AIBU to think the pressure for ‘older’ women to exercise is wrong?

[StitchInLime]

So as a woman in my late 40s, I keep getting told (via ads, from some people in my life, via tv and so on) that I need to do strength exercises and cardio if I don’t want to suffer later in life. And yet, it’s the woman I know who did f-all exercise at my age and before who seem to be thriving in their 60s/70s (eg my aunts) and the ones who did more exercise at my age now have issues with knees, hips etc. I find it difficult to find the motivation in light of this. If you have opposite examples, please share as I really need to motivate myself!

I think we are told we have much more control over our health than we actually do.

Well all the old ladies I see at my gym look incredible, and all the old ladies I see on the way to my gym don't.

I think probably strength training is good, jogging maybe not so much.

I am in my 50s. I think it's important to keep the weight off, either by diet or exercise. My friends ten years younger, who are overweight, suffer with knee pain, diabetes, and other ailments. I was at the top of my BMI a few years ago, and have brought it down to normal. Feel a lot better. My mum is in her late 70s, and pretty active because she has kept the weight off. Her sisters, not so much.

Oh ffs, we now have to look incredible when we're elderly...is there any let up

Sure @DontBeGrossTammy, they might potentially look better but what about beyond how they look?! This is where I struggle. Like, is the pressure just so we can continue looking good in the way society expects? Is that what this is really about? Surface.

(Btw, I’m not suggesting my aunts don’t do any exercise, they are walkers so walk each day as am I. But no strength training etc)

There is growing evidence that strength exercise in your 40s reduces risk of osteoporosis and other lifestyle limiting problems (reduction in muscular strength leading to falls…)

That knowledge is being shared with people.

If you want to ignore that - then fine, there is no pressure. You do you.

I think that strength training and maintaining flexibility are important, exercise that puts a lot of pressure on joints is not

In my friendship group (60-70 years old) it is definitely the ones who exercise (run, gym, pilates) who are the most fit and able to make the most of life. No exceptions at all, in a group of 12 of us

This.

Doctors are not recommending exercise as we age for aesthetic reasons. I mean cmon, you can’t really think this.

its fine not to want to exercise past walking but trying to argue it’s detrimental or for shallow reasons doctors recommend it is just silly.

My mum is 78 and is healthy and looks great. She has kept at a healthy weight and is active (and always has been), but she has never lifted a weight or been to a gym in her life. She walks 10,000 steps a day minimum, swims and does yoga a couple of times a week.

Other than the luck of genetics, Think staying active and a healthy weight is important. The stuff about weight training / osteoporosis and cardio = fit is overblown I think.

As a women in my forties who did zero exercise in her 20/30's I wish I'd been given the advice earlier! I suffer with back pain which I am trying to improve with regular exercise.

At my gym they do a discounted rate for oaps and many of the older men and women in my classes are significantly fitter than me. I think it's amazing.

Another thing to be mindful of is we are a lot less active in day to day life in comparison to previous generations due to factors such as more desk roles, reliance on cars and a increase in delivery services . If you are going to look to your elders consider what their lifestyle was like when they were your age.

Also I don't really understand the mentality of "we didn't do it like that in my day" well no we didn't but now we know better.

But those older ladies who aren't exercising might be a) ignoring the health issues they have stored up, b) on medication or c) limiting what they do day to day as they simply don't have the stamina.

Strength becomes as important as cardio fitness as you age, if not more so.

Want to be able to live independently as long as possible? Keeping your core and legs strong will do your balance the world of good, help preventing falls, and helping your body recover more quickly after Injuries etc.

Nurse and 53 here. I've become a gym bunny in the last year after loosing 5 stone.
For me it's reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures that definitely affect someone's quality of life. I'm on HRT which also helps. I look better, physically I feel better and crucially my mental health is better. The Welsh Government warned only this week about the impending Type 2 bombshell.

When you go through the menopause, you lose bone density. Strength training helps mitigate that. So if you fall later in life, you're less likely to break a hip! I believe you're as young as you feel and exercise and keeping moving helps that.
There's so pressure. If you don't want to exercise, that's your choice.

But there could be dozens of women you see on the way the the gym that look fine, but you don't categorise as old. you just assume they're younger

@StitchInLime just look up bone density and the benefits of weight training.

40s is not "older"

I see it that I can either have focused time for "exercise" or lead a generally active lifestyle. I aim for the latter, but supplement with the former as with a desk job it's tough.

I think yoga (proper yoga, not just gentle stretching), pirates, strength shift to be the focus the older you get

I also think that elderly women had much more active lifestyles: walked more, housekeeping was more physical (just think how much lighter vacuum cleaners have gotten in the past 20 years!!) and people had healthier diets and were thinner.

You can't guarantee to avoid health problems, but it seems sensible to give ourselves the lowest chance.

Honestly? I'm mid-40's & for the first time in my life I finally feel at ease with myself despite having dysmorphia! Was always stick thin & now I've a bit of weight in comparison & I couldn't care less. But yes, bombarded with the idea I should be doing x, y, z & should be this that and the other for my age. I should cut my hair to look younger, not wear certain things, use make-up tricks.

And it can all fuck right off, I cannot be arsed to go back to stressing over how I look, I don't want to cos I FINALLY don't care & it's wonderful!

It all feels rather like it's just a way to keep digging in at women & I've had quite enough of that thank you very much.

Obvs ymmv & should your weight or mobility be an issue that exercise or diet could help from a medical perspective, then that's different. But otherwise, I think we've all been through enough to actually just enjoy the second part of our lives 😊

That’s what you took from this?

Hang on, she does yoga twice a week and also swims? Plus does 10k steps a day, your mother has maintained muscle mass and good for her, you do know yoga is a form of strength training, right?

Friends with joint problems generally did the damage when they were much younger. Sensible exercise in later life is beneficial.

I've just turned 30. So, from now on I need to (and do) strength train regularly, unless I want to lose 3 percent of my muscle mass every year. I wish I'd started sooner. I think it's good that there's more of a public awareness of the benefits and necessity of exercise. Joint problems can be caused by running on concrete and playing a lot of high impact sports like tennis and badminton. So mhbe that's why your friends who exercise have joint pain?