Advice needed before it’s too late

[LaBelleSauvage123]

I’m 62 and am just waking up to the fact that my fitness, flexibility, balance and strength are really poor for my age. I have moderate osteoarthritis in my hip and sacro-iliac vertebrae which makes it painful to walk sometimes
(though sitting makes it much more painful). I have a mild heart condition which means I get breathless climbing up hills, but my fitness level probably has more to do with this than the heart issue ( and I’ve not been told there’s any type of exercise I shouldn’t do, except HIT type sessions). I have a disabled son and a fairly stressful lifestyle as a result with not much time to myself. I’m about 1.5 stone overweight.

Anyway, I’ve just knocked a glass under the bed and I really struggled to get down onto the floor to retrieve it, and particularly to get back up again - and I suddenly thought, I don’t want to be like this at 62! I want to be able to get down on the floor and up again, to go for a moderate walk without feeling exhausted, to play with any future grandchildren I might have and to enjoy an active old age.

So my question is - what would you recommend for a time-poor, inflexible, limping person who’s old before her time?

I have been doing Tom Morrison mobility exercises as I, although younger, do have osteoarthritis and noticed things were becoming a real struggle.
Several months on, after just 20 or so minutes 3 x a week, and I can bend and twist like I could a decade ago.
there are lots of mobility people on TikTok so I have picked up and added a few moves here and there too. I think I started off at 10 mins and it’s just gradually stretched to 20 with new moves.
If I skip a few days due to illness or something I really notice how much I stiffen up and become sore again.

I just watched a few of his videos and then started to pick and choose the exercises. My shoulders and hips were the worst so I started with those sand then started adding thoracic spine movements, knees, feet etc. he makes me feel amazing!

https://www.tiktok.com/@tom_morrison?lang=en

I second Tom Mobility but I would then also progress onto strength training three times a week. Even a 1kg set would start you off.

If you can't walk swimming is fantastic for mobility and tone in terms of cardio. Also things like the rowing machine or cross trainer at the gym.

Pilates works on both strength and flexibility. You'll need in-person classes at least to start with because there's often a fraction of an inch difference between a movement that works and one that does nothing. A 1-to-1 session with someone with a specific qualification in arthritis/older people would be the best start - not cheap but if you have just 1 at the beginning you'll get far more value out of every exercise you do after that.

Cardio fitness is easier to do without classes - you can start by just walking a little further and a little faster each time you go out. Choose routes with hills, take the stairs instead of the lift, walk up escalators etc.

Ive had a look at the Tom Morrison videos and they look excellent - thanks for the recommendation.

Yoga made so much difference to me. I only do beginner's stuff but my flexibility changed so rapidly.

Another one recommending Tom Morrison.

I am not a professional but from the perspective of someone the same age as you wanting to stay as fit and well as possible there are lots of good suggestions above - flexibility, pilates, yoga, some weights, I'd probably add Cto5k for jogging for cardiovascular health too if you're allowed (you can go as gentle as you like). BUT the key to it all is

• regularity and consistency - I aim to do something significant (pilates class, 40 mins proper swim) 3 times a week and something modest most days in-between (20 mins flexibility, short strength session, nice walk somewhere)
• sort out your diet. You have to eat, so eat healthy foods. Lots of plants, lots of variety, cut down on the ultraprocessed stuff, watch your portion size. You're only 1.5 stones overweight so I imagine your relationship with food is fine, you're just a bit sedentary and enjoy stuff too much (just like me! I've just given myself a slap and lost the stone that I'd snuck on). I recommend the Doctor's Kitchen for lovely recipes.

LadyGardener - you are spot on about the diet! I love cooking, DH and I cook from scratch every day, eat lots of veg, rarely eat red meat etc. But I SO love food!

Diet needs sorting out. You can’t put-exercise a bad diet. Sorry. That’s a basic we all have to deal with (it’s a pain I know …)

Simple mobility is important. Loads of ways to train that. I have a “gym friend “ who’s 90 and does burpees. Very slowly and no jumping, but the aim is that if she falls, she can get herself up again.

Liads of stuff on Instagram and YouTube for ways of starting slowly with flexibility and mobility. You don’t need to do the splits but you do need to be able to get up off the floor if you fall.

Then think about how to get more walking into your everyday life. Can you ditch your car? Walk a bit more instead of the bus?

And also, lift weights to improve muscle strength and mass. Best is proper barbell weights but you might not want to go too heavy. Even dumbbells would help.

Get yourself a Fitbit and use the video workouts on the Fitbit app.