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 friends in their 50s 50 and 70s who do all sorts of exercise. I realised in my 50 s I’d stopped being flexible, I was starting to struggle walking up hills, picking stuff up….(embarrassing). I walked to work but not briskly, dog walked..but I was 3 stone overweight and scarey hbp. I started doing a weights class 3 times a week at a gym that did small group classes. I’m no gym bunny but I feel so much stronger and better and healthier.

friends have started hill walkin, pickleball, Pilates, swimming. There’s all sorts…hillwalking seems particularly social.

I started walking just about 6 months after my 50th. With careful management of diet and walking about 90 mins a day,i I'm a size 14 not a size 20. The health benefits are obvious and I look and feel fantastic. It doesn't matter what you do it matters how you feel. Walking has really helped my mental and physical health.

I would recommend Melissa Neill and Petra Genco both are on YouTube and across other social media. Both older post menopausal women with great advice for the appropriate exercise for our age and stage.

Unless you really want to run it isn't necessary as walking a couple of miles a day, especially at a good pace is excellent cardio and is less stress on the bones and joints than running.

As already mentioned strength training is essential for women, especially as we age. 2 or 3 times a week will help you get stronger and improve posture. It also will shape your body if you are consistent. Its extremely hard for women to build large muscle so you don't have to worry about bulking up, it will just help your strength, stamina and balance keeping you youthful as you age. Building up your bum muscles, as well as giving you an attractive derriere helps with back pain as these muscles are essential for holding up the spine (along with the core and stomach muscles). Weak muscles and slumping posture can create issues with pain.

Flexibility is also very important so pilates, yoga, dancing etc can all keep you flexible.

I would definitely get advice from a personal trainer before you start weight training as its possible to injure yourself or lift incorrectly.

I have completely transformed by body through weight training over the years, even when I was too busy to do much cardio so I highly recommend it.

What we think of as "typical" aging when people slow down and have problems with mobility and doing simple things such as standing up from a chair are almost all due to lack of exercise and weight training.

Never too old.

i took up running in my late 40s and do a bit of strength work once a week.

Important to find something you enjoy, if not doing it, how you it makes you feel having done it.

I’m 56 and have jut started working with a personal trainer. It’s great and I’m feeling really positive after about 4 years of physical inertia

Here's an intro with Melissa Neill who is 56. She talks about the fact that although she was exercising she was not doing the best exercise for older women and instead doing what worked when she was younger. So she did her research, changed what she was doing and got great results. As she says, we want to rebuild muscle that we have lost through the aging process.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=J7No6IpAPJU

no!! You just need to start slow and it might take longer than you like but it’s definitely not too late.

Yes you’re too old. 50 is ancient. Don’t bother. 🙄

Definitely not too old, my cousin is a PT and works with people who just started in their 70s and 80s! (As well as my age...40s). It's made a huge difference to them (and me...) and is what encouraged me to sign up.

50 is not old, why would it be too late to do something so good for you!?

I think if you were looking to compete at a professional level then it would be a difficult path. But to improve your own health, definitely.

Why on earth would you think you’re too old? You could have 35+ years left on this earth. Get moving and lifting. Your 2 miles per day is a good start.

The best part is how you feel. It's a fantastic feeling to feel fit and strong. Exercise is as effective as antidepressants on our mood. Exercise releases all the feel good chemicals in our brain. Its great to be able to run up stairs, bend and carry with ease and just feel more energized. I find strength training a great stress reliever, I think its because of the process of tensing and relaxing you are forcing the tension out of your body. Becoming fit and strong as I have aged has helped my confidence no end.

Strength training will make a huge difference and you can start at any age. I would prioritise that over cardio.

I am 48, overweight and had never really exercised until a year ago. I started seeing a PT twice a week and feel much better for it. You're definitely not too old! I also like Carolines Circuits on Instagram for quick workouts you can do at home, she has a book too.

Not too old at all!! I’m 50 and joined a gym for the first time in my life a couple of years ago.
I can’t say I look forward to going 😂 but honestly, I leave feeling really pleased with myself.
i do exercise classes. Its definitely good for my mental health as well as physical… good luck!!

I joined for the first time this year at a similar age. I also walked a lot. I was/am overweight. However I have toned up massively and my range of movement has improved so much, I feel so different when I walk.

I started strength training at 52. 6.15 am class three days a week! Three years later I’m still going, I love it! I havn’t run seriously for over 10 years, but I’ve started running 5k on the days in between.

I started regular exercise (gym and running) post 50. I'm now fitter than I've ever been and will hopefully have better quality of life / fewer health issues later on

Go and do a Lucy Wyndham Read youtube video right now. And just keep going! I have been doing something everyday for 9 months now - some days it’s just 5 mins some days it’s 30 minutes but it’s every day. I’m 51 and it can be done!

If you can move it, you can improve it. Don't go from 0 to 100 overnight as your body will definitely not thank you but you should definitely go for it if that's what you want to do.

It’s never too late!!! What sort of exercise do you want to do? Weight lifting is extremely important for women as we lose bone density as we age, and weight lifting preserves it. I’d invest in some starting weights such as these and you can find free workouts on YouTube to follow to get you started. Or sign up to something like Les Mills which has lots of different workouts on their platform to follow at home. https://www.argos.co.uk/product/6326142

Awful advice. It’s so important to ‘get out of breath’ heart disease is the biggest killer of women world wide. Having a fit cardiovascular system is just as important as strength training.

OP- it’s never too late.

As a beginner the op really shouldn’t be doing sprint training.

And zone 2 cardio is very very beneficial.

I did couch to 5K when i hit 70, now I run daily and steam up the local hills. I can also stuff my elderly gob with much chocolate and not put on weight.