first then you be flying

I’m like you, I do the 6am class, and then straight to work, (I do compressed full time hours in a clinical role NHS). Also post menopausal. And aging parents. Teens. It’s doable. 6am means the impact on family life is minimal

Cycle 150-200km a week in a very hilly area. Kettlebells 2-3 times a week. Kettlebells are a great weight bearing workout with a strong endurance element so are a good match for endurance athletes. Quick too: a full workout including warm up and post-stretch is only 20-30 mins.

How can I find a workout with kettle bells?

I did a kettlebells class for a bit as you I didn't want to just start whanging them round. Started on a lower weight and got advice on technique. Doing kettlebells 3 times a week in a class is probably the fittest I've ever been...including when I used to rock climb.

A 6.30 am class suits me, it gets it over and done with. It's not always easy getting up but I make sure I've got my kit ready so I can just walk out the door. I sleep badly - waking up at 4am usually and then get back to sleep it feels like just before my alarm goes...but I still go.

I used to do evening classes pretty much straight from work but I'd find by the end of the day I'd either find an excuse not to go, or think the dog needed a walk instead or I'd get home after the class starving and find that I was expected to cook dinner.

This. Unless you enjoy the exercise and the time you do it fits into your day and other commitments then you just won't stick to it. Like anything we do that requires long term commitment, it needs to be something meaningful, enjoyable and doable.

Look for Lebe Stark on youtube to get started and if it works for you sign up for their online course. If you're not confident following youtube instructions then a few sessions with a local PT to show you the correct movements. Some movements such as the swing and deadlift are very simple, whereas other such as the snatch are more complex. There are also 'flows' like the Turkish get-up which look complicated at first but with careful observation and breaking down into separate movements anyone can learn.

Decathlon do good-priced kettlebells. A 6kg and an 8kg should get you started and you can add a 12kg and 16kg later as you get stronger. The other good thing about kettlebells is the equipment takes up virtually no space.

Since the OP is pre-diabetic and presumably wants to avoid becoming developing type 2 diabetes then a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise is what she needs to do. It will increase her sensitivity to insulin and reduce her blood glucose. So a mix of cardio and strength work.

I like swimming (which I do in the morning before work so it's just part of my morning routine). I think it's more sustainable than a lot of exercise, there's a lot of elderly people in the pool every morning swimming lots of lengths. It's not weight bearing though so needs to be combined with something else. I also like yoga, which is good for flexibility and strength. Then incidental exercise like walking and gardening gets me outside in the fresh air.

ETA: going for a short walk after meals is very good at reducing your blood sugar so is a good idea.

Just realised if you search for Lebe Stark on youtube you get lots of hyper-masculine click-bait, but they are not really like that, he and his partner Angie do really good workouts that are great for beginners and are very good at explaining the movements and filming them in a way that everything is clear - one of them is usually facing the camera and the other side on for example.

I lift weights 3 x a week (upper, lower, full body - all of which are a combo of dumbells, bar bells and kettlebells and are finished with a HYROX style sweat session), do yoga or pilates twice a week and a spin or HITT class once a week. 55 years old. I love functional training.

My work schedule changes so I either go at 6am or 7pm.

I LOVE it!

@AllProperTeaIsTheft they are probably the same people I'm emailing who 'work from home' and respond to bugger all till 8pm every night !!

On gym days I get up at 5, eat overnight oats with yogurt, fruit, nuts & seeds, give the cat her morning workout and start at the gym about 6.15, which I find tends to work well.

But I have more energy in the mornings than evenings.