Are you over 50 and really toned and fit?

[MistyBay]

Am very interested to find out. I do quite a bit of exercise - I’m consistent rather than a ‘beast myself’ type.

im seeing very good results over the last two years since I gave up alcohol and sugar and started exercising most days. I walk for sn hour every day on top.

I’m wondering what I can plausibly expect fitness-wise now I’m 50.

if I lift enough weights will I get rid of bat wings completely?

if I eat well and do enough cardio and yoga, will I get a waist?

are you over 50 and do you have a body of a 25 year old is what I want to know?

i need to know what to aim for.

3 times a week is fine. You do need quite a hands on teacher though. At first try you think it’s really basic and easy but you need someone who is watching you and moving you if needs be because a tiny adjustment makes a massive difference to the strength of the workout. Even now I do some classes where I can barely move the next day I’m so sore like today.

@Conferenceblues A 4kg weight would have been better, or significantly reducing the number of reps e.g. 50% and feeling your way back up over a few weeks.

Edited- just read it was your lower body workout. That is probably a core strength issue maybe. Tom Morrison mobility method is really good. I also really love a plank for core strength.

@MistyTrains2 - thanks for your ideas. I do work on my core quite a lot - I do a two minute plank everyday plus other core stuff - I have arthritis in both my knees and find keeping a strong core really helps. I think it may be my poster - maybe I was leaning over too much?

Whilst I'm not yet 50 (not far off). I've raced my bike competitively since my late 20's. I compete in various disciplines - mountain bike, cyclo cross and road. It is amateur, but a very serious hobby which I fit in round full time work and family.

The point I'm going to make is that I race (more cyclo cross and mountain bike) with many women in their 50's, 60's and 70's. Physique wise you wouldn't know... then you look at their faces and you get a better idea of age! These women are very competitive and capable of beating women half their age. We all have our own stories. Some are fairly new to it, others not. But we are all continually striving to beat each other and keep getting better results!

What you should expect is to enjoy the process and maybe see what you can achieve and just how far you can push your body. It's fun and addictive!

I think the most important thing is to keep pushing, otherwise the rapid gains and changes stagnate. Plus, it gets dull. Having goals to aim for and charting progress is very motivating. On a down day when motivation is lacking, you can look at where you've come from. Likewise you know you need to get the session done as it's another step toward achieving the next goal.

The positive impact you'll be having on both your physical and mental health is priceless.

Great thread. I weight train 4/5 days a week and do a swim/run day once a week. I’ve always done some kind of cardio but since starting weights, I am now the strongest I’ve ever been. Flat stomach, a waist, toned arms and legs - feeling and looking good in and out of clothes!

Rippon absolutely does have a dance background. There are famous scenes of her on Morecambe and Wise dancing from 1970’s when she was like 40 and everyone thought she was old!!

People might like to look at the Girls Run the World website - not just about running, there are loads of strength and conditioning workouts on there, and it's aimed at older ladies. I don't like doing stuff on my own but lots of people find it easier to fit in (and afford).

I am 51 and have recently moved away from running as much to doing more bootcamp style exercise. I think it is better for me at this age. So I swim once a week, run twice or three times a week (not long distances - 3-6 miles generally), and do a bootcamp twice or three times a week. I am 163cm tall and the last time I weighed myself I was about 8 stone 10. I definitely have a better figure than I did in my 20s (or 30s). I am also an apple but don't worry about it, it's the way I am made.

Thanks @MistyBay

I didn't know that, but I'm not surprised.

Guys, I found her. My inspo. This woman looks GREAT - and not just for her age!

it can be done.

Yes yes I follow her, she is totally my inspiration! She did do a bikini competition though, I wonder how necessary that was.
I love her quads. The thing underlying it all is really this - consistency.

What I like about her is that she genuinely looks great and has retained her femininity. She does do a lot of stripping off and photo shoots but there is one pic of her on a normal day walking her dog in cut off shorts and she just looked so natural and youthful.

I think sometimes fit over fifty women lose their softness and yes they look slim or strong but their taste in fashion gives them away and they look overly made up so it ends up just looking a bit naff. But I think this lady looks cool.

Where do you follow her please? She looks incredible, so strong

I follow this woman. She's amazing.

I don't understand your workouts OP, why are you doing just one handstand and just one downward dog?!

Anyway, I'm 53 and look good. (I refuse to say "for my age"). I think the key is weights and like others on this thread, I follow Caroline Girvan. When I was more focused than I am now on her, I saw real changes to my body.

The people who look amazing like the person below will also be monitoring their macros and calories very tightly. Macros Inc on facebook is helpful for this (and Caroline Girvan's groups - there's an over 50s one - too). Again, when I did this seriously, I saw some changes to my fat % levels. (Am currently more slack as I deal with family, work and relationships).

I also do a lot of yoga - 3-5 times a week a full vinyasa flow or ashtanga session. I do it because I love it and because it has very positive mental health benefits. I do it in a studio as well - I'm very unmotivated if I try to do it at home, I just fanny about with my phone and things. But it makes you strong.

I don't do any cardio currently apart from cycling around to meetings etc. I had to stop running because of bad knees. But I think the literature that cardio is bad for middle aged women is right probably? I'd only do it for mental health benefits probably myself. I always walk more than 15,000 steps a day.

I don't have a waist, but I have never have. I'm straight up and down and have never managed to have a defined waist. I'm pretty much always a 27-8 inch waist and size 10. (Helps that I'm also tall). I'm less good at toning up my legs because of my knees, but am working on this now.

Why is Cardio bad for middle age women? I lose weight when I do a lot of cardio and put it on when I weight train. I do a combination of both, but think everyone is different.

You can see her Instagram handle in the picture @Watchingthegp the lady only really does weights by the looks of it. She’s a real advocate for lifting.

I do cardio running and it’s getting easier the stronger my glutes and legs are getting. I find holding handstand most days is really toning me up. Aim is to one day be able to hold a handstand. I’m finding crouching squats are a game changer.

I don’t think it’s ‘bad’ but it definitely becomes less effective as a weight control mechanism as we age. I do cardio for heart health, not as specific calorie burner. For me, cardio is a ‘strength’ day, just the same as a leg, abs, or arm day. It’s still all about improving (heart) muscle strength, after all, our heart is our most important muscle.