Getting strong, fit and flexible at 50. Possible?

[Alooffoof]

I was always a fit active person but over the past few years I’ve had a combination of health and family issues that have really taken their toll and I have realised that I don’t even have a basic level of fitness anymore 😦

So I’m starting from scratch at 50. I don’t need to lose any weight but I’m desperate to improve my strength, stamina and flexibility.

Does anyone have experience or tips for this? Anything that gives me reasonable results fairly quickly would be a good start. I’m in it for the long haul but I’m motivated by improvements for sure.

I’m also vegetarian with a pretty poor diet. I’m going to work on that too and would appreciate any ideas on where I can get advice on the correct foods to give my body the best chance at getting the most from training.

Anyone else doing similar, requiring support?

Can you add me?

I’m 46 and haven’t been fit since I was early teens. I need to lose maybe 4/5kg but my main aim is to gain flexibility. I’m incredibly stiff and have a bad back and I’m also very weak and want to work on that. I’m not quite menopausal and really want to get a handle on it quickly. In the new year I started posterior chain stretching on YouTube but It’s a work in progress. I have a mild prolapse and I don’t want to make that worse (but want to be as fit as possible in case I decide on a surgical route later - or even better become fit enough to avoid surgery). I’m very interested in yoga but not sure where to start. I don’t want to do a class as I work shifts so it’s hard to do anything regular and I can hardly more so I would find it embarrassing.

I started at 49 and gave myself a year to get fit and not flabby for when I turned 50. I did/still do a 20 min HIIT session 5 days a week plus lots of walking. HIIT sessions are a mix of hand held weights, kettlebell, boxing and bodyweight. 20 min sessions are easier to fit in, meaning I do them consistently and never put them off.
I got pretty toned with this, but still had weight to lose and used the nutracheck app for this. Easiest calorie counting app and great for making you eat healthier as you can see the split of fat, sugar, fibre, protein, etc. It also links to Fitbit, etc, so encourages you to workout/walk, as then you can eat more!
Lost just over a stone in that year and my arms, shoulders and back have never been as defined as they are now.
I'm now adding in Pilates for flexibility, as sessions seem to be shorter than yoga, so again easier to fit in.
Good luck to you all starting out on this. I love the way I look/feel now so it's really worth keeping going with it.

OP, I am 58. I started Couch25K 4 years ago and have been running regularly ever since.

I also do a weekly Pilates class, although had a 2 year break during Covid & only just restarted.

I was unfit and slightly overweight.

I'm still slightly overweight, but the improvement to my fitness has been massive!

You can definitely do this.

Oh, and my workouts were all online so easy to fit in at anytime during the day. Loads to choose from on YouTube, although I found a local fitness group that had gone virtual which has suited me perfectly.

I joined my local running club. It is very inclusive. There are people who regularly run marathons and people who never go further than 5k (me) and although I am one of the older ones, I am not the oldest by quite a long way.

I would say the age ranges from about 20 to 65, with occasional people either side of that. Sometimes people bring their teenage kids along too.

Pilates is great for core strength. Weight training is also good.

@Tulipomania

That sounds lovely!

Just going to outline my dream post 50 fitness scenario

Running club and or park run
Other kind of outdoor activity club
Yoga/strength at home
Active holidays

Pilates.
Focus is on core control, stability, flexibility.
Age range in the class I go to is 30s up to 79. All the tutors I've had offer options for each set of exercises, so nobody "can't" do the exercises.

Loads of great things to try!

Would identify your best time slots in your week and see what you enjoy.

Recommend a heartrate monitor for cardio things to stay in a good ‘zone’ and avoid overdoing it and putting yourself off! Eg walk/jogging mix up is much better than busting a gut trying to run and hating it.

I'd like to get fitter, too- just turned 48. My biggest barrier is that I'm a LP, and work, and the DC are still too young to leave in the evenings- although close to reaching the point when they can be left, thank fuck. I try to do massive walks on my free weekends- it's noticeable how my stamina has dropped over the winter, though. Also try and swim as much as possible, but swimming pool provision round here has dropped away shockingly since the pandemic. I have been doing yoga with Adriene every day for 2 weeks, and can actually see that my midriff is more toned. Feel that I've lost muscle tone from my arms- any good ideas for how to reverse this at home??

This is inspiring. Where to get the weights and what sort of workout regime should I use?

Also watching with interest

You are all motivating me! I contacted our gym again to find me a trainer. I prefer women around my own age or older for motivation - when I got in amazing shape at 48 my trainer was Penelope who was 65 and doing triathlons! She could run faster and for longer than my athletic teenage girls! Unfortunately she left to travel the world just before covid. I will find the new thread and let you know how I get on.

My husband started weight training with our 15 yr old son and a trainer last May and looks amazing, he is definitely motivating me.

