If you are in your 60s and 70s and used to exercise, are you better off that people your age that don’t do as much?

[Londonder]

Just curious as I don’t know anyone who is 60+ and used to working out regularly. I‘d like to hear how working out regularly throughout life is helping you being in good shape at this stage of your life. And what do you do?
My parents led a very sedentary life and now that they are in their late 70s they are not able to do much, even a 20 min walk is difficult to manage. I want to do my best to avoid that.

I'm early 60s husband is mid sixties we aren't as fit as we used to be but still go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week. I used to be a fitness instructor doing up to 16 classes a week he is ex army so extremely fit in our 20s, 30s and 40s. We both have ankle and knee issues from overtraining but probably look and feel much younger than our contemporaries. We get asked if out older grandchildren are our children which is annoying. We will probably never stop exercising we just do more walking and yoga than high impact. My husband is still really buff but I'm a bit pudgy post menopausal tbh. I don't care about my weight as long as I can do the splits and crow pose. We also have dogs we walk every day, a big garden and do all our own DIY and building work. We do far more physically than most people our age we know but we also stay in bed late, game, read and watch too much Netflix.

It's just common sense isn't it? Of course if you do regular exercise you will be more mobile. Resistance training is also a very good idea at any age.

@Worldgonecrazy
I keep hearing about strength training and it sounds like it's been of huge benefit to you but what does that mean in practice? I'm mid 60s

@samthebordercollie
Same question to Sam! What strength training did you do? What does that look like in practice?

@Abracadabra12345 I follow Caroline Girvan's workouts on YouTube at home. I have her App too but haven't done the long programmes there yet. Dumbells, a mat, a yoga block and a resistance band are all you need! I'm quite shocked by how much stronger I am, with better balance and impressive muscle definition 💪just from following her programmes.

This is very much why I’ve really stepped up my regime in my fifties. I want to try to remain fit and strong as long as possible.

i do weight training to preserve functional fitness and bone density, and have taken up a combat sport for cardio and fun 😃 also getting back to yoga

@Abracadabra12345 I also follow Caroline e Girvan. I try and use half her weights, and focus on good form before everything else. It has taken a very long time to build the leg strength but I can now do full lunges and weighted squats. There are several videos on YouTube that give tips on form etc. A number of fellow Girvanators (including me) have mentioned having falls and being saved from serious injury by the balance and strength training in her workouts. She does a lot of unilateral work which is great for this. I

Even if it doesn't help you live longer and you still develop an Illness, surely it's better to live a life feeling capable, fit and strong.

I'm another fan of the lovely Caroline. Her workouts are quite tough but very rewarding and ultimately life-changing. I cannot exaggerate how my fitness and shape have changed since I started working out with her about 3 years ago.

Now, you have to have a degree of fitness to do her workouts. Here are my suggestions:

Start doing ab work and planks. Look up Rebecca Louise's Best Abs and the Bowflex 3-minute plank.
Get your legs in shape with Lucy Wyndham Read's Thighs & Glutes.
Do some easy dumbbell workouts, using 3 or 4kg weights. Try Rebecca Louise's Best Arms, Ageless Arms, Bingo Wings.

THEN do Caroline's Beginners sessions.
Again, use much lighter weights, 4-5kg is plenty.
Do these until you feel comfortable with all the moves.
Then try maybe EPIC 3 or Heat. It's okay to just do half a session at a time to begin with.
Keep doing the ab work (Caroline's Braced Abs & Core is great), and planks.

My DPs were always moderately active, at 90 DF still does a daily walk to keep his diabetes under control and managed a day out to a museum recently.

Sadly DM at 85 has bad osteoporosis, she has always been low weight and never ate much dairy or did weight bearing exercises.

I comfort myself at age 53 that being a bit overweight and exercising regularly is probably better for me as less likely to get osteoporosis.

I read how much exercise all these people say they are doing, and yet I look around where I live - a lovely coastal area in Australia - and see a lot of older folk doing not much more than a slow stroll. Reading what all these people say they are doing makes me feel completely overwhelmed!

I'm 67 and I do the supermarket shopping, walk the dog twice daily, do the housework, wash the car, look after a tiny garden. So far I am managing OK, but I do get tired more easily than I used to.

