Am I too old at 50 to start exercising now?

[PurpleDisco]

Nearly everyone I know has some sort of regular exercise routine going with either running or the gym etc. I’d like to be that person but I’m wondering if I’m too old now at 50 to start and have I seriously left it too late? I worry about my health though I’m not overweight, my BMI is 23.5. I walk to and from work everyday (2 miles) but apart from that I don’t do any exercise to exert myself. I keep reading that you should exercise to the point of being out of breath! Would it be dangerous for me to suddenly start now?

I have just started line dancing - it’s great fun and I must be exercising as I’m out of breath by the end of the session!

Not at all. I used to be fit, since lockdown I sadly gave up, it felt great to be fitter.
Must start again.

It’s more important than ever now. But walking 2 miles a day is good exercise so that can be counted.

Then I’d add in some weight training as we lose muscle mass every year from 30. And then some mobility work through either Pilates/yoga or just stretching.

Don’t fall in to the trap of doing too much cardio. Prioritise strength training if you are already doing enough walking.

Do it! FWIW I started doing Leslie Sansomes' Walk at Home videos on YouTube and found them a fun way to start. Other people also came up as suggestions eg. PahlaB Fitness, Kat Gates-Buettner and Walks of Life and I've got into a routine of doing one of them pretty much every day at 20/30 minutes.

No definitely not !! I’m 47 and for the last 2 months being doing circuit training 3 times a week I’ve noticed a really difference in the last couple of weeks. It was hard to begin with but now I love it!

In terms of being out of breath - sprint interval training is recommended versus hours of steady state cardio. So that could either be running/fast cycling/fast rowing. So getting the heart rate up by going hard for a short space of time. Then resting between intervals .

Nope. I’m 51 and I do strength/HIIT training three times a week, yoga once a week, weekly outdoor swimming in summer, and at least an hour’s walking a day (I have dogs).

It’s helped me no end. I can lug heavy things around no problem, when gardening or at the stable yard. It’s so empowering.

You are never to old to start. Just start slow and build up over time, don't jump into a class or over do it because that could cause problems. Perhaps get yourself some light dumbbells and start doing arm exercises, sit ups, Pilates toe taps and squats at home and build from there.

No. My running group is full of ladies of a certain age who have come to running later in life (40s-50s). They run a beginners (couch to 5k) group. It’s been life changing for a lot of them, also a big social thing. There will be similar near you. Most are not super fit but they’ve lost weight and can get themselves around 5-10k + comfortably

of course not!

you need to start slow, and not stupidly - no point going too strongly and giving up after 2 weeks because you are too sore, or you injure yourself and you give up then.

Running is possibly not the best idea to start, you get more injuries than not - and I say that as a runner!

What do you like?
Classes might be much easier, you follow and have fun. You can dance, boxercise, swim, play tennis, horseriding. It's easier when it becomes a social activity.

But if you want to start running, it's addictive.

What most people lack is motivation, that's what you have to fight. Everybody fancies themselves a runner, until it's November, 5:30am, pitch black, cold and heavy rain.. then it's less fun. Will you stick with your routine then?

Whatever you do: decent sports bra, the best trainer for whatever activity you are doing (not fashionable, adapted to what you are doing!), stretching AFTER, treat yourself to a sports massage every month, ENOUGH RECOVERY TIME especially the first months

Start slow: exercise 2 to 3 times a week for the first few months, but find something you love.

Heck, no! My personal trainer now has a gym and his entire business strategy is around the fact that 45-65 are the customers he needs.

I would approach exercise with respect. I have learned an awful lot over the years, mostly from good class teachers and a personal trainer.

Of course not!
Start slowly.
Get a personal trainer to help you start out.
Weight training is crucial, and all you likely need since you walk frequently, as it prevents muscle loss/builds muscle and bone.

If you walk 2 miles a day with no issue then it isn't going to be dangerous for you to start exercising, you being a healthy weight definitely works in your favour too. Get started now whilst you can. Good luck :) I find exercise amazing for my wellbeing.

Definitely not. Have a look at train with Joan, she didn't start until 70 and is absolutely incredible https://www.instagram.com/trainwithjoan?igsh=a25yOXhxaW9ycnFn

My understanding is that there are health benefits at any age to starting exercise. Even 90 somethings improved various health metrics according to a podcast I listened to. Go for it!

The walking will have kept your head above water.
Go careful when you increase your activity levels. Can you aim to speed walk home a little faster? Go to one gym session a week, maybe get a personal trainer to put together a 40 min session, and one swim?
You will notice the difference by New Year.

Not too old at all! Great start with the walking. Rather than thinking about fitness in the (somewhat old fashioned) way of ' have to do things that get me out of breath/burning calories' think about building strength and flexibility. Strength = resistance and weight work. Get a PT to show you how to lift weights and use them for functional fitness (weighted movement). Flexibility can be more like pilates/yoga.
I'd personally avoid jogging unless you know you love it, due to injury risk.
I'm stronger at 50 than I've ever been thanks to x2 or x3 HIIT type classes and lifting at home. You are stronger than you think!

I'm your age and I've started going to the gym again after a break of 15 years. It's brilliant and I love it so much.

You are absolutely not to old whatsoever. Strength training mixed with low intensity cardio is the way to go.

Nope, no one is too old for exercise.

The key is doing the right exercise. That's the way to avoid sports injuries and damaging your health/fitness. There are lots of less intensive forms of exercise that will help to stop your fitness levels worsening with age and start to improve them. Once you get a bit fitter from light exercise, you'll be able to move onto more moderate forms of exercise and build up gradually in whatever you're doing, i.e. if you're doing say walking, you could start to move on to light jogging, or if you're doing weights you could slowly increase the weight/resistance.

I'm 61 and have gone from 23 stones down to 13 stones in the last decade or so. Very gentle weight loss, just a pound or two per month. That's mostly from walking, but also from a bit of light/local cycling, swimming in a local pool weekly, and a gym membership on and off (a year then a few years off and then another year etc.), and also a treadmill at home to get my steps in on bad weather days.

I think the key is regularity and consistency. I make sure I do 10k walking steps every day, and if I miss a day for an event/occasion etc., then I increase the number in the few days before and after so that it still averages out at 10k per day, as per the app on my phone.

I've also got a dumbell set at home to keep up with upper body muscles etc - probably only use them a couple of times per week. Nothing arduous, just lots of repetitions of relatively low weights for around 10 different exercises for the upper body and arms.

I'm 55 and walk around 8k steps a day with my dogs but I needed to do more so a month ago I bought a Nordic Track studio bike. I'm already noticing such a difference in the strength in my legs - I couldn't do any stand riding at all to start, I did 15 minutes of it last night. I am also hoping it will help me lose weight.

So so important. Start of little and build yourself up.

YABU to think it's too late or dangerous, YANBU to want to get fitter.

This is so impressive and such a good way to do it!
I have lost half a stone over 4 months and aim to lose 2 stone over 2 years. You give me hope!

Another vote for a personal trainer, they work out of gyms, their own homes or come to you. Facebook is a good place to start looking if you fancy that.
Electric bike - game changer, evens out the hills and fabulous for fitness.
Join a local walking group-hills walking, old railway lines, forests, whatever you fancy
Weight-bearing exercise - buy some weights from Argos and use you tube for routines.
Any yes Leslie Sansone, she’s brilliant, and a bit of an enigma! Her old routines are on you tube.