I'm 55, started training properly at 50, though had always been fairly active:

I've done:

Pilates (really recommend as a good start to all strength training, and strength training in itself if you are naturally a runner, for example)
Weights - machines and free weights
Strength based classes/bootcamps/HIT classes
Boxing classes and 1:1 PT
Calisthenics - classes PT, and lots of solo or partner work
Running (slow and short but a good contrast to everything else
Les Mills on Demand in lockdowns
Loads of fast walking in comfy clothes and trainers.

I'm stronger than I have ever been. I need to take time to recover, and for cardio-based stuff I do push myself but ignore what others do IYSWIM - as a short middle aged woman I WILL be slower than men in their thirties and that's fine. I've had nothing but encouragement and support from trainers and peers.

Any tips on getting over the feeling of being the 'Humpty Dumpty' in any class and being too unfit to keep up; I've tried yoga and Pilates and feel such a lump and ashamed of myself.
In the rest of my life I am a confident, competent person who other people look to for guidance, in the gym I turn into a nervous, self-conscious mouse. I need to look in the mirrors to see if my body is in the right position but I HATE looking at what my body has turned into after 3 years where exercise has been impossible due to health issues. I feel like crying during classes so disappointed with myself.
I know this is pointless and self defeating but still get all emotional about it in classes.

You could do Pilates on Zoom to start with, @DeliciousViolets? Not ideal but better than feeling so awful.

@crackofdoom

I'd like to get fitter, too- just turned 48. My biggest barrier is that I'm a LP, and work, and the DC are still too young to leave in the evenings- although close to reaching the point when they can be left, thank fuck. I try to do massive walks on my free weekends- it's noticeable how my stamina has dropped over the winter, though. Also try and swim as much as possible, but swimming pool provision round here has dropped away shockingly since the pandemic. I have been doing yoga with Adriene every day for 2 weeks, and can actually see that my midriff is more toned. Feel that I've lost muscle tone from my arms- any good ideas for how to reverse this at home??

I know how you feel. I had to wait until mine were old enough to leave. The day will come though!

Same for me. My youngest is 5

@coodawoodashooda

Same for me. My youngest is 5

I used to exercise in the house but they just wouldn't leave me alone to do it. I think in my case they liked the power they had over me......

I'm 64, and decided last October I needed to get fitter and stronger. I invested in a personal trainer for 2 weeks for a kick start, then carried on with a similar regime. It has worked really well, even if I don't do a full work out, just doing the 5 minute warm up helps.

@DeliciousViolets

Any tips on getting over the feeling of being the 'Humpty Dumpty' in any class and being too unfit to keep up; I've tried yoga and Pilates and feel such a lump and ashamed of myself. In the rest of my life I am a confident, competent person who other people look to for guidance, in the gym I turn into a nervous, self-conscious mouse. I need to look in the mirrors to see if my body is in the right position but I HATE looking at what my body has turned into after 3 years where exercise has been impossible due to health issues. I feel like crying during classes so disappointed with myself. I know this is pointless and self defeating but still get all emotional about it in classes.

just decide you don;t care. this is your personal journey towards greater fitness and strength. It has nothing to do with other people.

That, and stand at the back of the class so you feel less self conscious!

Tbh, I do still feel self conscious as I am still always the fattest person in the class despite now being only 2lb over top BMI and very muscly too, so probably a reasonably healthy weight. But I try not to care because in the end, what matters is how i feel outside of fitness classes, and most of the time I feel stronger and leaner than I have for years, so the few hours of 'Oh shit I still have the biggest tush in lycra' a week don't really matter.

DeliciousViolets

I avoid classes with mirrors! Or pick the spot with least possible view of the mirror. If you can afford it, a good option is to get small group or even 1:1 sessions. If not, there’re some good online options, eg Glow.

Or try a v big class that’s fast and go near the back. Or spin and turn the resistance much lower than suggested

@coodawoodashooda

These posts are inspirational. Thank you. Im very unfit and feel defeates and embarrassed. I've started more times than I can remember never mind count. Can anyone teach me about stretching? I'm as stiff as a board.

Start with some basic posture exercises:

Then try this:

And this:

Anna has several Yoga inspired stretch workouts, e.g.:

Also search for 'Redefining Strength Stretch' - this lady has lots of good advice about stretching and the correct way of doing various moves.

And then this from Caroline - a bit more challenging:

I'd also thoroughly recommend the 3-minute Bowflex plank and Rebecca Louise's Best Abs.

And go from there

@FlyingGeeseAgain

This is inspiring. Where to get the weights and what sort of workout regime should I use?

For online workouts, see my post above and my previous one.

You can get weights from JD Sport and Amazon, even Argos (when they're not out of stock...). Start with 2 or 3 kg and work your way up.