I also just enjoy being home watching a movie, reading, listening to music.

I go to a cafe to meet a couple of friends regularly, I chat with the neighbours, I go to the cinema quite often, love reading and movies and opera, and am on several online forums.

I honestly think it's not about exercise - although sitting all day is a disaster - but what someone else said here, (sorry I couldn't find them again to quote them) -keep moving and bending - you need to keep pulling up the weeds in the garden, going up and down the stairs, go for a daily walk with the dog - and keep interested in things, have some hobbies, use your brain, and above all, keep a sense of humour!

At least when your body starts to give way a bit, this way you'll hopefully still be someone who is pleasant to be around.

I do think it’s lot of luck.

But my x was 60 and did no exercise, and it affected things like going on holiday, as he wasn’t able to walk far, deal with the heat; and also gigs and things as he needed to sit.

I've just been diagnosed with mild osteoporosis despite being active although not in targeted ways. We don't have a car and that encourages lots of walking when you might otherwise have jumped in the car. My life is similar to the pp upthread - keep bending and stretching, keep running up those stairs many times a day; carry heavy shopping, just every day moving and bending and stretching often, while also keeping mentally and socially active

I am very grateful to the recommendations for Caroline especially as several pps have highlighted her

And me! I'm late 40s and plan to run regularly as long as I am still able to. I also weight train. I have been lucky so far, my current weight is the same as when I got married 20 years ago but likely to increase maybe when menopause hits. I do work bloody hard to keep it that way and eat healthily.

My running club has several older members ranging from 50s to mid-70s who have been running many years, some coming first in races for their age category! They are inspirational and incredibly fit compared with the average person their age.

@samthebordercollie I have also been doing the Caroline EPIC and IRON programs, and noticing a difference in my running, after only a couple of months! Excited to keep going with it!

My parents were both very fit people in their youth, which dropped off a bit when the had busy lives with kids and full time jobs, but later picked up again with walking everywhere. Although my mum doesn't do any specific exercise she is very active and a keen walker and in good shape at 80. My dad is 84 and walks 5-8k a day and does weights at home. They are both in much better shape than some friends' parents in their 70s. I really think their active lives has made a massive difference. Same as my grandmother, who never went to the gym or did any sports but walked everywhere until her late 90s and lived in a house with stairs. Obviously some lucky is also involved with this, as accidents and illnesses can and do happen but overall if you're fit and active you also might be better placed to fight illness or recover from injury.

I’m pushing 50 and lost a huge amount of fitness in lockdown.
Im restarting again and walking about an hour a day and just trying to stay moving as much as possible.

My MIL declared herself ‘elderly’ at 50 and didn’t take one more step than she had to. From what I understand from DH even in her youth she would never walk anywhere despite never driving. She was slim so decided this meant she was very fit, much fitter than people competing in the Olympics in fact! But refused to walk anywhere and demanded to be driven everywhere door to door.
In her 60s it all caught up with her. Instead of pretending she couldn’t walk, she couldn’t. She lost all her muscle tone, although I think she was thrilled as she went down a dress size. One bad illness and she went to pieces physically of course and died shortly after. I’m going to keep moving.

Almost 73, have a mini gym in the summerhouse, weight bench,Dyno bands,F bike,also have dogs,huge garden, live opposite the south downs. Before I retired, the guys half my age had back problems. They used to say to me how fit and strong I was. I worked my last 20 years on a hyperactive stroke unit, said with my healthy life style at least if I did have a stroke or cardiac issues,it wasn't my fault. We used to get very unfit overweight diabetic patients in their 50s, with very sedentary lifestyles. I haven't had a cold for over 15 years, probably a lot longer than that. My oldest DD 53 says I make her feel old. Before moving I used to play badminton and squash, unfortunately I now have a bladder prolapse.

I absolutely love this thread.

My mum walked everywhere and was always slim because she hates the feeling of being too full. She's in her 80s now and only just starting to suffer from health problems.

My dad drove everywhere, ate loads and hated exercise and dropped dead (literally) at 78 after 20 years of bad health.

Other relatives are in their 70s, eat sensibly, walk every day for fun, and look 15 years younger than they are.

So I think it's a combination of exercise and staying slim.

Also, my parents' friends who drank a lot, regularly, are ageing much worse, with ways more health problems, than those who didn't drink much.

The old chap opposite me in his 90s goes for an hour walk every day,and he walks fast! Other neighbour,a lot younger,very overweight,can barely manage a couple of minutes. Old adage,if you don't use it, you loose it!

I'm only late 40s but here's a good example in my family. My parents in law and my mum are same age. PIL does gardening, lots of housework, do long walks (2-3 hours) at least weekly, out and about and also look after grandchildren. Despite some earlier health scares (cancer and stroke) they've recovered very well and still very mobile.

My mum on the other hand had been overweight since her 30s, had sedentary job, no exercise (used to do ballroom dancing occasionally but not consistently). Now has bad knees, needs walking stick, get tired after about half an hour of slow walk, and also had a heart attack 3-4 years ago and now on long term medication for many things.

Moving your body might not change your life span (there are other lifestyle factors) but it definitely affects the quality of your later life.

Personally seeing my mum's health deteriorating, really spurred me on to look after myself health wise. So I lift heavy and run a few times a week. Combined with yoga I basically exercise everyday. It keeps me sane, keeps me mobile, keeps me strong. I want to be independent and get to do things I enjoy for as long as possible, and that's enough reason for me to keep going.

I think it’s important to keep moving and being active in general but I’m not sure I buy into the whole idea of proper gym-going, cardio type stuff. A brisk walk - and I do mean a really brisk walk- is good. My Dad is 84 and still works full time (!) he’s a worksaholic and can’t give it up (chief executive for a lift company) and he has smoked since 12 and drinks heavily. Never done any exercise, ever. Most he’s ever had wrong with him is an ingrown toenail. I do realise he’s the exception though.

My ex in laws are 85 and never exercised properly but they walk everywhere, live rurally and walk miles. I’m sure that’s kept them well. They look and act like they’re about 60, active foreign holidays, days out, drive everywhere etc.

I am 42 and have always been active, healthy diet, non smoker, non drinker, on my feet walking loads in jobs, done exercise on and off and yet a few years ago I was diagnosed with lupus and multiple other health issues. I genuinely feel as I would imagine many 80 year olds would feel.

It seems like such a lottery. Good health is a privilege.

"I think it’s important to keep moving and being active in general but I’m not sure I buy into the whole idea of proper gym-going, cardio type stuff."

Cardio is somewhat overrated and you don't need to go to the gym for exercise, but there's enough research on consistent resistance training for your long term health. If your day to day lives provide that, then you don't need the gym.

I have a similar experience to a pp with parents vs "in laws" (for want of a better phrase, I'm not married)

Mine are in their 70s but walk over 20,000 steps a day. They walk everywhere. Dad plays golf, mum runs a rambling group, both play football etc with the grandkids, holiday regularly, have an allotment. They have more energy than me.
My in laws are in their 80s (so yes, they are older) but are both very overweight. Struggle to walk further than round the supermarket. Recently went away on holiday for the first time in years and had a dreadful time getting around the airport, up the steps of the plane etc.

I believe that the earlier you can start to incorporate exercise into your daily life the better. I am very keen to be more like my parents than my PIL and I actively try and walk as much as I can, and encourage my kids to too.
It's not necessarily about going to the gym but more about a lifestyle.

I also think it's important to keep actively mentally. Even things like Wordle, sudoku. Everything helps IMO

I’m not sure I buy into the whole idea of proper gym-going, cardio type stuff

Neither do I - but neither do I believe that merely 'being active' and 'walking a lot' - or even regular running - is enough. As @safetyzone says, "consistent resistance training for your long term health". Resistance training is so, so important as we age, both with respect to preserving strength and muscle mass, as well as preventing bone loss/osteoporosis.

So...... get a pair of dumbbells (3-5kg to start with, depending on your fitness) and start working out with Caroline Girvan. There are others, of course, but she is the best I have come across.

However, to be able to work out with weights, you need a strong core, which means ab workouts and planks. Try Rebecca Louise's Best Abs and the Bowflex 3-minute plank.

20, 30, 40+ minutes most days - an investment in your health and your future!